Dorothy J. Klimis-Zacas

Professor of Clinical Nutrition

Degree: Ph. D. 1982, Pennsylvania State University
Phone: 207.581.3124
Email: dorothea@maine.edu
Location: 232 Hitchner Hall

Professional Interests: Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry, Nutrition and Vascular Function and Metabolism, Berry bioactives and their role on chronic disease (Cardiovascular, Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome)

Teaching: FSN 101 Introduction to Food and Nutrition, FSN 420 Medical Nutrition Therapy II, FSN 510 Trace Minerals, FSN 584 Lipids, Diet and Cardiovascular Disease

Research: Recent research in my laboratory targets the areas below, in an attempt to unravel mechanisms of bioactive compounds in berries in attenuating oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and inflammation, the cause of several chronic diseases.

VASCULAR NUTRITION-NUTRITIONAL PHYSIOLOGY.  Role and mechanism of action of functional foods and food bioactives on vasomotor function and aortic glycosaminoglycan structure and metabolism as related to Cardiovascular Disase, Hypertension, Obesity-induced inflammation and the Metabolic Syndrome  with the use of biosensors

NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY-NUTRIGENOMICS.  Berry bioactives and their mechanism of action on systemic and local inflammation and gene expression related to the Metabolic Syndrome Role of anthocyanins and phenolics on cell migration, signaling, angiogenesis and vascular remodeling related to Cardiovascular Disease and Atherosclerosis.

CLINICAL NUTRITION.  Human interventions to study the role of food bioactives on Cardiovascular Disease, attenuation of oxidative stress, endothelial function, DNA protection and repair and alterations of gut microbiota.

Recent Publications:

PanagiotisTsakiroglou, Sharon Ashworth, James Webber, Cristian DelBo and Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, Anthocyanins and Phenolic acids extracted from wild blueberries (V. augustifolium) differentially modulate endothelial cell migration through RhoA an RAC1, J. Cell Biochemistry, 2019 Jan 30. doi:10.1002/jcd.28383

Stefano Vendrame and Dorothy Klimis-Zacas- Potential Factors Influencing the Effects of Anthocyanins on blood pressure regulation in humans: A Review, Nutrients. 2019 Jun 25;11(6). pii: E1431. doi: 10.3390/nu11061431

Natalie E. VandenAkker, Stefano Vendrame, Panagiotis Tsakiroglou, Marissa McGilvrey, and Dorothy Klimis-Zacas.Whole Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)-Enriched Diet Is Hepatoprotective in the Obese Zucker Rat, a Model of the Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2021.817-824.http://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2020.0130

Vendrame S, Adekeye TE, Klimis-Zacas D (2022). The role of berry consumption on blood pressure regulation and hypertension: an overview of the clinical evidence. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/13/2701

Vendrame S, Alaba T, Marchi N, Tsakiroglou P, Klimis-Zacas D. Curr Dev Nutr.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds from Berries for Wound Healing, 2024 Jan 14;8(2):102078. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.102078. eCollection 2024 Feb

Book

Klimis-Zacas Dorothy and Rodrigues-Mateos Ana, eds. Berries and berry bioactive compounds in promoting health, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2022, ISBN: 978-1-83916-216-9