Human Nutrition: From Basics to Therapeutics New

Nutrition is recognized as essential to the future of medicine, public health, biology, and sustainability. The material in this course introduces students to the fundamentals of nutritional competencies, personalized plant-based diets, and nutrition as therapeutics. 

Beginning with foundations of nutrition science, the class examines macronutrients and micronutrients, USDA guidelines, and major dietary patterns such as USDA MyPlate, the Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, and Planetary Health diets. They then apply this knowledge to nutritional competencies for undergraduate and graduate medical school and training. Finally, the course explores nutrition as a cornerstone of disease therapeutics, highlighting common conditions and evidence-based diets for prevention, management, and treatment. Mini-units invite students to consider diet culture over time and the latest research on precision nutrition, with attention to factors such as genetics, epigenetics, anthropometrics, lifestyle, and disease status. Students will also examine how nutrition impacts physical, cognitive, and mental well-being, alongside contemporary issues such as nutrition and social media, advances in technology, artificial intelligence, and the intersection of nutrition and climate change.  

Designed for motivated high school students, through engaging lectures, interactive discussions, small-group projects, guest speakers and field experiences, this course provides an accessible introduction to human nutrition. Students gain insight into how evidence-based nutrition connects science, healthcare, society, and the built environment, and why it is a key determinant of individual and population health outcomes. It will be of interest to any student eager to understand how nutrition shapes human health and well-being.