UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Greg Shearer, professor of nutritional sciences, will deliver the 2022 Pauline Schmitt Russell Research Lecture, “Why the fat you eat matters: The fats we eat affect how our body responds to disease,” at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, in 110 Henderson Building and via Zoom Webinar.
According to Shearer, “You are what you eat,” is more true of fats than any other nutrient. The fats in people’s diet become the fats they store for energy, but more importantly, they also become the fats used to regulate humans’ responses to infection, regulate blood pressure, and maintain the health and longevity of brains.
“Everyone has heard advice on how much fat to eat, and what kinds of fat to eat,” Shearer explained. “Why is it such an issue? Our research sheds light on how fats help us regulate basic bodily functions, from our immune responses to how our hearts work to how our brains work.”
In his talk, Shearer will address relevant findings from his research on fats. Fats do not only store energy; they regulate human responses to infection, regulate blood pressure, and maintain the health and longevity of the brain. Shearer’s research showed that many fats generate these regulatory signals within the human body. Additionally, these regulatory signals are transported throughout the body. So, signals generated in one part of the body can change functions in very distant body parts.
Sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development, the lecture is open to the public, no registration required.
Each year, the Schmitt Russell Research Lecture is presented by the most recent recipient of the Pauline Schmitt Russell Distinguished Research Achievement Award, recognizing the contributions of a distinguished faculty member whose career-long research has had a profound impact on a specific field of study.
The award honors Pauline Schmitt Russell, who graduated from Penn State in 1948 with a degree in home economics. It was established by her husband, Leo P. Russell, a 1941 industrial engineering graduate.