Rhonda Bell
Contact
Professor Phased Post Retireme, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sci - Ag, Food & Nutri Sci Dept
- bellr@ualberta.ca
- Phone
- (780) 492-7742
- Address
-
4-126B Li Ka Shing Centre For Research
8602 112 Street NWEdmonton ABT6G 2E1
Overview
About
Degree
PhD, Cornell University
Job/Research Area
Human Nutrition
Research
Major Responsibilities/Research Interests
I lead a team of trainees (graduate and undergraduate students and post docs) and research staff in studies that examine the role of nutrition in promoting health and preventing and treating diabetes and its complications. My research program integrates applied and basic research. Much of my work is conducted within the paradigm of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, examining the role of nutritional intake during sensitive periods of development on health, specifically diabetes risk, in mothers and their offspring.
In the applied setting, I am leading the ENRICH Program (a Collaborative Research and Innovation Opportunity funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) aimed at improving maternal health during pregnancy and postpartum using innovative strategies that meet the needs of diverse groups of women across Alberta. The goals of this Program are to: 1) advance knowledge regarding food and nutrient intake and energy expenditure in pregnancy and postpartum; 2) understand perceptions and experiences of diverse groups of pregnant and postpartum women pertaining to diet, body weight and health; 3) identify needs, gaps and opportunities in health service delivery systems that may be harnessed to promote optimal dietary intake and appropriate weight management strategies; and 4) collaborate with knowledge users, to develop and evaluate strategies aimed at promoting optimal dietary intake and appropriate weight management. The Program builds on on-going projects that I am part of, including the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study (a large, prospective cohort study examining the relationship between maternal nutritional intake in pregnancy, mental health and child health and development) and Sweet Moms (examining the effects of dietary fructose on pregnancy and infant outcomes).
I also lead a group who do basic research examining the extent to which changing carbohydrate intake during the sensitive periods of development impacts on insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, glucose homeostasis, fatty acid uptake, and molecular and cellular mechanisms related to whole-body physiology. Graduate students and support staff working on these studies examine maternal and offspring health, and both short and long-term effects, also in the context of the developmental origins hypothesis.
My other research activities include translating guidelines for nutrition and physical activity for people with diabetes using practical, cost-effective approaches. Much of this work is done in conjunction with the Physical Activity and Nutrition for Diabetes in Alberta (PANDA) study and I lead the PANDA Nutrition Team. We have a menu plan and recipe guide available for purchase called the Pure Prairie Eating Plan (PPEP).
Featured Publications
Soria D, McCargar LJ, Bell RC, Chan CB
Cdn J Diabetes. 2014 January; 38
Fayyaz F, Wang F, Jacobs RL, O’Connor DL, Bell RC, Field CJ, and the APrON Team
Appl Physiol Nutr Metabol. 2014 January; 39 (12):1402-1408
Watanabe T, Berry TR, Willows ND, Bell RC.
Cdn J Diabetes. 2014 January;
Graham JE, Mayan M, McCargar LJ, Bell RC and the Sweet Moms Study Team
Journal of Nutr Education and Behavior. 2013 January; 45
Berry T, Chan CB, Bell RC, Anders S.
Health Promotion Practice. 2012 January; 13 (3):388-394
Begum F, Colman I, McCargar LJ, Bell RC
Can J Obstetrics Gynaecol. 2012 January; 34 (7):637-647
Kaplan BJ, Giesbrecht GF, Leung BMY, Field CJ, Dewey D, Bell RC, Manca DP, O'Beirne M, Johnston DW, Pop VJ, Singhal N, Gagnon L, Bernier FB, Eliasziw M, McCargar LJ, Kooistra L, Farmer A, Cantell M, Goonewardene L, Casey LM, Letourneau N, Martin JW.
Maternal and Child Nutrition. 2012 January;