Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences

Dr. Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa is a Professor in the School of Health Professions. She received her PhD in Nutrition from Tufts University and her MD in Guatemala. She is the Director of Research in the Human Performance and Exercise Laboratory, and Director of the Graduate Program in Exercise Science, at Northeastern University. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor of Nutrition at Tufts University, a Fellow of the Brookdale Foundation and the International Life Sciences Institute.

Dr. Sceppa’s program of research addresses three main areas of health promotion including: (1) assessing the efficacy of nutrition and physical activity/exercise interventions on chronic disease risk factors and health outcomes; (2) translating evidence based lifestyle interventions into ‘real world’ settings; and (3) developing sustainable strategies to promote health and reduce the burden of chronic diseases. Her research targets vulnerable populations with particular emphasis to those of diverse ethnic background, suffering from debilitating chronic conditions, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and isolated. Funding for Dr. Sceppa’s research include the Brookdale Foundation, the International Life Sciences Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the National Space and Biomedical Research Institute, corporations, and foundations.

Dr. Sceppa’s research findings have been widely published and referenced and have provided evidence-based information used by the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine to revise the Dietary Recommended Intake for protein in older adults. Her pioneer work on resistance exercise in older adults with kidney disease and diabetes was translated into clinical practice by the American Diabetes Association and adopted as standard of care. In addition, her research findings contributed to the recommendations for physical activity in older adults by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Taken together, her research agenda represents a collaborative effort of a transdisciplinary team of investigators, students and fellows. The knowledge acquired from her evidence base research has informed the development of “real world” community-based interventions and guidelines that bridge the gap between research translation and practice/policy.

• Healthy eating and nutrition science
• Aging and gerontology
• Physical activity and exercise