Cystic fibrosis (CF) impacts around 40,000 people in the United States. The genetic disease alters the function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein responsible for moving chloride ions inside and outside of cells. This malfunction causes problems with digestion that interrupts how children absorb nutrients from their food. A sustained lack of nutrients decreases an individual’s life expectancy. Dr Sarah Bellini’s research team collaborated with three accredited cystic fibrosis centers to create a screening tool for children up to two years of age diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The tool used an equation to determine nutrition risk and facilitate nutrition interventions.
Bellini is also researching the impacts of a new development in the treatment of cystic fibrosis: a medication that fixes the malfunction of the CFTR protein. Due to the medication's effectiveness, doctors are finding that these individuals no longer require extra energy to grow. This changes how dietitians and the CF care team approach nutrition and weight management in persons with CF.
In a parallel study not involving participants with CF, Bellini and her students took dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans that looked at the muscle mass, bone density, and fat mass of children. Then they related these variables to the participant's hand grip strength. Since hand grip strength tests are cheaper than DEXA scans, Bellini’s ongoing research hopes to discover how reliable handgrip strength is in determining the child’s muscle mass.
Bellini enjoys working with graduate students who are passionate about research. For example, her study about Pacific Islanders and diabetes was led by a graduate student who wanted to help her native community. Another graduate student under Bellini’s tutelage developed a nutritional screening tool for native Spanish speakers. While Bellini is not fluent in Spanish, she uses her undergraduate and graduate students’ skills to supplement the research.
Mariana Rojas (NDFS ’24) joined Bellini’s lab when she emailed Bellini for help after not getting into the dietetics program. Rojas, who is fluent in Spanish, assisted with the nutritional screening tool study. Because of her time spent in the lab, Rojas has been hired for multiple dietitian jobs that have bolstered her career post-graduation.
On working with Bellini, Rojas said, “I was able to learn a lot of Christ-like attributes from her that go so well with my career. I feel like sometimes I forget that my beliefs and my core values can be used in my career, not just in my daily life or with my family, but with my classmates and with the patients that I see in my current job. [Your beliefs] make you a more powerful tool.”
Kayla Kaiser (NDFS ’24), one of Bellini’s graduate students who worked on the cystic fibrosis research, said that Bellini is “good about letting you take your project at your own pace. Once you tell her your goals, she's very good about helping you obtain them.”
To get involved in the lab, contact Dr. Bellini at sarah_bellini@byu.edu. Bellini is also the program director of the didactic program in dietetics, so she sends out requests to dietetics students for help with research projects on a case by case basis. You can read a recently published article by Bellini here.
4-6 students
A student would be a good fit for this lab if they:
- Work well with children and families
- Are interested in nutrition assessment and education
- Writing survey questions
- Drafting research papers
- Crafting screening tools
- Collecting and cleaning qualitative data
- Managing research involving children