Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mayo Clinic
PhD Nutritional Science, McGill University
RD, Member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario
BASc (Honours), Applied Human Nutrition, University of Guelph
Research
As a Canada Research Chair in Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Santosa conducts cutting edge research to identify the long-term effects of obesity, from the cell to the entire body.
Weight is a concern of millions of Canadians both on an individual and societal level. Despite existing public policy and individual weight interventions, we are still “growing” as a population with more Canadians overweight than not.
The metabolic and cellular mechanisms of why some overweight individuals develop diseases while others do not are not fully understood. Furthermore, in people with diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, we do not fully understand how obesity affects the progression or treatment. Obesity treatment itself remains ineffective as most people who lose weight eventually gain it back. Dr. Santosa applies techniques in biology, physiology and nutrition to investigate and understand the underlying effects of obesity that contribute to weight gain and disease.
Results from her studies will promote the development of better public health interventions from disease prevention to management.
Dr. Santosa's research has been/is currently funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, the Quebec Bioimaging Network, the PERFORM Centre, a Canada Research Chair, Tier 2, NSERC, and CIHR.
Current Projects
Currently recruiting graduate and postdoctoral trainees to join our research team.
Projects in the lab include:
-Examining regional differences in fat tissue in bariatric surgery patients
-Investigating differences in early vs late onset obesity
-Determining protein requirements in bariatric surgery patients
-Using imaging techniques to examine regional fat use and substrate oxidation
Trainees will learn cutting-edge techniques in human research, cellular and molecular biology, physiology, and nutrition. Techniques applied include flow cytometry, cell culture, PCR, body composition (DXA, CT, MRI), and nutritional analysis.
Active Affiliations
Researcher, PERFORM Centre
Researcher, Sacre Coeur Hospital
Associate Researcher, CRIUGM
Editorial Board Member Activities
2019-present International Journal of Obesity
2014-present Scientific Reports
Professional Memberships
Canadian Nutrition Society
College of Dietitians of Ontario
The Obesity Society
Canadian Obesity Network
Société Québécoise de Lipidologie, de Nutrition, et de Metabolisme
Réseau de Recherche en Santé Cardiométabolique, Diabète, et Obésité
Diabète Québec
