Faculty engage in scholarly activity that may be empirical or creative in nature. The Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station supports several AIHM projects. AIHM faculty members also engage in scholarship that results in the creation of new forms of beauty and solutions to design problems within the near environment. The Department of Human Development and Family Sciences does research that covers the life span, focusing on families and individual development. Research outcomes are disseminated to the public through the department's Extension function.
Human nutrition focuses on the nutrient needs of humans to promote health.
The department has been instrumental in defining the recommendations for human intake of vitamin B-6 and evaluating its bioavailability under different dietary, physiological and demographic conditions as well as its interactions with other nutrients. The study of trace mineral bioavailability and interactions, especially fluoride, has provided basic data for setting recommended dietary intakes. Department researchers in conjunction with the Linus Pauling Institute are studying the role of vitamin E in human health, which has contributed substantially to the knowledge base used to establish recommendations for the level of vitamin E intake that promotes health. Applied nutrition research in the department includes investigation of the basis for individual dietary behavior and behavior change among young adults, elderly people and children as it relates to health promotion, especially in school, long-term settings. Individuals and families in Oregon benefit from research in foods and nutrition through Extension service.