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Shanon Loree Casperson

Research Biologist

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Shanon Casperson, Ph.D.

 

Contact information

(701) 795-8497
shanon.casperson@usda.gov

Biography

Dr. Casperson received the B.S. degree in Exercise and Human Performance from the University of Houston, and the Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Texas Medical School, where she studied how nutrition, specifically amino acids, and exercise independently and synergistically contribute to the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass. She joined the staff at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center as a postdoctoral research fellow in nutrition and obesity. In November 2014, she became a Research Biologist in the Center's Healthy Body Weight Research Unit.

Research Interests

My research aims to optimize nutritional strategies that promote attaining a healthy body weight and maintaining weight control. My research focuses primarily on the relationship between meal macronutrient composition (fat, carbohydrate, protein), dietary intake patterns, and energy metabolism. Small changes in meal composition and timing can make a big difference in how the body uses the foods we eat for energy. Utilizing whole-room calorimetry, we can precisely measure changes in energy metabolism in response to different foods, meal composition and meal timing. My research also examines how the foods comprised in meals and/or snacks may disrupt homeostatic regulation of food intake. Utilizing cutting edge technologies, we can understand the impact of the different foods and food components we eat on eating behavior.

Research Accomplishments

  • Established that reduced efficiency of muscle protein synthesis is a key determinant of age-related anabolic resistance.

  • Discovered that the daily distribution pattern of dietary protein intake plays an important role in maintaining skeletal muscle mass.

  • Established the impact of the daily distribution pattern of dietary protein intake plays an important role in energy metabolism and snack food choices.

  • Established that consuming a sugar-sweetened beverage decreases fat oxidation and alters snack preferences later in the day.

  • Demonstrated the difficulties in meeting and adhering to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans for vegetable, whole grains, and sugar intake.

  • Determined the sensitivity of the Veggie Meter to detect changes in skin carotenoids.

  • Identified the impact of adhering to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans for vegetable on mental well-being.