Nutritional Sciences

Our research investigates how metabolic regulation shapes the body’s capacity to regenerate tissues, with a primary focus on the heart and skeletal muscle. We examine how energy metabolism reprogramming influences regenerative capability after injury, and how metabolic alterations associated with obesity and diabetes hinder this process. By integrating animal models with interdisciplinary collaborations, our team aims to identify novel metabolic pathways that can be targeted to develop innovative therapies for heart disease, metabolic disorders, and muscle injuries.

Stephen L. Clarke, native Oklahoman, is a Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Sr. Associate Dean for Research, Graduate Studies, and Faculty Affairs in the College of Education and Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University. He is a member of the Board of Health and Human Sciences of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Association of Nutrition Departments and Programs. After finishing his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. 

Since joining OSU as an assistant professor in 2007, Clarke has served the OSU campus in a variety of capacities as Department Head, Associate Department Head, Chair of OSU Faculty Council, Chair of the Healthcare and Wellness Committee, member of the OSU Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Council, and Faculty Athletics Representative. In addition to serving as an external program reviewer for Nutrition and Dietetic programs, he has served as a Faculty Teaching Fellow, participated as a panelist for the OSU Academic Leadership Academy, and has presented faculty development workshops for the Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence.

Research Interests:

Clarke's research interests on nutrient-gene interactions are focused on bioactive food components and how these compounds reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. His work has been supported by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, USDA/National Institute for Food and Agriculture, and National Institutes of Health.

Christi Evans is an Assistant State Extension Specialist for Food Safety at Oklahoma State University. She is a registered dietitian and is passionate about food safety, reducing food waste, and home food preservation. Evans also hosts cooking segments for Oklahoma Gardening, sharing practical tips and health-focused recipes.

Candance Gabel, native Oklahoman, is the State Coordinator for the Community Nutrition Education Programs (CNEP) and Senior State Extension Specialist in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Education and Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University. After completing her undergraduate degree at Fort Hays State University, she completed the coordinated dietetic internship Master's degree program through Texas Women's University and the Houston VA Medical Center. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Positive Psychology from the University of Missouri. Gabel is a Licensed and Register Dietitian. 
Since joining OSU in 2018, Gabel has served on the DASNR Faculty Council, multiple search and screen committees for Cooperative Extension and the Department of Nutritional Sciences. She serves on the NC3169 National Research Committee focusing on Quality of Life for EFNEP participants.  In addition, she serves on the FCS Health and Hunger Team, Oklahoma's Double up Food Bucks committee, the State Obesity Plan for Oklahoma, OSU's Student Food Security initiative and as held multiple positions with the Association of State Nutrition Administrators (ASNNA). 

Research Interests:

Gabel's research interests evolves around qualitative data. CNEP is comprised of two different federal programs, SNAP-Ed and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program (EFNEP). Both of these programs provide basic food, nutrition and physical activity education to limited resource audiences. They involve extensive pre and post surveys, food recalls, and a behavior checklist. These tools provide the needed data to show program impact.

I am the John and Sue Taylor Professor (with tenure) of nutrition metabolism and the gut microbiome. I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies in China. After my 2-year STA Fellowship in Sapporo, Japan, I joined Kansas State University as a postdoc fellow in biochemistry and then a research faculty in molecular and biochemical nutrition. I started my tenure-track Assistant Professor position in 2013, Associate Professor with tenure in 2019, and Full Professor in 2022. I hold the John and Sue Taylor Professorship in Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State University (2022-2028). My current research is focused on vitamin A and carotenoids in mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, cellular oxidative stress and signaling, immune responses and inflammation, and the interplay of the host and gut microbiome in the development of intestinal colitis, obesity, and diabetes. I am also interested in exploring the role of the gut-lung axis in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infection. Further, I am dedicated to effective teaching in human nutrition and metabolism to both undergraduate and graduate students. In adition to my academic roles, I serve as an Associate Editor for the journal Nutrition Research, Deputy Editor-in-chief for Metabolsim and Disease, and is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry and Food Science and Human Wellness, and was USDA NIFA science advisor. I have received a few awards for the excellence of research, teaching, and leadership, including the OSU Regents Distinguished Research Award (2021), OSU Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award (2020), OSU President's Fellows Faculty Research Award (2019), the College Marguerite Scruggs Award for Meritorious Early Career Research (2016), CEHS Leadership and Service Award (2026), and the OSU Stephan M. Wilson Leadership Development Award (2026).

Research Interests:

Carotenoids and vitamin A are essential nutrients for human health. In my laboratory, we are exploring how vitamin A and carotenoids regulate mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, cellular oxidative stress and signaling, immune responses and inflammation, and the interplay of the host and gut microbiome in the development of intestinal colitis, obesity, and diabetes in human participants and/or rodent models. I am also interested in exploring the role of the gut-lung axis in virus infection in mice. 

Key areas of interest: Acute and chronic inflammation; Diabetes; Food bioactive compounds; Gut microbiome; Influenza A virus infection and pneumonia; Intestinal colitis; Mitochondrial structure and function; Obesity; Signal transduction

I joined Oklahoma State University in August 2021 as an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences. Prior to joining OSU, I completed postdoctoral training at University of California, Davis and Cornell University, where she worked on nutrition research projects in Mexico, Ghana, and Kenya.

I lead the Global Nutrition Research Group, where our work focuses on improving food and nutrition security among vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly pregnant and lactating women, adolescents, and children in low-resource settings globally. Our research examines the complex relationships among food insecurity, diet quality, food environments, and health outcomes, with the goal of identifying sustainable strategies to reduce nutrition-related health disparities.

My research has documented barriers to healthy eating and food access among diverse populations, including adolescent mothers, international students, and school-age children. Through community-engaged and evidence-based approaches, my team and I implement and evaluate nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions designed to improve dietary behaviors, nutrition outcomes, and overall well-being. Our work also explores how family, school, and community food environments shape dietary practices and health across the life course.

My current research includes studies examining food insecurity and diet quality among pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers, as well as the influence of school food environments on adolescent nutrition and health behaviors. I am committed to advancing nutrition equity locally and globally by integrating community partnerships, implementation research, and student mentorship into my scholarship to develop practical, culturally relevant solutions that improve food and nutrition security.

Research interests:

Maternal, adolescent, and child nutrition; Food and nutrition security; Diet quality and dietary behaviors; Food environments and health outcomes; School nutrition programs; Community-based programs; Nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions.

Nila Pradhananga is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State University and a State Extension Specialist for food and nutrition security in the Family and Consumer Sciences with Oklahoma Cooperative Extension.

Her research focuses on food and nutrition security, with particular attention to how complex food environments influence health behaviors. She specializes in applying implementation science frameworks and mixed-methods approaches to examine the impact of policy, systems, and environmental changes on healthy eating.

Through Cooperative Extension, she is focused on evaluating community nutrition programs and conducting community-based participatory research. Her work is guided by a strong commitment to the land-grant mission of integrating research, teaching, and outreach to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities across Oklahoma and beyond.

Faculty affiliate of OSU's Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI) - https://go.okstate.edu/hpnri

Research Interests:

Community-Based Participatory Research; Food Policy Systems and Environments, Community and Public Health Nutrition

Diana Romano is a Registered Dietitian with over 30 years of experience. She currently serves as an Associate State Extension Specialist for Community Nutrition Education Programs (CNEP) at Oklahoma State University. Prior to this role, Diana worked as a Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, delivering community nutrition programs in both English and Spanish, and served as the State Coordinator for the award-winning Farm to You exhibit.

Diana earned her Master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences and completed her Dietetic Internship at OSU in 2008. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, awarded in 1995. Early in her career, she worked as a Nutrition Sales Specialist for Baxter Laboratories and later as a Food Service Dietitian at San Ignacio Hospital.

A passionate advocate for community nutrition, Diana has been featured in numerous interviews with newspapers and television networks in both English and Spanish. She is deeply committed to making a positive impact through her profession and has held several leadership positions within national and state organizations. In 2016, she was honored with the National Hispanic Medical Association Leadership Award. Diana is a past chair of LAHIDAN (Latinos and Hispanics in Dietetics and Nutrition), a Member Interest Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and a former chair of the Diversity Sub-Committee of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. In 2018, she was named a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She currently serves as Treasurer for two organizations, the Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Oklahoma Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She represents the Department of Nutritional Sciences on the College’s Career track Reapointment and Promotion Committee. In addition to her departmental roles, Diana contributes to broader university efforts as past Secretary for both, the Agriculture and Extension Faculty Council and the Hispanic and Latino Faculty Association.

 

Research Interests:

As part of her job as an associate extension state specialist, Diana provides guidance and support for adult and youth nutrition education programs. She is passionate about policy, systems and environmental interventions in the community, and helps oversee community grants throughout the state. Diana trains extension professionals and paraprofessionals on topics related to health and nutrition. Her main focus areas are community nutrition education, adult nutrition, older adult nutrition, Latino/Hispanic health. Diana knows nutrition plays a significant role in chronic disease prevention; therefore, she thinks nutrition education is crucial to improve overall health. Through her work, Diana believes she is making a difference in the life of Oklahomans.