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Diane M. O'Brien

Credit: 
Diane O'Brien
Research Interests: 

I am interested in how naturally-occurring variations in stable isotope ratios can be used as markers for nutritional and physiological processes. Currently a large portion of my research is devoted to the development of these markers for use in nutritional epidemiology. I work closely with the Center for Alaska Native Health Research at UAF [CANHR] to develop tools for linking dietary patterns to chronic disease in Alaska Natives and other populations.  If you are interested in working in my lab, please send me an email with your interests.

Diane M O'Brien
Professor
dmobrien@alaska.edu
CV: 
Diane O'Brien CV.pdf
Office: 
230 Arctic Health Research Building
907-474-5762
Postal Address: 
Institute of Arctic Biology
PO Box 757000
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000

Positions

  • 2015-now   Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • 2009-2015  Associate Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks  
  • 2004-2009  Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • 2003-2004  Assistant Professor, Wellesley College
  • 2001-2002  Visiting Assistant Professor, Swarthmore College
  • 2000-2003  Visiting Scientist, Carnegie Institution of Washington Geophysical Laboratory
  • 1998-2003  Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University

Education

  • 1998          PhD, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
  • 1991          BA, Department of Biology, Amherst College

2009

2008

O'Brien, D.M. et al., 2008. Use of stable isotopes to examine how dietary restriction extends Drosophila lifespan. CURRENT BIOLOGY, 18, pp.R155-R156.

2007

O'Brien, D.M. & WOOLLER, M.J., 2007. Tracking human travel using stable oxygen and hydrogen isotope analyses of hair and urine. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, 21, pp.2422-2430.
WILKINSON, M.J., YAI, Y. & O'Brien, D.M., 2007. Age-related variation in red blood cell stable isotope ratios (delta C-13 and delta N-15) from two Yupik villages in Southwest Alaska: A pilot study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CIRCUMPOLAR HEALTH, 66, pp.31-41.

2006

SCOTT, J.H. et al., 2006. An examination of the carbon isotope effects associated with amino acid biosynthesis. ASTROBIOLOGY, 6, pp.867-880.

2005

O'Brien, D.M., BOGGS, C.L. & FOGEL, M.L., 2005. The amino acids used in reproduction by butterflies: A comparative study of dietary sources using compound-specific stable isotope analysis. PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ZOOLOGY, 78, pp.819-827.
SUAREZ, R.K. et al., 2005. Energy metabolism in orchid bee flight muscles: carbohydrate fuels all. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY, 208, pp.3573-3579.

Pages

American Society for Nutrition

Search for Diane's projects on the IAB website »

Current Graduate Students (More info)
  • Justin Smith
Current Post-Doctoral Fellows (More info)
  • Hee Young Yun
Past Graduate Students
  • Garrett Savory, MS 2013
  • Sarah H. Nash, PhD 2013. -- Currently an NIH National Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Fellow in Cancer Prevention. 
  • Trixie Lee, PhD 2012 -- Currently an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Harding University
  • Caroline van Hemert, PhD 2012 --Currently a Research Wildlife Biologist for the USGS
  • Justine Sears, MS 2008
Past Post-Doctoral Fellows
  • Dr. Kyungcheol Choy -- currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Wooller lab at UAF
  • Dr. Thomas Larsen -- currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Leibnitz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Stable Isotope Research, Christian Albrechts Universitat zu Kiel. website:  http://uni-kiel.academia.edu/ThomasLarsen
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