The NextGen Precision Health Discovery Series provides learning opportunities for UM System faculty and staff across disciplines, the statewide community and our other partners to learn about the scope of precision health research and identify potential collaborative opportunities. The series consists of monthly lectures geared toward a broad multidisciplinary audience so all can participate and appreciate the spectrum of precision health efforts. 

Information about this upcoming talk, including continuing education, is available below.

For questions about this event or any others in the Discovery Series, please reach out to Veronica Lemme at lemmev@health.missouri.edu.

“How Much Dietary Protein is Too Much?”

Speaker: Bettina Mittendorfer, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri School of Medicine; Director of the NextGen Clinical and Translational Science Unit

Date: Jan. 23, 2024, Noon-1 p.m.

Location: Bryant Auditorium, M105

*Zoom option available

Register Here

Description

Products on grocery store shelves often advertise that they contain supplemental protein, from “protein-fortified” cereals to “protein-infused” bottled water. Many popular diets advise shifting your balance of macronutrients to favor proteins over carbohydrates and fats. Protein is essential for the human body, but there’s a common misconception that more is always better. In her talk, Dr. Bettina Mittendorfer will discuss the emerging body of research which demonstrates how overconsumption of protein is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Once you exceed the threshold required for building lean body mass, excess protein needs somewhere to go. Dr. Mittendorfer’s team finds that a high concentration of amino acids in the bloodstream triggers signaling mechanisms which promote atherosclerosis. For instance, these mechanisms alter the metabolism of small immune cells called macrophages in the vascular system. With that in mind, Dr. Mittendorfer’s work provides insights into how we can think about a “Goldilocks” approach to balancing our individual diets and avoiding overconsumption.

About the Speaker

Bettina Mittendorfer is the NextGen Precision Health Endowed Professor of Medicine and Nutrition & Exercise Physiology and senior associate dean for research at the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri. In addition, Dr. Mittendorfer is the director of the NextGen Clinical and Translational Science Unit, which provides personnel and infrastructure support for sophisticated inpatient and outpatient clinical trials, and the inaugural director of the Metabolic Kinetics Core at the University of Missouri. Before moving to the University of Missouri in August 2023, Dr. Mittendorfer worked at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for 24 years, where she last was a professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science; the director of the Longevity Research Program, which is supported by the Longer Life Foundation; the director of the NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Research Unit; and the associate director of the NIH-funded Washington University Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (NORC). Dr. Mittendorfer’s research focuses on the metabolic and physical function abnormalities associated with obesity and aging and putative therapeutic approaches. She has published over 170 peer-reviewed original research papers, perspectives and scientific reviews. She serves as associate editor for the journals Obesity and J Physiol, and as associate editor for Physiological Reviews.

Continuing Professional Education Credit

Successful Completion of this activity, which includes participating in the educational offering, participating in the evaluation process and completing the verification of attendance, enables the learner to satisfy the requirements for continuing education.

Nursing Contact Hours

University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Midwest Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC). 

1.0 contact hour may be awarded.

Physicians

The University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine designates this live educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Financial Relationships

Current ACCME and Midwest Multistate Division, ANCC rules state that participants in continuing education activities should be made aware of any relevant affiliation or financial interest in the previous 24 months that may affect the planning of an educational activity or a speaker’s presentation(s). Each planning committee member and speaker has been requested to complete a financial relationship reporting form for the NextGen Precision Health Discovery Series. No planning committee member or speaker has a relevant financial interest.