Two Purdue nutrition science professors named to 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two Purdue University professors were named to the national committee that provides recommendations that shapes the American diet.  

Richard “Rick” Mattes, distinguished professor of nutrition science, and Regan Bailey, associate professor of nutrition science, were selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture to serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Every five years a committee reviews the latest in nutrition and medical research to provide the scientific basis for these national recommendations. These guidelines provide the foundation for national nutrition programs, standards and education.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s news release is available here.

Mattes’ work focuses on the control of human feeding. He was a lead researcher to determine that fat is detected, in part by taste cues and that these cues alter lipid metabolism.  He also is known for his work appetitive sensations and how food form, such as solids and beverages, and food composition, such as macronutrient content, influence the behavioral and physiological determinants of food choice. He also is the director of Purdue's Public Health Graduate Program, Purdue’s Ingestive Behavior Research Center and Purdue’s Laboratory for Sensory and Ingestive Studies.

Bailey’s work focuses on measuring nutritional status to optimize health. She is a registered dietitian and has served as a nutritional epidemiologist at the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.

Both professors are members of the Department of Nutrition Science, which is housed in the College of Health and Human Sciences. 

Writers: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Matthew Oates, 765-496-2571, oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates 

Sources: Richard “Rick” Mattes, mattes@purdue.edu

Regan Bailey, reganbailey@purdue.edu