A.J. Rice Professorship to support a clinical trial of infant DHA supplementation

May 8, 2008

Susan Carlson, PhD, professor of dietetics and nutrition at KUMC, was invested with the A.J. Rice Professorship on April 29.

Susan Carlson, PhD, professor of dietetics and nutrition at KUMC, was invested on April 29 with the A.J. Rice Professorship to study nutritional supplements for pregnant women that benefit fetuses and infants.

The Rice Professorship at KUMC will support a large clinical trial of infant docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, supplementation. Carlson, who has worked in KU Medical Center's Dietetics and Nutrition department since 1999, is working with other KU researchers on an intervention trial which gives large amounts of DHA to pregnant women in their second trimester. The goal of these trials is to determine the effect of pre- and postnatal DHA on the visual development behavior of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Docosahexaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in the brain and retina.

“I am very proud of Dr. Carlson's research accomplishments concerning DHA supplementation,” said Karen Miller, RN, PhD, FAAN, Dean of the School of Allied Health and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at KU Medical Center. “Her work has been vital in producing healthy outcomes for some of our smallest and most important patients.”

The professorship was established by a gift from the estate of A.J. Rice of Graham County, Kan. Rice was an avid farmer, and acquired many acres of land after he started farming in Atchison, Kan. in 1873. As an avid reader, he was also interested in medical topics concerning public health and the prevention of diseases. His will reflected these two areas and divided the proceeds from his investments chiefly between the University of Kansas and Kansas Wesleyan University.

Carlson is a member of the American Society for Clinical Nutrition and American Pediatric Society, charter member of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids and consulting editor for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.