Cassano Research Group

• Dr. Cassano served as multi-PI with collaborator Dana Hancock (RTI, International) to lead an NIH-funded study of gene-by-nutrient interactions in relation to pulmonary function phenotypes. These studies discovered new genetic variants that interact with nutritional status, including vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, to influence lung function decline and risk of COPD. The project is currently exploring the mediation of effects through the methylome.
• The Nutrition for Precision Health Study is designed to develop algorithms to predict inter-individual differences in response to diet. It is a multi-site study, involving 16 centers. Dr. Cassano is co-investigator in the study’s Research Coordinating Center, which is funded through an NIH Common Fund Initiative (U24) through 2027.
  Systematic reviews of nutrient--disease associations including 2 Cochrane reviews in progress: vitamin D and prevention of asthma and atopic dermatitis in children; vitamin B interventions for sickle cell disease patients.
   

• Genome-wide association study of lung function decline (NIH R01 HL149352, "Nutritional Omics of Lung Function Decline", multi-PIs D Hancock and PA Cassano; funding period ended 11/2024 and final papers will be published in 2025)
• Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program: Research Coordinating Center (NIH U24 HD107676, multi-Pis M Ganz and S Mehta; P Cassano, co-Investigator). 

The EnHANCE Cohort Study (Engaging Health, Agriculture and Nutrition through the Cornell Experience) was an initiative of the Division of Nutritional Sciences. The goal of EnHANCE was to understand how the transition to the college environment affects changes in diet, weight and metabolism. The cohort study, which was based on a random sample of the Class of 2015, led to 3 research publications and provided pilot data designed to support further research efforts.

EnHANCE participants completed web-based surveys and 4 in-person visits to collect information about diet, eating habits, lifestyle, physical activity, physical measurements, and markers of metabolism measured in blood samples.
The EnHANCE study was led by Dr. Cassano and a talented and dedicated team including undergraduate research assistants. The study comprised the dissertation research of Katie C. Hootman, MS, RDN, PhD. Project Coordinator Kristin Guertin, MPH, PhD, was a key member of the study team during the active data collection phase of the study, from July 2011 to June 2012.

1. The major research findings are published in three journal articles, as follows:
   KC Hootman, KA Guertin, PA Cassano. Longitudinal Changes in Anthropometry and Body Composition in University Freshmen. J Am Coll Health. 2017 Jan 13:0. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2017.1280498. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28085641.
2. KC Hootman*, JP Trezzi*, L Kraemer, LS Burwell, X Dong, KA Guertin, C Jaeger, PJ Stover, K Hiller** and PA Cassano**(2017). Metabolomic Marker Erythritol Associated with Central Adiposity Gain in Young Adults as a Pentose-Phosphate-Pathway By-Product. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2017; 114(21):E4233-E4240. *equal contributions as first authors; **equal contributions as senior authors
3. KC Hootman, KA Guertin and PA Cassano. Behavioral measures of eating in relation to body habitus in college freshmen (2018) Appetite. 2018 Jan 5. pii: S0195-6663(17)30042-9. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.003. [Epub ahead of print].