Richard Bazinet, Ph.D. is the newest Seafood Nutrition Partnership’s Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC) addition. SNAC members are leading researchers in science, nutrition, and health. Dr. Bazinet is the Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism at the University of Toronto.
“Nutritional science is the foundation of Seafood Nutrition Partnership’s mission and work. The Scientific Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC) at SNP is a group of experts dedicated and passionate about communicating the essential nutrients for brain health and overall human health that our society is lacking. We are so grateful and fortunate to have the support of SNP’s SNAC,” said Linda Lai Cornish, founder and president of SNP.
Dr. Bazinet’s research program focuses on the regulation and role of brain lipid metabolism in neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Bazinet’s team is also taking a kinetic and biochemical approach to understand how polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate the metabolism of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, essential to brain and overall health and must be obtained through diet as the body cannot produce them in sufficient amounts on its own.
“I am excited to join the SNAC,” added Dr. Bazinet. “With the modern food environment being particularly complex, often of poor nutritional quality and constantly changing, it is important to identify how fish and seafood consumption can contribute to improving diet quality and health of the population.”
Bazinet lab studies include disease models and have several ongoing collaborations examining clinical studies. Their work has influenced international guidelines for the consumption of dietary fats for brain health. Dr. Bazinet and his team are collaborating with large agribusinesses and working with the local food community of farmers, chefs, and food writers.
“We are delighted to welcome the distinguished nutritional scientist Professor Richard Bazinet to SNAC. He has deep expertise in nutrient requirements, especially of the brain, and how seafood can uniquely contribute to brain function,” added Tom Brenna, Ph.D., chair of SNP’s SNAC.
Dr. Bazinet received his B.S. from the University of Western Ontario and completed his Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Cunnane at the University of Toronto in 2003. He did his postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Stanley Rapoport’s Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.
About Seafood Nutrition Partnership
Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) is the leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the U.S. that builds awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of seafood. SNP addresses the country’s public health crisis through education programs that inspire Americans to incorporate more seafood and omega-3s into their diets for improved health per the USDA Dietary Guidelines. For more information or to support SNP, visit seafoodnutrition.org.
