Nutritional Sciences

Nutrigenomics, Inflammation and Obesity Research Lab (NIOR)

Naima Moustaid-Moussa, Ph.D. FTOS, FAHA
Professor in Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Sciences
Director, Obesity Research Cluster
Texas Tech University

Academic web sites:
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/ns/research/nior/
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/obesityresearch/
https://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/ns/

Dr. Naima Moustaid-Moussa is professor in the nutritional sciences department at Texas Tech University (TTU). She is also founding director of the Obesity Research Cluster, an interdisciplinary initiative emphasizing translational basic, clinical and community research collaborations. She holds MS and PhD degrees in Endocrinology from the University of Paris-P&M Curie, France and completed a postdoctoral training in molecular nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Prior to joining TTU, she was professor and co-director of the Obesity Research Center at the University of Tennessee Institute (UT) where she held joint professor appointments in Nutrition, Animal Sciences, and UT Extension Family & Consumer Sciences departments. She has been leading a funded basic and integrated nutrition and obesity research, with emphasis on the endocrine function of adipose tissue and nutrient-gene interactions in metabolic diseases. Her current research includes mechanisms by which (1) the adipocyte renin angiotensin system mediates inflammatory, adiposity- and insulin resistance in metabolic diseases and breast cancer and (2) bioactive compounds (such as omega 3 fatty acids, tocotrienols, tart cherry anthocyanins and switchgrass polyphenols) reduce obesity-associated white adipose tissue inflammation and induce activation of brown adipose tissue, using cell and animal models. Her secondary areas of research include beta cell function in diabetes and childhood obesity. Her research has been funded by federal agencies and foundations including NIH, USDA, AHA and ADA. Dr. Moustaid-Moussa's scholarship has been recognized through peer reviewed publications, patents and several awards, including the 2015 Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Nutritional Sciences award, sponsored by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), 2012 Outstanding Investigator Award from the ASN's Nutrient-Gene Interactions RIS, and a Fulbright Scholarship to the University of Bordeaux (2004-2005). She is an active member and fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) and The Obesity Society (TOS). She served on several peer review committees including as chair of an AHA Lipids Basic Science peer review committee and several NIH study sections in nutrition, obesity and endocrinology and is a current member of the NIH EMNR's Clinical and Integrative Diabetes and Obesity (CIDO) study section.

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