Short Biography

Harry Dawson
Updated June 2012

Since 2001, Dr. Harry Dawson has worked as a Nutritionist at the Diet Genomics and Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. Prior to that he was a post-doctoral Associate in the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology at the Gerontology Research Center in the National Institute on Aging, NIH. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Dawson received his PhD in Nutrition in 1998 from The Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Dawson conducts functional genomics-based studies focusing on the interactions between nutrition and mucosal immune function. He models vitamin A and D's influence on the immune response to several parasitic geohelminths (Ascaris, Trichuris) and allergens (peanut) in swine as surrogates for humans.

In addition to vitamin A, the scientists in the Diet, Genomics and Immunology Lab, also examine the role of obesogenic diets, parasites, probiotic bacteria, dietary probiotics, polyphenols, selenium, and fiber on digestive health and mucosal immunity in swine and mice for translational research to humans.