ARS | Publication request: Research Dpg Member Spotlight

Submitted to: American Dietetic Association
Publication Acceptance Date: July 9, 2004
Publication Date: August 1, 2004
Citation: Invited Commentary. Soy Connection. 2004. 12:4-8 In Journal Of American Dietetic Assocation. 104(7).

Technical Abstract: As 'Spotlight Dietitian' in The Digest, the newsletter for the members of the Research Dietitian Practice Group of the American Dietetics Association, Dr. Z.K. (Fariba) Roughead shares her career path from graduate school to becoming a senior scientist at the USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center. In this column, Dr. Roughead shares a mixture of personal and professional experiences with these conclusions: 1) data from human studies typically have a much higher visibility and impact, but that animal studies also play a critical role in expanding the scope of a research program and enable us to probe deeper for mechanisms underlying the findings from the human studies; 2) dietetics training afford added perspective needed to identify practical research problems in human nutrition and the tools to translate scientific findings into consumer-friendly messages; and 3) as the public's interest in healthier life styles continues to grow, so will the demand for evidence-based nutrition advice---it is incumbent upon research dietitians and nutritionists to continue to provide the leadership in designing and implementing studies that yield reliable data needed for the development of sound public policy and advice.