Zoom Link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/97216069429

Title: “Design the precise diet for your immunity in COVID-19 pandemic”

Obesity diabetes, and hypertension which are emerging as risk factors for poor outcome after COVID-19 infection are associated with abnormal immune function. Given that only a small fraction of the world’s population has been infected so far, it is vital that we all do whatever we can to strengthen our immune health in advance of being infected. This is not just about losing a few pounds but requires a combination of high quality foods to support immune function and rebuild our body from years of sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition that is driven by high fat, high sugar, and high salt processed foods. The high inter-person variability in response to foods and the environment demands development of more personalized approaches. Individual immune and metabolic phenotypes are determined by the interplay of genetics, diet, microbiome, physical activity, and multi-omics signatures. The phenotype is dynamic and largely in response to dietary changes.

Biography:

Professor of Medicine, Lynda and Steward Resnick Endowed Chair
Director, Center for Human Nutrition Chief, Division of Clinical Nutrition
University of California, Los Angeles zli@mednet.ucla.edu
Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD is a professor of medicine, Lynda and Stewart Resnick endowed chair in human nutrition at David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. She currently holds the positions of Director of Center for Human Nutrition, Chief of Division of Clinical Nutrition at UCLA.
Dr. Li is board certified in internal medicine and a physician nutrition specialist. She completed her MD and PhD in physiology at Beijing University, China and has been a faculty member at UCLA. She is leading the Center for Human Nutrition to have vigorous research programs in nutrition, microbiome, and metabolism; providing mentorship and didactic and informal training for young scientists, premed, medical students, medical residents, fellows, and clinicians; and directing clinical programs that specialize in metabolic diseases, bariatric medicine, gastrointestinal diseases, and cancer prevention/treatment.
For nearly three decades, Dr Li’s research interest has focused on translational research in the role of macronutrients and phytochemicals in the prevention and treatment of obesity-related chronic diseases. She has been a principal investigator for over 100 investigator-initiated National Institutes of Health– and industry-sponsored clinical trials and published over 200 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as JAMA, Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and Journal of American Dietetic Association. She has Co-Authored “Primary Care Nutrition: Writing the Nutrition Prescription” published by CRC Press.
Dr. Li currently is the immediate past president of National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists (NBPNS). She has been very active in the American Society of Nutrition at national meetings over the past decade organizing and speaking at scientific symposia. She has served on Board of Directors of American Society for Nutrition (ASN) since 2017. Her passion is to advocate for nutrition science research and bring nutrition to the forefront of disease prevention and treatment.

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