Q&A with Stephan van Vliet
Q: Who are you and what brought you to USU?
A: My name is Stephan van Vliet and I am an Assistant Professor of Nutrition. I was born in the Netherlands but did all my graduate work in the US. I earned my PhD in Kinesiology as an ESPEN Fellow from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received training at the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine and Duke University School of Medicine. The strong clinical facilities at the Center for Human Nutrition Studies are what brought me to USU. All my colleagues were very welcoming, and I had a great feeling about USU during my interview (I still do by the way).
Q: How did you end up in the field of nutrition?
A: During my teens, I got interested in lifting weights. Alongside that I developed an interest in nutrition as well. First for athletic performance and later on for general health. I have also had an interest in farming and would often buy milk and other products directly from the farm. As I moved through my career, I have gotten particularly interested in linking agriculture and human health and ask the question: do more sustainable production practices also producer healthier food for people.
Q: What can you tell us about your current research?
A: My group’s research is performed at the nexus of agricultural and human nutrition. We routinely collaborate with farmers, ecologists, and agricultural scientists to study critical linkages between sustainable agriculture, the nutrient density of food, and human health. We are working on several large-scale projects where we profile beef, bison, milk, blueberries, and almonds that were grown or produced using various production methods. We are studying whether more climate-friendly production practices, known as regenerative agriculture, also impact the nutritional quality of these foods and animal health. So far, we are seeing that regenerative agriculture can improve vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in these foods. We are also performing the first randomized controlled clinical trial that studies human health responses to eating a diet from foods produced using regenerative agricultural practices to see if there are any appreciable effects on human health.
Q: What classes are you teaching?
A: I am teaching Advanced Micronutrients and Metabolism. In this upper-level course, we are taking a deep dive into how micronutrients impact metabolic pathways related to human health. The class is a combination of both undergraduate and graduate students.
Q: What advice do you have for students pursuing a career in nutrition?
A: My best advice is to study something you are truly passionate about. That way, hard work won’t always feel like hard work.
Contact Stephan
Directory Page
Office Location: NFS 303
Phone: 435-797-5369
Email: stephan.vanvliet@usu.edu