Principal Investigator

Dr. Nancy Rodriguez, PhD, RDN, CSSD, FACSM

is a Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut with joint appointments in the Departments of Kinesiology and Allied Health Sciences. She served as Director of Sports Nutrition in the Department of Sports Medicine for 17 years. Dr. Rodriguez is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (DPGs – SCAN and Medical Nutrition Practice), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Society of Nutrition (ASN). She completed a 3-year appointment (2014-2016) to the Science Board for the President’s Council on Fitness, Sport and Nutrition, serving as Chair in 2015, and was an elected member of the Board of Trustees for ACSM (2017-2020). Dr. Rodriguez’s current scholarship efforts focus on whole foods as a source of essential amino acids (EAA) and the concept of EAA density in diet design for healthy aging and rehabilitative nutrition. This work has translated into considerations specific to plant vs animal-based eating patterns and skeletal muscle health. She has been a practicing dietitian for over 35 years.

Lab Members

Allison Contillo, BS, RDN

Allison (Allie) Contillo is a graduate student in the Nutritional Sciences department. She is working towards a PhD in Nutritional Sciences with her advisor, Dr. Nancy Rodriguez. Allison’s work focuses on developing methods to assess protein intake and muscle mass in adults who are aging and/or in rehabilitation. Her interests include clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, and rehabilitative nutrition. She is also a teaching assistant who has covered courses in both the Anatomy and Physiology and Nutrition departments. Allison also completed her bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut in 2018. She has been a registered dietitian since 2019 and is currently a clinical dietitian at Yale New Haven Hospital.