• Nutrition and metabolism, particularly fatty acids and methyl metabolism in growth and development, including maternal, infant and child nutrition, and disease.
• Research technologies and expertise include clinical studies, population based research, and work with models addressing mechanisms of action and health endpoints, and including advanced platforms in metabolomics, proteomics and genetic background.
• Extensive experience in research translation to dietary guidelines, health promotion and nutrition practice.

My research focuses on the metabolic and physiological roles of dietary components, particularly lipids, methyl metabolites and other nutrients, in growth and development, including pregnancy and lactation, in the infant and child, as well as the nutritional needs of special populations including low birth weight infants, and children with congenital diseases and other problems.

I head the Nutrition and Metabolism Research Program dedicated to pioneering research to solve real problems in how dietary components, alone and in combination with genetic background or disease,  impact children in reaching their full potential for physical and cognitive development, and susceptibility to chronic disease throughout the lifespan. Our research provides a cornerstone of important new information, spearheading novel avenues of understanding in the link between diet and health, with a long track record of contributions at nationally and internationally for improving dietary recommendations and practices, the food supply and clinical nutrition products.

I am a world expert on essential fatty acids, with pioneering studies on n-3 fatty acids and brain development, and clinical studies relating maternal diet to placental and breast milk fat transfer, and the impact of diet in child development and health. Advanced “omics” the relationship between diet and health, and the interactions among fatty acids and amino acids, and other nutrients employing advanced “omics”  technologies. Our research has been widely translated to improve nutrition guidelines and product reformulations to support optimal brain development in infants, to research into nutritional interventions to prevent liver damage in children with cystic fibrosis, to work on nutritional deficiencies among certain population groups.

My interests include the role of essential nutrients, nutrient deficiencies and other biologically active components in infant development with a particular focus on the brain. Lipid and methyl group metabolism and their relation to normal development and disease, including nutrient-gene interactions are feature topics. The research activities span from basic science using cell culture and animal models to clinical studies. The nutrition research labs cover a full range of technologies from nutrient and diet analysis, advanced technologies of GC and LC mass spectrometry, in addition to preclinical and clinical trials.

Nutrition Research Program
This funding from CFI/BCKDF provides $5.5 million in equipment resources for our nutrition program. This funding has established a multidisciplinary research facility equipped for studying the effects of nutrients and other active dietary or toxic agents on gene expression and protein function and on specific metabolic pathways or physiological endpoints in the whole organism.

N3 fatty acid requirements for human development
This is a clinical trial funded by CIHR concerning n-3 fatty acid requirements and infant development. This research is addressing the essential fatty acid requirements of women during pregnancy for optimum development of the fetus, and subsequent cognitive and physical development of the infants. The project is a randomized double blind study, and includes biochemical measures and sensitive assessments of infant development after birth.

Choline nutrition in children with cystic fibrosis, funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
This clinical study, funded by the Hospital for Sick Children, is addressing the inter-relation of lipid, methionine and homocysteine metabolism to liver disease in cystic fibrosis.

Essential fatty acid and brain development
This CIHR-funded project is elucidating the effects of n-3 fatty acids on neurotransmitter metabolism in the brain, and the effects on behavioural endpoints in animal models.

Monounsaturated and n-3 fatty acids, oxidative stress and inflammation in adults at risk for type 2 Diabetes
Funded by Flax Council of Canada and the Canola Council of Canada.

Innis SM.: Omega-3 Fatty acids and neural development to 2 years of age: do we know enough for dietary recommendations? J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009 Mar;48 Suppl 1:S16-24.

van Dijk CE, Innis SM.: Growth-curve standards and the assessment of early excess weight gain in infancy. Pediatrics. 2009 Jan;123(1):102-8.

Xi L, Innis SM.: Genetic variants of the FADS1 FADS2 gene cluster are associated with altered (n-6) and (n-3) essential fatty acids in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids in women during pregnancy and in breast milk during lactation. J Nutr. 2008;138:2222-8.

Burgess B, Naus K, Chan J, Hirsch-Reinshagen V, Tansley G, Matzke L, Chan B, Wilkinson A, Fan J, Donkin J, Balik D, Tanaka T, Ou G, Dyer R, Innis S, McManus B, Lütjohann D, Wellington C.: Overexpression of human ABCG1 does not affect atherosclerosis in fat-fed ApoE-deficient mice. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2008 Oct;28(10):1731-7.

Novak EM, Dyer RA, Innis SM.: High dietary omega-6 fatty acids contribute to reduced docosahexaenoic acid in the developing brain and inhibit secondary neurite growth. Brain Res. 2008 Oct 27;1237:136-45.

Innis SM.: Dietary omega 3 fatty acids and the developing brain. Bain Res. 2008 Oct;1237:35-43.

Kim MS, Wang F, Puthanveetil P, Kewalramani G, Hosseini-Beheshti E, Ng N, Wang Y, Kumar U, Innis S, Proud CG, Abrahani A, Rodrigues B.: Protein kinase D is a key regulator of cardiomyocyte lipoprotein lipase secretion after diabetes. Circ Res. 2008 Aug;103(3):252-60.

Innis SM, Davidson AG.: Cystic fibrosis and nutrition: linking phospholipids and essential fatty acids with thiol metabolism. Annu Rev Nutr. 2008 Aug;28:55-72.

Innis SM, Friesen RW. Essential n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87:548-57.

Innis SM, Friesen RW.: Omega-3 Docosahexaenoic acid for mothers and infants. Eur J Nutraceutical Functional Foods, Agro Food Technol. 2008;19 (no 4);14-7.

Volunteer Service Award, Dieticians of Canada, 2008

Izaak Walter Killam Award, UBC, Faculty of Medicine award for excellence in research, 2006

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Senior Scholar, 2001-2006

Earle Willard McHenry Award, Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences, contributions and service to nutrition, 2002

Borden Award, Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences, excellence in nutrition research, 1989

Medical Research Council of Canada, Scholar, 1983-1988

Roger Dyer - Research manager
Janette King - Technician
Shalu Duggal - Clinical nutrition research technician
Benny Chan - Technician
Elizabeth Novak - Graduate (PhD) student
Mohammad Abdullah - Graduate (PhD) student
Kelly Mulder - Graduate (MSc) student