Complete CV | FANSE Kids

EDUCATION

Science Communication Fellow, Discovery Museum, Acton, MA 2014
Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (Nutrition concentration), UMass Lowell 2010
M.S. Biochemistry, University of Mumbai, India 2002
B.S. Microbiology & Biochemistry, University of Mumbai, India 2000

AWARDS AND HONORS

First Place, All Ideas Pitch Contest (for FANSE Kids) 2018

EforAll, Lowell-Lawrence, MA https://eforall.org/

First place award, CARIG symposium poster competition, Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA 2012
Finalist (1 of 5) - PepsiCo Nutrition Research Competition 2011

(A worldwide competition to scientifically define ‘a serving of fruit and vegetable’)

First place award, Macular Carotenoids Conference poster competition, Cambridge, UK 2011
American Egg Board - Egg Nutrition Center Dissertation Fellowship in Nutrition 2008
First place award, Biomedical Engineering Society poster competition, UMass Lowell 2007
School of Health and Environment Nominee-Graduate Research Scholar Award, UMass Lowell 2007
Listed in Who’s Who in America

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

JM USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston

Adjunct Scientist/Scientist III/Postdoctoral Scholar 2010 – 2016

Abbott Nutrition, Key Opinion Leader 2011 – 2015

Alcon Laboratories, Consultant 2011 – 2012

Dept. of Clinical Lab and Nutritional Sciences, UMass Lowell 2005 – 2010

Research Assistant/Doctoral Research

SRL Ranbaxy Ltd, India 2002 – 2004

Clinical Research Associate

PUBLICATIONS

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

Tanprasertsuk EJ, Mohn ES, Matthan NR, Lichtenstein AH, Barger K, Vishwanathan R, Johnson MA, Poon LW, Johnson MA. Serum carotenoids, tocopherols, total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio reflect brain concentrations in a cohort of centenarians. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, gly125 2018.
Tanprasertsuk EJ, Li B, Bernstein PS, Vishwanathan R, Johnson MA, Poon L, Johnson EJ. Relationship between concentrations of lutein and StARD3 among pediatric and geriatric human brain tissue. PLoS One 2016;11(5):e0155488.
Panagos P, Vishwanathan R, Penfield-Cyr A, Matthan NR, Shivappa N, Wirth M, Hebert J, Sen S. Breast milk from obese mothers has pro-inflammatory properties and decreased neuroprotective factors. J Perinatol 2016;doi:10.1038/jp.2015.199.
Berger S, Raman G, Vishwanathan R, Jacques PF, Johnson EJ. Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;102(2):276-94.
Vishwanathan R, Schalch W, Johnson EJ. Macular pigment carotenoids in the retina and occipital cortex are related in humans. Nutr Neurosci 2015 Mar 9.
Lang JC, Vishwanathan R, Rasmussen HM, Johnson EJ. Bioavailability of AREDS1 micronutrients from softgel capsules and tablets: a pilot study. Mol Vis 2014;20:1228-42.
Vishwanathan R, Sen S, Kuchan MJ, Johnson EJ. Lutein is the predominant carotenoid in infant brain: Preterm infants have decreased concentrations of brain carotenoids. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr.2014;59:659-665.
Vishwanathan R, Iannaccone A, Scott TM, Kritchevsky SB et al. Macular pigment optical density is related to cognitive function in the elderly. Age Aging 2014;43:271-275.
Johnson EJ, Vishwanathan R (co-first author), Johnson MA, Hausman DB et al. Relationship between serum and brain carotenoids, α-tocopherol and retinol concentrations and cognitive performance in the oldest old from the Georgia Centenarian Study. J Aging Res.2013;2013:951786.
Vishwanathan R, Chung M, Johnson EJ. A systematic review on zinc for the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci .2013;54:3985-98.
Vishwanathan R, Neuringer M, Snodderly DM, Schalch W, Johnson EJ. Macular lutein and zeaxanthin are related to brain lutein and zeaxanthin in primates. Nutr Neurosci. 2013;16:21-9.
Vishwanathan R, Gendron CM, Goodrow EF, Wilson TA, Nicolosi RJ. Increased consumption of dietary cholesterol, lutein, and zeaxanthin as egg yolks does not decrease serum concentrations and lipoprotein distribution of other carotenoids, retinol, and tocopherols. Nutr Res.2010;30:747-755.
Vishwanathan R, Wilson TA, Nicolosi RJ. Bioavailability of a nanoemulsion of lutein is greater than a lutein supplement. Nano Biomed Eng.2009;1:38-49.

Vishwanathan R, Goodrow EF, Wilson TA, Nicolosi RJ. Consumption of 2 and 4 egg yolks/d for 5 weeks increases macular pigment concentrations in older adults with low macular pigment taking cholesterol lowering statins. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90:1272-9.
Goodrow EF, Wilson TA, Houde SC, Vishwanathan R, Scollin PA, Handelman GJ and Nicolosi RJ. Consumption of one egg per day increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in older adults without altering serum lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. J Nutr. 2006;136:2519-2524.

REVIEW ARTICLES

Vishwanathan R and Johnson EJ. Eggs: Friend or Foe? J Postdoc Res 2013; 1(1):70-84.
Vishwanathan R. Much awaited AREDS 2 results show lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation slow AMD progression only in subjects with low dietary intakes (Research Highlights). J Postdoc Res 2013; 1(6): 48-50.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Vishwanathan R and Johnson EJ. Chapter 68: Nutrition and Age-related eye diseases. Handbook of Nutrition and Food, 3rd edition. Editors: Carolyn D. Berdanier, Johanna T. Dwyer and David Heber. July 2013, CRC Press.
Vishwanathan R and Johnson EJ. Chapter 14: Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Eye Health. Carotenoids and Human Health. Editor: Sherry A. Tanumihardjo. Nov 2012, Humana Press.
Vishwanathan R and Johnson EJ. Chapter 56: Eye Disease. Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 10th edition. Editors: John Erdman, Ian Macdonald and Steven Zeisel. Sep 2012, Wiley-Blackwell.

CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS (as presenter)

Lutein and zeaxanthin for the prevention and treatment of Age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis. FASEB J. 2013;27:638.17.
Relationship between brain lutein and zeaxanthin and retinal lutein and zeaxanthin in humans. FASEB J. 2012;26:39.3.
Brain carotenoids and physical function in the very old. 16th International Symposium on Carotenoids. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia 2011;53:20.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin levels in retina related to levels in the brain. FASEB J. 2011; 25: 344.1.
Distribution of carotenoids in infant brain. 16th International Symposium on Carotenoids. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia 2011;53:29 (1.23).
Lutein uptake is greater from egg yolks compared to nanoemulsions in Caco-2 cells. FASEB J. 2011;25:975.22.

Consumption of menus containing the equivalent of two and four egg yolks in older adults on cholesterol lowering medication is associated with significant changes in serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations and macular pigment optical density. FASEB J. 2007;21 A1087.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Hands-on approach for Nutrition Education in elementary school children. Nutrition 2018, Annual conference by American Society of Nutrition, Boston, MA
Hands-on approach for Nutrition Education in elementary school children. National Alliance for Broader Impacts Summit 2018, Providence, RI
Emerging science on dietary carotenoid lutein – from the eye to the brain. Department of Clinical Laboratory & Nutritional Sciences Spring 2015 Colloquium. University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Breast milk carotenoid concentrations are decreased in obese mothers. New England Perinatal Society meeting 2014, Newport, RI (poster).
Importance of lutein in early life. Neonatal Grand Rounds, Newborn Medicine Division, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, 2013.
Xanthophylls in the infant brain. CARIG symposium at Experimental Biology 2012, San Diego.
Macular lutein concentration is related to brain lutein concentration in primates. Macular Carotenoids and AMD 2011, Cambridge, UK (poster).
Lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in the serum and brain are related to cognitive function in older adults. New England Science Symposium, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 2011 (poster).
Consumption of 2 and 4 egg yolks/d for 5 weeks each increases macular pigment density in older adults with low macular pigment taking cholesterol lowering statins. New Developments in Carotenoids Research, Jean Mayer USDA HNRCA at Tufts University, Boston, MA, 2011 (poster).
Bioavailability of a nanoemulsion of lutein is greater than a lutein supplement. New England Science Symposium, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 2010 (poster).
Bioavailability of a nanoformulation of lutein is greater than a lutein supplement. IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo, Anaheim, CA, 2009 (poster).
Macular pigment responses to consumption of foods containing 2 and 4 egg yolks a day in older adults on cholesterol lowering medication. 12th Annual Vision Research Conference - Mechanisms of Macular Degeneration, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 2009 (poster).
Macular pigment responses to consumption of foods containing 2 and 4 egg yolks a day in older adults on cholesterol lowering medication. New England Science Symposium, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 2009 (poster).
Serum lutein and zeaxanthin response to consumption of two and four egg yolks in older adults on cholesterol lowering medication. APHA Annual meeting 2008, San Diego.