The human pursuit of living longer will be most beneficial if accompanied by health and productive activity, rather than disease burden and poor quality of life. Among various strategies to live one’s best life, diet and nutrition care is of paramount importance. Intervention by nutrition experts in individuals living with malnutrition, intestinal dysfunction, or many other diagnoses can make the critical difference in adding time to life, and arguably more importantly, life to that time.

Dr. Kelly Tappenden is dean and professor of the College of Health at the University of Utah. She received her PhD in nutrition and metabolism at the University of Alberta, underwent post-doctoral training at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, and advanced from assistant to endowed professor at the University of Illinois Urbana before serving as professor and head of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Dr. Tappenden’s research program focuses on intestinal failure, mechanisms regulating epithelial function, and patient malnutrition. For these contributions, she has received multiple awards, published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, and delivered over 500 invited lectures.

Dr. Tappenden served as the 33rd president of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition from 2008 to 2009, chair of the Nutrition, Metabolism and Obesity Section of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute from 2009 to 2013, represented the American Society for Nutrition on the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology board of directors from 2017 to 2022, and was editor-in-chief of the Journal for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition from 2010 to 2022.

Currently, Dr. Tappenden serves as president of the board of trustees of The Oley Foundation, an advocacy group striving to enrich the lives of those living with home intravenous nutrition and tube feeding through education, advocacy, and networking.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Resolve the difference between health span and life span.
Summarize examples of various age- and disease-related conditions wherein nutrition care is a key intervention associated with human health.
Discern actions where listeners can impact the quality of life for their clients/patients.

PRESENTER
Kelly A. Tappenden, PhD, RD, FASPEN, Dean and Professor, College of Health, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah

Level: Advanced