Email

nancy.moran@bcm.edu

Positions

Associate Professor

Pediatrics
Nutrition
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas US

Member

USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

Member

Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Program
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas

Addresses

USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center (Office)

1100 Bates St.
Room: CNRC-9068
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-0520
Nancy.Moran@bcm.edu

Education

BS from University of Illinois

05/2005 - Urbana, Illinois United States

Molecular and Cellular Biology, Major, Chemistry, Minor

PhD from University of Illinois

12/2010 - Urbana, Illinois United States

Nutritional Sciences

Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Ohio State University

06/2016 - Columbus, Ohio United States

Nutritional Biochemistry

Professional Interests

• Carotenoids
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Nutritional Pharmacokinetics
• Pregnancy and Lactation
• Infant and Toddler Nutrition

Professional Statement

My research program seeks to understand how dietary carotenoids impact human health. Carotenoids are a class of colorful orange, red, and yellow compounds found in fruits and vegetables. Some carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and alpha-carotene are converted to vitamin A in the body- and therefore play an important role in development and health. Other carotenoids, such as red lycopene and yellow lutein, are not pro-vitamin A, but may play a role in cancer prevention and promotion of cognitive & visual functions, respectively.

We engage a translational research approach. We are currently studying how the mechanisms by which carotenoids are absorbed from foods, distributed throughout the body, and metabolized using in vitro and animal models. We are also studying how human genetic variation impacts the levels of carotenoids found in the body and affects the use of carotenoid measurements as biomarkers of dietary intake. In addition, we are studying the reliability and validity of carotenoid measurements as biomarkers of dietary intake in humans.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Moran NE, Chang J, Stroh R, Zaid Y, Hason N, Musaad S, O'Connor T "Non-invasive, reflection spectroscopy measurement of skin carotenoid score in infants is feasible and reliable." J Nutr. 2023 Jan 23;152(12):2966-2977. Pubmed PMID: 35981784
• Zaidi Y, Stroh R, Moran NE "Systematic review of carotenoid concentrations in human milk and infant blood." Nutr Rev. 2022 Aug 8;80(9):2029-2050. Pubmed PMID: 35389473
• Jilcott Pitts SB, Moran NE, Wu Q, Harnack L, Craft N, Hanchard NA, Bell R, Moe SG, Johnson N, Obasohan J, Carr-Manth PL, Laska M "Pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy criterion validity as a biomarker of fruit and vegetable intake: a two-site cross-sectional study of four racial or ethnic groups." J Nutr. 2022 Jan 11;152(1):107-116. Pubmed PMID: 34562088
• Moran NE, Thomas-Ahner JM, Wan L, Zuniga KE, Erdman, Jr., JW, Clinton SK. "Tomatoes, lycopene, and prostate cancer: What have we learned from experimental models?." J Nutr. 2022 Jun;125(6):1381-1403. Pubmed PMID: 35278075

Projects

The Effect of Pregnancy and Lactation on Carotenoid Status and Bioactivity

USDA/ARS (10/2019 - 09/2024)

Baylor College of Medicine

Principal Investigator

Genetic Determinants of Skin Carotenoid Responses to Diet in Diverse Adults

NIH/NHLBI (06/2019 - present)

Baylor College of Medicine

Co-Investigator (PI: Jilcott Pitts and Laska)

Non-invasive marker of infant food intake

NIH/NIDDK

Baylor College of Medicine and University of Colorado Denver

Co-Investigator

Carotenoid Biomarkers of Intake in Infants and Toddlers

NIH/NICHD

Baylor College of Medicine

Principal Investigator

Memberships

The American Society for Nutrition

Member (10/2005)

The International Carotenoid Society

Member (07/2016)

Nutrition Research (Journal)

Editorial Review Board Member (11/2016)

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine

Member (12/2016)