The goal of the ASPEN 2021 research workshop, ‘Novel Nutritional Status Biomarkers’, is to focus on the current evidence for biomarkers in use as well as those in development to capture nutritional status, which is an essential component in medical care. There is strong evidence that adequate nutritional support remains a critical component of favorable patient outcomes and could significantly modulate biological as well as pathological processes.

Historically, anthropometric and serological assessment approaches have been described to assess nutritional status, however, there is wide variability in their clinical and research utilization. In addition, despite the paucity of evidence-based support, many are used in decision processes to address nutritional assessments. Over the past decade there is burgeoning research into genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics and their relevance to individual/personalized medicine as a tool for objective cross-sectional and longitudinal nutritional status assessment and response to therapy. There is also a major interest in new technology focusing on activity trackers providing non-invasive and real time assessment of body composition, and calorie burn, as well as transcutaneous devices to assess nutritional status, that are rapidly changing the field of nutrition support. Noninvasive imaging like liver elastrography, magnetic resonance imaging, and novel serological assays are presenting unique opportunities to assess obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, both of which are major global nutritional concerns.

This workshop aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence for nutritional biomarkers in use as well as those in development to capture nutritional status. This shall be achieved with a critical review of the current literature involving basic and clinical research through panel discussions and presentations by experts as well as open discussions and question / answer sessions. Speakers will discuss strengths and limitations of the existing literature to formulate consensus guidelines. There will also be a key focus to present areas ripe for new clinical, translational, and basic research.

FACULTY AND TOPICS
Non-Invasive Biomarkers
Overview of Nutritional Status Biomarkers
Praveen Goday, MBBS, CNSC, Professor of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

Reliability, Validity, and Usefulness of Functional Assessment Tools
Steven Heymsfield, MD, Professor of Metabolism and Body Composition, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Novel Non-invasive Biomarkers for Assessment of Body Mass and Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Stavra Xanthakos, MD, MS, Professor of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

The 'Omics' in Nutrition
Plasma High-resolution Metabolomics to Characterize Nutritional and Metabolic Status
Thomas Ziegler, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Role of Genomic Imprinting, miRNA, siRNA and Other Epigenetic Influences in Human Nutrition Assessment and Therapeutics
Robert Waterland, PhD, Pediatrics-Nutrition and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Gut Integrity and Inflammatory Biomarkers as Surrogates of Nutrition Status – an Update on Clinical Applications from Translational Research
Mark Manary, MD, Helene Roberson Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO

Novel Technological Advances in Assessing Nutritional Status
Validity of Electronic Tools as Nutrition Intake Markers (Food Diaries), Wrist-worn Sensor, and Energy Expenditure Measurements to Monitor Nutrition Status
Edward Sazonov, PhD, Head of Computer Laboratory of Ambient and Wearable Systems; Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alabama College of Engineering, Tuscaloosa, AL

Maximizing Clinical Benefit by Biomarker-driven Health Care, Patient Stratification and Individualized Nutritional Therapeutic Strategies
Lucia Aronica, PhD, Lecturer and Academic Staff, Med/Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

The Quest for Clinically Relevant Nutrition Biomarkers: Opportunities through Body Composition Assessment Tools
Carrie Earthman, PhD, RD, LD, Professor of Nutrition, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

MODERATORS
Robert Shulman, MD, Professor of Pediatrics-Nutrition, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX

Ajay Jain, MD, DNB, Associate Division Chief; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO