My name is Britney Beatrice, and I am a registered dietitian and instructor at the University of Pittsburgh in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. I teach in the Dietitian Nutritionist and Nutrition Science programs in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition.
Coming Back to Pitt
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition and Master of Science degree in the Coordinated Masters in Dietetics programs at the University of Pittsburgh in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. As an undergraduate student at Pitt, I first began working in research during my sophomore year with a team conducting a clinical behavioral weight loss study in Pitt’s School of Nursing. I thought it would be a great way to gain experience in nutrition and quickly realized how impactful research can be! I loved how research questions and interventions can lead to studies that influence clinical practice. I continued working in research through my master’s studies. Even before graduating with my master’s degree, I had the opportunity to conduct dietary recalls, lead group sessions covering nutrition and physical activity topics, meet with participants one-on-one to discuss goals, measure participant anthropometrics and blood pressure and engage in recruitment strategies.
After earning my master’s degree, I worked in clinical settings for years before coming back to Pitt and reconnecting with the research team I began with as an undergraduate student. Now, I teach students in our Dietitian Nutritionist and Nutrition Science programs about research – while still conducting research as part of my role at the university!
Current Nutrition Research
Most of the research I am involved with aims to find innovative approaches to help individuals lead healthy lifestyles.
I am currently working with an interprofessional team on a physical activity intervention study that is accessible from a participant’s home. The principal investigator is a colleague who I worked with in Pitt’s School of Nursing and who has a background as a nurse practitioner. Our primary team of principal investigators, co-investigators, and research staff is made up of individuals from several backgrounds, including those with degrees and experience working as a registered nurse, biostatistician, exercise physiologist, and more. It’s great to learn from and gain insight from team members who have a different educational background and to serve as the nutrition expert discussing nutrition strategies and approaches. This study is being conducted at Emory University, and our Pitt team members remain active in leading the trial. We hope that curating physical activity options that a participant enjoys will make them more likely to engage in activity and show improvements in biomarkers.
I am also currently involved in a study being conducted in collaboration with a local physician and team looking at the effects of fasting. As with the other team, this is an interdisciplinary group effort with many individuals contributing to the research.
Nutrition Research Opportunities for Students
There is a need for more registered dietitians working in research to implement interventions and to provide evidence-based expertise in nutrition. An education at Pitt is unique in that opportunities are available to engage in research and a graduate may feel better prepared to work in that role!
Over the years, I have had the privilege to be able to hire Dietitian Nutritionist students to work on our research team, have hosted students for independent studies and have mentored Nutrition Science students for their practical experience. The opportunities that I can offer sometimes change based on funding and projects, but I am always happy to meet with students to mentor them about research, even informally.
In one of the graduate-level courses I teach for Dietitian Nutritionist students, I have been able to support students in submitting abstracts to university, local, state and national conferences. These students have then presented their research or projects at poster presentation sessions.
When it comes to nutrition-related research, there are so many avenues that graduates can pursue. A few areas that come to mind are studies focused on behavioral interventions, physical activity or sleep. Research does not have to be limited to only working one-on-one with participants. It could look like research on how to implement a nutrition program in schools or to assess nutrition-related biases.
In the clinical setting, a nutrition professional may see patients as their full-time role and may also engage in quality improvement projects. Food science and sports nutrition are also areas where a nutrition professional could work in nutrition-related research. And of course, even if a graduate does not choose to work with conducting research, having a greater understanding of research and how it is conducted is helpful when it comes to reviewing evidence-based literature and translating it for their own practice.
What I love about Pitt is the number of opportunities that are available for students to gain experience in the field. Whether it is clinical or research experience that a student is looking for, there are so many unique offerings available to help students build skills. Even better, if one site or study doesn’t align with a student’s interest area, there are many other options available!
