Professor Paul Arciero of Pitt Sports Medicine and Nutrition
When Professor Paul Arciero arrived at SHRS’ Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition (SMN) in Aug., he was already a renowned nutrition and applied physiology scientist, keynote speaker and author.
Through his books, “The Protein Pacing Diet” and “The PRISE Life,” Arciero has introduced thousands of people to eating and exercising for optimal health and performance.
His academic credentials include more than 70 peer reviewed journal articles that primarily focus on two distinctive research paths—neuro-cognition and improved health and performance through nutrition and exercise.
For example, in a recently funded grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Arciero is investigating the neuro-cognitive function of patients with Parkinson’s disease who use under-the-table peddling devices while they play games on a tablet.
One of his ongoing lifestyle research projects follows a patient who has lost more than 100 pounds by utilizing nutrition to remodel the gut microbiome.
Arciero is excited about continuing these studies at Pitt, expanding his work even further.
“As soon as I came to campus, I immediately wanted to immerse myself in the incredible resources of this university,” notes Arciero. “There are so many opportunities to collaborate!”
SMN Professor Bradley Nindl, director of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL) and the Warrior Human Performance Research Center, welcomes Arciero by saying, “Paul is an experienced nutrition and metabolism researcher and educator. We are excited to have him leverage his expertise to expand our human performance optimization line of research with a new focus on nutritional sciences.”
One of Arciero’s first projects with the NMRL will be a Department of Defense-funded study on the physiology of overtraining.
“Dr. Arciero’s outstanding background as an internationally acclaimed nutrition and applied physiology scientist is the piece that has been needed to help build on the capabilities of the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory while also contributing to the evolution of our undergraduate program,” says SMN Chair and Associate Professor Kevin Conley.
Arciero’s plans to engage undergraduate students in research are already in the works.
He has invited students to take part in the data analysis of a food frequency questionnaire completed by patients with low back pain, as part of a study by Gwendolyn Sowa and Nam Vo, co-directors of the Ferguson Laboratory for Orthopaedic and Spine Research at the University of Pittsburgh. The study is a collaboration between the university’s School of Medicine and SHRS.
“We know that many of our students will be going on to graduate programs, and research experience makes these students much more attractive applicants to professional programs,” Arciero continues.
“Hands-on research provides many benefits for undergraduate students including real-world application of knowledge learned in the classroom, the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and opportunities to enhance oral and written communication skills,” agrees Lori Cherok, assistant professor and director, Nutrition Science program.
Conley says Arciero has an impressive background in mentoring undergraduate students in meaningful human performance research.
“He is the right person at the right time to take our Nutrition program to a new place. His work will go a long way to encourage more students to understand the importance of pursuing a degree in Nutrition Science and participating in Nutrition Science research,” adds Conley.
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This article was originally published in the Fall 2023 issue of Facets magazine.