Department and Program:
Human Nutritional Sciences, M.Sc.

Funding Sources:
CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarships Master’s Award
MHRC Graduate Studentship

Research Interest:
Andrew is currently working on a CIHR funded project under the supervision of Dr. Harold Aukema in the department of Human Nutritional Sciences. The project is a component of a larger study that is examining the long-term consumption of a high protein diet and possible implications.

High protein diets are used as a means of weight loss and weight control. Unfortunately, there is little published research supporting the safety of these diets. Previous dietary recommendations for Canadians suggested that 13 - 15% of daily energy should come from protein, but in 2002, these were revised to 10 - 35%. The goal of this study is to provide new data on the safety of high protein intake on the normal kidney using rats. An animal model allows the opportunity to examine the long-term due to a shorter lifespan. The objective is to determine the long-term effects of a diet containing 35% of energy as protein on kidney function and pathology.

Results from Andrew’s study have been presented at the 2006 Nestle Graduate Student Competition during the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences (CSNS), which was held in Edmonton, Alberta. These results were also published as an abstract in the meetings proceedings.