Assistant Professor
College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignCardiac Function, Epigenetic, Metabolism, metabolism and diets, Nutritional Sciences, Prebiotics, skeletal muscle
Dr. Diego Hernández-Saavedra received his BS Degree in Pharmaceutical Biological Chemistry from the Autonomous University of Queretaro, Mexico in 2012. Thereafter, he completed his Ph.D. degree in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois in 2018. After completing his Ph.D., he went to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to complete his postdoctoral training in 2021. Dr. Hernández-Saavedra’s research program focuses on the beneficial effects of exercise to understand the adaptations in key metabolites and lipids in health and disease, the epigenetic mechanisms associated exercise that improve metabolism and bioenergetics, and the transgenerational effect of sedentarism and exercise on metabolism and cardiac function.
Professor of Animal Nutrition and Nutrigenomics
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignAnimal Nutrition, companion animals, gut health, Human Nutrition, Microbiome, Nutrigenomics, Nutrition, Obesity, Pets, Prebiotics, Probiotics
(he/him) studies the effects of nutritional intervention on health outcomes, identifying mechanisms by which nutrients impact gene expression and host physiology, with primary emphasis on gastrointestinal health and obesity. His lab’s research is contributing to the development of diets to help prevent obesity and other health-related issues in humans and animals.
More information:
Swanson uses genomic biology to study nutrition-related problems in the areas of obesity and intestinal health. Both comparative and applied nutrition research projects are performed in his laboratory, including those studying human subjects, companion animals, and rodent models. A primary aim of his research group is to study the effects of diet and age on gastrointestinal microbiota abundance and activity. DNA-based techniques [e.g., quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); next-generation sequencing] are used in the lab. Current projects are designed to evaluate the effects of dietary fibers and prebiotics, dietary lipids, and protein: carbohydrate ratio on gastrointestinal microbial populations. Key associations between intestinal microbiota, host physiology, and disease are also being studied. Another primary area of research pertains to energy homeostasis and obesity. Molecular techniques (e.g., qRT-PCR; Fluidigm; RNAseq) are used to identify mechanisms and/or metabolic pathways affected in key metabolic tissues. Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle play important roles in energy homeostasis and glucose and lipid metabolism and are the focus of several ongoing projects.Affiliations:
Dr. Swanson is Professor of Animal Nutrition and Nutrigenomics in the in the (ACES) at the . He is also interim director of the at ACES.