Faculty of Arts & Science 2013-2014 Calendar

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Nutritional Science

Faculty

Nutritional Sciences represents an exciting and challenging area of study of a truly interdisciplinary nature. Understanding of the impact of nutrition on health and its role in disease is based upon a knowledge of the metabolic processes involved (nutrient requirements and utilization, food additive metabolism and safety), of the chemistry of foods (food preservation, food production) and of social and behavioural factors integrated in consideration of the national and international goals of achieving optimal health through proper nutrition.

Most career opportunities in Nutritional Sciences require training beyond the undergraduate level. The Major Program provides excellent preparation for entry into postgraduate studies in nutrition research or for a professional faculty such as Medicine and Dentistry.

Please note that this Department does not offer an undergraduate dietetics program. Students interested in this qualification should contact Dietitians of Canada for information (www.dietitians.ca).

Students interested in applying to the MPH-Comm. Nutr. Program, through the Graduate Department of Community Health, are advised to contact the program director during their second year of undergraduate studies.

Undergraduate Coordinators:
Professor R. Bazinet, FitzGerald Building
Dr Debbie Gurfinkel, Fitzgerald Building

Enquiries:
FitzGerald Building, 150 College Street, Room 316 (416-978-2747)

Nutritional Science Programs

This is a limited enrolment subject POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be competitive and based on a student’s marks in the required first-year courses:

BIO120H1, BIO130H1, (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1with an average of at least 70% on these 2.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) and a final mark of at least 60% in each course.

While it is difficult to predict what will be competitive course marks and average in a given year,  based on previous years, the estimate is: course marks = high 70s ; average = low 80s.

Achieving these estimated marks does not guarantee admission to the subject POSt in any given year.

Note:  Students must apply to this program on the Arts & Science Faculty Registrar’s Office website (see the Arts & Science Subject POSt Enrolment web site for application procedures).

First Year:
(BIO120H1, BIO130H1); (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1
Second Year:
NFS284H1; BCH210H1; (STA220H1, STA221H1)
Third Year:
(PSL300H1, PSL301H1)/PSL302Y1; CSB349H1/PSL350H1/BCH311H1; any two of: NFS382H1, NFS386H1, NFS300H1; NFS301H1; NFS302H1; NFS394Y1
Fourth Year:
Any three of: NFS400H1, NFS484H1, NFS485H1, NFS486H1, NFS487H1, NFS488H1, NFS489H1, NFS490H1, NFS494Y1

Nutritional Science Courses

The 199Y1 and 199H1 seminars are designed to provide the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students. These interactive seminars are intended to stimulate the students’ curiosity and provide an opportunity to get to know a member of the professorial staff in a seminar environment during the first year of study. Details can be found at www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/.

An introductory course to provide the fundamentals of human nutrition to enable students to understand and think critically about the complex interrelationships between food, nutrition, health and the environment.

This course introduces the food regulatory system in Canada that ensures the safety and quality of the Canadian food supply.

This course will help students learn how to recognize the strengths and limitations of various nutrition research methods, find reliable nutrition information on the Internet and develop systematic thinking skills to critically evaluating the quality of nutrition information in both the scientific literature and popular media.

This course will give an overview of the emerging and advancing role of chronic diet and supplements in athletics, performance and behavior.

Micronutrients are essential for health throughout the life cycle. This course examines the role of micronutrients during development and ageing with some emphasis on disease prevention and pathogenesis. Students develop critical appraisal skills, an understanding of the principles of study design and learn to write in a scientific style.

Structure, composition and chemical and biochemical reactions in foods during postharvest/postmortem, processing, storage and utilisation. Implications for organoleptic properties, nutritional value, toxicity and human health.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project.

This course will demonstrate the rationale, including health benefits, development and marketing of functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Physiological and biochemical features of nutrient needs. The roles of nutrients in the development and adaptability of the whole body, organs and cells. Interpretation of current research data.

Provides an integrated approach to how prokaryotes modulate nutrient availability and how they interact with the host to impact human health from a molecular perspective.

Obesity and its co-morbidities illustrated with pathophysiological and biochemical principles and clinical case studies.

The impact of the human genome on nutrition research. Experimental approaches to investigating gene-diet interactions. Understanding how genetic variability affects nutrient response, and how dietary factors regulate gene expression. Application of the various ‘omics’ technologies to nutrition research as well as exploring the social, legal and ethical issues associated with direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic tests for personalized nutrition.

Occurrence, mechanism of action, safety and health implications of chemicals naturally present in or added to foods. Interactions of nutrients and toxicants and the effects on their metabolism and utilization. Food safety evaluation and regulatory control.

This course provides an integrated approach to how brain function regulates and in turn is regulated by nutrition from a biochemical perspective.

This course focuses on current issues in international and community nutrition including global and domestic food security, micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of undernutrition, maternal and infant/child nutrition, dietary guidance, and food and nutrition policy. The course will consider the environmental, sociopolitical, cultural and biosocial contexts of nutrition.

Research experience under the supervision of a Departmental staff member. The course entails designing and carrying out a small research project and the preparation and presentation of both a research proposal and a final report. Note that the research project NFS494Y1 requires the prior consent of a staff member who will supervise the project and departmental approval before enrolment. The student is responsible for locating a supervisor and must consult with the course instructor before the beginning of the term.