Laboratories
The Division of Nutrition at the University of Utah has four laboratories under its direction:
- The Nutrition Biochemistry Research Facility
- The Experimental Foods Laboratory
- The Nutrition Physical Assessment Laboratory
- The Student Assessment Laboratory
Additionally, the Division oversees the use of the Environmental Chamber.
The Nutrition Biochemistry Research Facility
The Division's Nutrition Biochemistry Research Facility is located within the College of Health in Room 230 of the North HPER Building.
The laboratory is approximately 800 square feet in area with 8 individual work stations and 3 data entry/computer stations.
The lab is a modern nutritional biochemistry research laboratory equipped with a liquid scintillation counter, UV/visual spectophotometer, table top and ultra high centrifuges, and a laminar flow hood among other standard equipment. This laboratory is used by students and faculty for research and teaching purposes. The director of the nutrition laboratory is Dr. Thunder Jalili.
The Experimental Foods Laboratory
The Experimental Foods Laboratory is located to the College of Health in Room 228 of the North HPER Building. The laboratory is divided into three areas: demonstration, cooking, and storage. There is a demonstration area with classroom seating. The cooking area is divided into six stations each with an electric range and other standard equipment including pH meters, balances, and a moisture determination balance.
This laboratory is used for courses offered by the Division including Food Analysis and Development/Food Systems Management and community cooking demonstrations. The laboratory is also available for research purposes. Dietitians use the facility to instruct university staff and other community members on methods of preparing healthy menus such as "Heart Healthy" and "Put Your Food on a Diet" and to instruct individuals with various metabolic disorders on alternative food preparation. The laboratory is under the direction of Rose Thayer
The Nutrition Physical Assessment Laboratory
The Nutrition Physical Assessment Laboratory includes equipment for physical assessment in clinical and research settings.
This includes anthropometric measurement and a metabolic cart to measure energy expenditure at rest and during exercise.
Student Assesment Lab
Graduate students gain experience in nutrition assessment through the Student Assessment Laboratory.
It is within the laboratory where students participating in our undergraduate nutrition classes are tested for nutritional indicators to reinforce the effect of diet on health and disease prevention.
Environmental Chamber
Adjacent to the biochemistry lab is a 10x10 square foot environmental chamber that is a shared facility with the Department of Exercise and Sport Science.
This chamber is equipped with living facilities that allows the housing of test subjects for up to 24 hours for careful metabolic and environmental studies conducted with the regulation of temperature, humidity, and exposure to UV light.