BCIT Natural Health and Food Products Research Group (NRG) researcher Dr. Anika Singh has been awarded a 5-year NSERC Discovery Grant of $177,500 for her research on lipid digestion and human satiety. Dr. Singh’s project aims to establish new knowledge that will help improve public health and lay the foundation for future research into other products and technologies that can enhance the quality of processed food.
“In today’s world, the increasing trend of weight-related health issues is becoming a significant concern for today’s population and future generations. Although it is not the only reason, high fat intake has been one of the factors linked with obesity and other diet-related health problems,” explains Dr. Singh. “Nevertheless, we need a certain amount of fat in our diet to provide energy, promote better health, and increase the intestinal absorption of lipophilic (fat-soluble) nutrients. Given this, it is essential to understand lipid digestion to control food intake by triggering a satiety response and for efficient absorption of nutrients.”
“The research conducted by Anika addresses will help improve public health, provide leadership to the Canadian food and drug industry, and create Canadian intellectual property,” says Dr. Kim Dotto, Dean, BCIT Applied Research. “We are proud to support Dr. Singh in her research and look forward to the results of her work.”
Dr. Singh’s research program will also support mentoring and training of at least 13 highly qualified personnel including BCIT students who will serve the Canadian food and drug industry, government, and academia. This will help create a highly skilled workforce that can contribute to the development of new products and technologies that can enhance the quality of processed food in the market, thus improving the quality of life of all Canadians.
NSERC Discovery Grants support ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. This grant will last for 5 years providing long-term operating funds and can be used as a basis to leverage funding from other sources.
About BCIT Natural Health and Food Products Research Group
BCIT Natural Health and Food Products Research Group (NRG) addresses issues of product quality, process improvement and human health using basic and applied science along with state-of-the-art technology. NRG’s goal is to ensure that all Canadians can achieve the potential health and economic benefits offered by medicinal plants, natural health products, and the food industry.
With an emphasis on product sources and quality standards, NRG projects focus on health policy, regulatory affairs, product formulation, botanical authentication, analytical method development and validation, chemometrics, and therapeutic monitoring for pre-clinical and clinical studies.
NRG research and development are closely linked with the priorities and policies created within the provincial and national natural health product, food and agricultural industry, and by the government agencies regulating these sectors.
For more information, please contact BCIT NRG. If you have a specific project enquiry, please use the NRG project enquiry form.