May 9, 2013

Senior Nutrition Sciences students participated in Drexel’s Annual Research Day on April 18 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

“Bliss Point,” the poster presentation created by Christine “Allegra” Istrati ’13, Megan Crable ’13, and Rhianna Cenci ’13, used USDA “Price Elasticity” data to measure the desire for processed foods. Food companies use certain quantities of sugar, fat, and salt to reach a “bliss point” and increase the desire for and purchase of their processed foods. Istrati, Crable, and Cenci’s project was overseen by mentor Jennifer Nasser, PhD, an assistant professor in the Nutrition Sciences Department.

Students Marguerita Algorri ’13, Danielle Matthews ’13, and My Ha Thi Nguyen ’13 presented their project, “Pesticide Residue,” at Drexel’s Research Day. Their work concerned the apparent lack of regulations around pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables in Asian American markets. They sought to evaluate the risks of pesticide exposure to the consumers who shop in the Chinatown area of Philadlephia. Algorri, Matthews, and Nguyen were mentored by faculty member Juan Munoz, PhD.

Hoi Yin Chu ’13, Erica O’Grady ’13, and Victoria Laidlaw ’13 presented “Food Safety & the Elderly,” a project they completed under the mentorship of Jennifer Quinlan, PhD, an associate professor in the Nutrition Sciences Department. Their research focused on the fact that the elderly suffer from more complications and greater mortality associated with foodborne illness. Their project assessed the availability of food safety information for the elderly online.

Lastly, seniors Mary Beth Geyer ’13 and Angela Luciani ’13 were mentored by Stella Volpe, PhD, professor and Chair of the Nutrition Sciences Department, for their project: “Indirect Calorimentry.” Their research was about equations typically used to determine energy needs that are based on height, weight, gender and age. The students aimed to determine the accuracy of prediction equations for athletes, since the calculations do not currently take into account lean body mass and its effect on resting metabolic rate.