Sukhinder Cheema
Dr. Cheema has a background in biochemistry, nutrition and molecular biology. She combines her multidisciplinary expertise to investigate the regulation of metabolic pathways, at the molecular and cellular level, by nutrients. Her research focuses on maternal nutrition during pregnancy, its impact on pregnancy outcome, and the regulation of offspring metabolism. Maternal nutrition plays a critical role in predisposing an individual to the development of adult diseases, a concept known as “fetal programming” or “developmental origins of health & disease”. Her research group has been investigating how maternal diet, especially the type and the amount of fat, affects the regulation of offspring metabolism, thereby predisposing them to a higher risk of diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and brain health) in later years. Her interest in maternal nutrition and offspring health has attracted collaborations to investigate human breast milk composition and its impact on the health of the new born. At MSVU, Dr. Cheema is collaborating to develop novel nutraceuticals and functional foods, and to conduct clinical studies on the effects of these nutraceuticals/functional foods on human health.
TEACHING AREAS:
- Fundamentals of Nutrition
- Metabolism
- Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics
- Food, Food Safety and Health