Texas Tech University

Dr. Mandana Pahlavani awarded 2018-2020 USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship

Integrated Gene and MicroRNA Networks Mediating Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Omega 3 Fatty-Acids in Diet-Inducted Obesity

Mandana Pahlavani, Texas Tech University Postdoctoral Fellow wins USDA NIFA Fellowship - Nutritional SciencesThe Department of Nutritional Sciences' Mandana Pahlavani, Ph.D., has been selected by the United States Department of Agriculture' National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) as a recipient of a NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship. This fellowship awards $165,000 over 2 years for Mandana's study related to the genetic mechanisms mediating anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity.

Mandana is a Postdoctroral Research Fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Naima Moustaid-Moussa, Ph.D., FTOS, FAHA, Professor in Nutritional Sciences and Director of the Obesity Research Cluster. Mandana makes the second member of the Nutrigenomics, Inflammation and Obesity Research Lab (NIOR) to be awarded such federal fellowship of this magnitude. Mandana follows NIFA fellow and NIOR lab member Kembra Albracht-Schulte, Ph.D. candidate who also received a 2-year Predoctoral Fellowship in 2017 in the amount of $95,000 for her Ph.D. research.

Mandana's research has even received international attention in her recent selection as one of four finalists in the DSM Science and Technology Award, which recognizes innovative research across the globe. Mandana will travel to present her research findings in Las Vegas on May 28, 2018, at the DSM Science & Technology Award symposium during the 13th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL). In addition to a $1,500 travel award, if selected as a winner she will receive an additional award of $5,000. The 3 runners up will each receive a monetary award of $2,700.

Dr. Moustaid-Moussa has mentored Mandana in the NIOR lab, as major advisor for her doctoral studies, and now as a postdoctoral research fellow.

"She has worked very hard throughout her doctoral studies and as a postdoc," Dr. Moustaid-Moussa said. "She has been very dedicated to research, presented and published her research in high quality peer reviewed journals. Her dissertation project was also very novel, where she identified that a dietary component, fish oil, may activate brown fat (good fat)"

Mandana chose to pursue in the NIOR lab her postdoctoral studies, which Dr. Moustaid-Moussa describes as an opportunity for her to gain complementary and additional technical and professional development training, before moving into an academic faculty position.

Her research concentrates on using various approaches to understand how fish oil may reduce obesity, using an animal model of diet-induced obesity. While her doctoral studies were on brown fat, her postdoctoral research will focus on white fat and how fish oil can reduce its detrimental effects such as white fat inflammation in obesity. She proposed an in-depth animal study with various physiological essays and research questions, discussing white fat cell studies in culture, which was not previously addressed in her doctoral research.

"I am motivated more now to continue my research to find novel ways to prevent and treat obesity in the U.S. and worldwide, using dietary interventions, as most current research focuses on pharmacological interventions such as anti-obesity weight loss drugs," Mandana said. "This award convinced me even more that all my hard work was worthwhile."

Moving forward in her fellowship project, the work will address a novel area of molecular nutrition that will determine how omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil can be used to prevent and/or decrease obesity, by reducing inflammation at fat cells, leading to decreased inflammation in the overall human body.

"In my opinion, several factors contributed to Mandana's successful Ph.D. and now winning a very competitive and prestigious USDA Fellowship," Dr. Moustaid-Moussa said.

The USDA Peer Review Committee evaluates a candidate based on their application background, research project proposal, and the candidate's sponsor and environment. In the application stage, candidates are expected to demonstrate a strong presence in doctoral research and publications, as well as a strong academic record. In addition to Dr. Moustaid-Moussa's mentorship plan, the committee evaluates Mandana's letters of recommendations, which were provided by her doctoral committee members. In the proposal stage, the committee looks for research ideas that demonstrate a remarkable level of innovation and relevance to food and agriculture.

In the final stage of mentorship and environment, the committee examines Texas Tech University as a quality establishment of research in its facilities, resources, and accreditations available to potential awardees. As her mentor and sponsor with over 25 years of faculty experience, Dr. Moustaid-Moussa felt that the track record of her students provided reassurance for the committee that Mandana would be supported at every turn.

Associate Dean for Research in the College of Human Sciences Michael O'Boyle, Ph.D., comments on what Mandana's achievements mean to both the college and program.

"This prestigious appointment provides external validation to the exceptional work being done by Drs. Pahlavani and Moustaid-Moussa from our Department of Nutritional Sciences and is a testament to the quality work being conducted in the College of Human Sciences. We are most proud of this achievement."

Mandana says her ultimate goal is to obtain an academic position where she could continue in her research pursuits while teaching in areas of nutrition, obesity and food science. Through her fellowship experience, she hopes to gain strong research training and career development tools so that she can succeed in a future career in academia.

Mandana plans to expand her independent research program by further investigating bioactive food compounds and nutrients like fatty acids, vitamins, and plant phytochemicals to regulating adipose tissue metabolism to prevent obesity and other metabolic disorders.

"This fellowship is critical for these goals and will aid me in developing my independent research to pursue a faculty position in nutrition and food sciences areas."

Congratulations, Dr. Pahlavani!