Kinesiology and Health Sciences
University of Waterloo
The field of lipidomics involves the use of advanced analytical chemistry methods, such as mass spectrometry, to examine lipid metabolism on a large scale. Nutritional lipidomics allows for a comprehensive examination of how diet impacts lipogenesis and circulating blood lipids, as well as the composition of cellular membranes and lipid mediator pathways. Lipidomic results are dependent on the methodological process, the type and settings of the instrument used, and how the data are processed. The technical aspects and the resulting jargon and language of lipidomics can be barriers for those looking to enter the field. The core ideas and key concepts of lipidomics, along with ongoing challenges in the field, will be presented through practical examples. Different applications of lipidomic data will also be examined, including the use of lipidomics to identify polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism pathways in a rodent model, dietary biomarkers of omega-3 intake, and novel insights into the nature of lipids in foods and supplements.
Ken Stark is a Full Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. He received his B.Sc. (Honours) from the University of Toronto and his Ph.D. from the University of Guelph, and he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids and is on the editorial boards of Lipids and The Journal of Nutrition. Dr. Stark has over 140 peer-reviewed publications involving fatty acid and lipid analyses and the impact of diet on fatty acid metabolism. His insights on the use of blood biomarkers to assess the intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have led to international collaborations resulting in publications in high-impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Progress in Lipid Research and Cell Stem Cell.