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 Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center: Grand Forks, ND
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ARS Home Plains Area Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center People





- Scientists
- Derek Bussan
- Jay Cao
- Shanon Casperson
- Julie Hess
- Forrest Nielsen
- James Roemmich
- Lin Yan
- Huawei Zeng

Shanon Loree Casperson    Research Biologist /ARSUserFiles/48175/images/Casperson headshot_1.jpg
 Shanon Casperson, Ph.D.  Contact information (701) 795-8497shanon.casperson@usda.gov
 **Biography** Dr. Casperson received the B.S. degree in Exercise and Human Performance from the University of Houston, and the Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Texas Medical School, where she studied how nutrition, specifically amino acids, and exercise independently and synergistically contribute to the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass. She joined the staff at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center as a postdoctoral research fellow in nutrition and obesity. In November 2014, she became a Research Biologist in the Center's Healthy Body Weight Research Unit.
 **Research Interests** My research aims to optimize nutritional strategies that promote attaining a healthy body weight and maintaining weight control. My research focuses primarily on the relationship between meal macronutrient composition (fat, carbohydrate, protein), dietary intake patterns, and energy metabolism. Small changes in meal composition and timing can make a big difference in how the body uses the foods we eat for energy. Utilizing whole-room calorimetry, we can precisely measure changes in energy metabolism in response to different foods, meal composition and meal timing. My research also examines how the foods comprised in meals and/or snacks may disrupt homeostatic regulation of food intake. Utilizing cutting edge technologies, we can understand the impact of the different foods and food components we eat on eating behavior.
 **Research Accomplishments** Established that reduced efficiency of muscle protein synthesis is a key determinant of age-related anabolic resistance.
Discovered that the daily distribution pattern of dietary protein intake plays an important role in maintaining skeletal muscle mass.
Established the impact of the daily distribution pattern of dietary protein intake plays an important role in energy metabolism and snack food choices.
Established that consuming a sugar-sweetened beverage decreases fat oxidation and alters snack preferences later in the day.
Demonstrated the difficulties in meeting and adhering to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans for vegetable, whole grains, and sugar intake.
Determined the sensitivity of the Veggie Meter to detect changes in skin carotenoids.
Identified the impact of adhering to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans for vegetable on mental well-being.
 Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
 ProjectsDietary and Physical Activity Guidance for Weight Loss and MaintenanceIn-House Appropriated (D)Accession Number:435947Food Systems Approach to Understanding the Impact of Pulses on Human HealthIn-House Appropriated (D)Accession Number:445763Clinical ResearchNon-Assistance Cooperative Agreement (S)Accession Number:438433
 Publications(Clicking on the reprint iconReprint Icon  will take you to the publication reprint.)Association of candidate single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes with plasma and skin carotenoid concentrations in adults provided a lycopene-rich juice-(Peer Reviewed Journal)Daily dietary protein distribution does not influence changes in body composition during weight loss in women of reproductive years with overweight or obesity: a randomized controlled trial-(Peer Reviewed Journal) De Leon, A., Roemmich, J.N., Casperson, S.L. 2024. Daily dietary protein distribution does not influence changes in body composition during weight loss in women of reproductive years with overweight or obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nutrition. 154(4):1347-1355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.02.009.The role of dietary protein in body weight regulation among active-duty military personnel during energy deficit: a systematic review-(Review Article) Anderson, R., Casperson, S.L., Kho, H., Flack, K.D. 2023. The role of dietary protein in body weight regulation among active-duty military personnel during energy deficit: a systematic review. Nutrients. 15(18):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183948.Change in skin carotenoid status is associated with changes in body Composition during moderate weight loss in women-(Abstract Only)Dietary guidelines meet NOVA: developing a menu for a healthy dietary pattern using ultra-processed foods-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Hess, J.M., Comeau, M.E., Casperson, S.L., Slavin, J., Johnson, G.H., Messina, M., Raatz, S., Scheet, A.J., Bodensteiner, A., Palmer, D. 2023. Dietary guidelines meet NOVA: developing a menu for a healthy dietary pattern using ultra-processed foods. Journal of Nutrition. 153(8):2472-2481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.06.028.Sensitivity of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy to detect dose-dependent changes in skin carotenoids: A randomized controlled trial-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L.A., Larson, K.J., Hess, J.M., Palmer, D., Roemmich, J.N. 2023. Sensitivity of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy to detect dose-dependent changes in skin carotenoids: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nutrition. 153(2):588-597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.01.002.Biochemical validation of a self-administered carotenoid intake screener to assess carotenoid intake in non-obese adults-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Scheett, A., Palmer, D.G., Jahns, L., Hess, J.M., Roemmich, J.N. 2023. Biochemical validation of a self-administered carotenoid intake screener to assess carotenoid intake in non-obese adults. Current Developments in Nutrition. 7(2):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2022.100024.Effect of maternal High Fat diet with vegetable substitution on fetal brain transcriptome-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Larson, K.J., Bundy, A.N., Kuntz, T.M., Hur, J., Yeater, K.M., Casperson, S.L., Brunelle, D.C., Roemmich, J.N. 2022. Effect of maternal High Fat diet with vegetable substitution on fetal brain transcriptome. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109088.Seasonal changes in midlife women’s percentage body fat: A 1-year cohort study-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Nelson, A.M., Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L., Palmer, D., Roemmich, J.N. 2022. Seasonal changes in midlife women’s percentage body fat: A 1-year cohort study. Journal of Aging Research & Lifestyle. 11:20-25. https://doi.org/10.14283/jarlife.2022.4.Eat veggies, be happy! Consumption of Dietary Guidelines for Americans types and amounts of vegetables increases subjective happiness: A randomized controlled trial-(Peer Reviewed Journal) De Leon, A., Jahns, L., Roemmich, J.N., Casperson, S.L. 2021. Eat veggies, be happy! Consumption of Dietary Guidelines for Americans types and amounts of vegetables increases subjective happiness: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 122:1355-1362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.11.009.Incorporating the dietary guidelines for Americans vegetable recommendations into the diet alters dietary intake patterns of other foods and improves diet quality in overweight adults and adults with overweight and obesity-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L., Duke, S.E., Nelson, A.M., Appleton, K.M., Larson, K.J., Roemmich, J.N. 2022. Incorporating the dietary guidelines for Americans vegetable recommendations into the diet alters dietary intake patterns of other foods and improves diet quality in overweight adults and adults with overweight and obesity. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2022.03.008.Postnatal exercise protects offspring from high-fat diet-induced reductions in subcutaneous adipocyte beiging in C57Bl6/J Mice-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Larson, K.J., Bundy, A.N., Lance, E.B., Casperson, S.L., Darland, D.C., Roemmich, J.N. 2021. Postnatal exercise protects offspring from high-fat diet-induced reductions in subcutaneous adipocyte beiging in C57Bl6/J Mice. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108853.Dietary fat chain length, saturation, and PUFA source acutely affect diet-induced thermogenesis but not satiey in adults in a randomized, crossover trail-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Rust, B., Raatz, S., Casperson, S.L., Duke, S.E., Picklo, M.J. 2021. Dietary fat chain length, saturation, and PUFA source acutely affect diet-induced thermogenesis but not satiey in adults in a randomized, crossover trail. Nutrients. 13(8). Article 2615. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082615.Consumption of a variety of vegetables to meet dietary guidelines for Americans’ recommendations does not induce sensitization of vegetable reinforcement among adults with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled trial-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L., Temple, J.L., Appleton, K., Roemmich, J.N. 2021. Consumption of a variety of vegetables to meet dietary guidelines for Americans’ recommendations does not induce sensitization of vegetable reinforcement among adults with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 151:1665-1672. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab049.Identification of barriers to adherence to a weight loss diet in women using the nominal group technique-(Peer Reviewed Journal) De Leon, A., Roemmich, J.N., Casperson, S.L. 2020. Identification of barriers to adherence to a weight loss diet in women using the nominal group technique. Obesity. 12:3750. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123750.Impact of beef consumption on saturated fat intake in the United States adult population: Insights from modeling the influences of bovine genetics and nutrition-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Conrad, Z., Raatz, S., Derner, J.D., Roemmich, J.N., Jahns, L.A., Picklo, M.J. 2020. Impact of beef consumption on saturated fat intake in the United States adult population: Insights from modeling the influences of bovine genetics and nutrition. Meat Science. 169. Article e108225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108225.Current progress in the Agricultural Research Service Beef Grand Challenge: A large-scale genetics by environment by management evaluation project-(Abstract Only) Kuehn, L.A., Casperson, S.L., Derner, J.D., Gunter, S.A., Hay, E., Moffet, C., Neel, J.P., Picklo, M.J., Petersen, M.K., Roemmich, J.N., Turner, K.E., Waterman, R.C., Wheeler, T.L., Boggess, M.V. 2020. Current progress in the Agricultural Research Service Beef Grand Challenge: A large-scale genetics by environment by management evaluation project [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science. 98(Supplement 4):13-14. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa278.025.Liking and acceptability of whole grains increases with a six-week exposure but preferences for foods varying in taste and fat content are not altered: a randomized controlled trial-(Peer Reviewed Journal) De Leon, A., Burnett, D.J., Rust, B.M., Casperson, S.L., Horn, W.F., Keim, N.L. 2020. Liking and acceptability of whole grains increases with a six-week exposure but preferences for foods varying in taste and fat content are not altered: a randomized controlled trial. Current Developments in Nutrition. 4(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa023.Barriers and Facilitators to Following the Dietary Guidelines for Vegetable Intake: Follow-up of an Intervention to Increase Vegetable Intake-(Peer Reviewed Journal) De Leon, A., Jahns, L.A., Casperson, S.L. 2020. Barriers and facilitators to following the dietary guidelines for vegetable intake: Follow-up of an intervention to increase vegetable intake. Food Quality and Preference. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.103903.Daily Protein Intake and Distribution of Daily Protein Consumed Decreases Odds for Functional Disability in Older Americans-(Peer Reviewed Journal) McGrath, R., Stastny, S., Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L.A., Roemmich, J.N., Hackney, K. 2019. Daily protein intake and distribution of daily protein consumed decreases odds for functional disability in older Americans. Journal of Aging and Health. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0898264319881864.Increasing chocolate’s sugar content enhances its psychoactive effects and intake-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Lanza, L., Albajri, E., Nasser, J. 2019. Increasing chocolate’s sugar content enhances its psychoactive effects and intake. Nutrients. 11(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030596.Decreasing the consumption of foods with added sugars increases their reinforcing value: A potential barrier for dietary behavior change-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Flack, K.D., Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L.A., Roemmich, J.N. 2019. Decreasing the consumption of foods with added sugars increases their reinforcing value: A potential barrier for dietary behavior change. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.12.016.Impact of dietary protein and gender on food reinforcement-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Roemmich, J.N. 2017. Impact of dietary protein and gender on food reinforcement. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu9090957.Postprandial energy metabolism and substrate oxidation in response to the inclusion of a sugar- or non-nutritive sweetened beverage with meals differing in protein content-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Hall, C.B., Roemmich, J.N. 2017. Postprandial energy metabolism and substrate oxidation in response to the inclusion of a sugar- or non-nutritive sweetened beverage with meals differing in protein content. Biomed Central (BMC) Nutrition. 3:49.The relative reinforcing value of sweet versus savory snack foods after consumption of sugar- or non-nutritive-sweetened beverages-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Johnson, L., Roemmich, J.N. 2017. The relative reinforcing value of sweet versus savory snack foods after consumption of sugar- or non-nutritive-sweetened beverages. Appetite. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.01.028.Sex differences in snack food reinforcement in response to increasing dietary protein-(Abstract Only) Casperson, S.L., Johnson, L., Roemmich, J.N. 2017. Sex differences in snack food reinforcement in response to increasing dietary protein [abstract]. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference. 31:652.15.Reducing added sugar intake increases the relative reinforcing value of high-sugar foods-(Abstract Only) Flack, K.D., Casperson, S.L., Jahns, L.A., Roemmich, J.N., Johnson, L. 2017. Reducing added sugar intake increases the relative reinforcing value of high-sugar foods [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 31:311.3.The reinforcing value of vegetables does not increase with repeated exposure during a randomized controlled provided vegetable intervention among overweight and obese adults-(Abstract Only) Jahns, L.A., Johnson, L.K., Temple, J., Keim, N.L., Casperson, S.L., Roemmich, J.N. 2017. The reinforcing value of vegetables does not increase with repeated exposure during a randomized controlled provided vegetable intervention among overweight and obese adults [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 31:794.4.The relative reinforcing value of snack foods in response to consumption of sugar- or non-nutritive-sweetened beverages-(Abstract Only) Casperson, S.L., Johnson, L., Roemmich, J.N. 2016. The relative reinforcing value of snack foods in response to consumption of sugar- or non-nutritive-sweetened beverages [abstract]. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference, April 1-6, 2016, San Diego, California. 30:418.2.A mobile phone food record app to digitally capture dietary intake for adolescents in a free-living environment: Usability study-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Casperson, S.L., Sieling, J., Moon, J., Johnson, L.K., Roemmich, J.N., Whigham Grendell, L.D. 2015. A mobile phone food record app to digitally capture dietary intake for adolescents in a free-living environment: Usability study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 3(1):e30.Calculation of total meal d13C from individual food d13C.-(Abstract Only) Casperson, S.L., Scholler, D.A., Johnson, L.K., Whigham Grendell, L.D. 2014. Calculation of total meal d13C from individual food d13C.. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference. 28:813.2.Usability of mobile phone food records to assess dietary intake in adolescents-(Abstract Only) Casperson, S.L., Reineke, J.E., Sieling, J., Moon, J., Roemmich, J.N., Whigham Grendell, L.D. 2013. Usability of mobile phone food records to assess dietary intake in adolescents. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference. 27:230.2.
 ARS News ArticlesitemScientists Build a Healthy Dietary Pattern Using Ultra-Processed FoodsitemDon't Pass on Those Veggies! Eating the Right Amount Can Improve Mental Health and Happiness


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