Richard Bruno

Headshot of Richard Bruno

Professor, Department of Human Sciences
Program Chair of Human Nutrition, unknown

Program Area: Human Nutrition

(614) 292-5522
bruno.27@osu.edu

Personal Website

Biography

Richard Bruno, PhD, RD is Professor and Chair of Human Nutrition Program. He earned his PhD in Nutrition from The Ohio State University and completed post-doctoral training at the Linus Pauling Institute (Oregon State University) before serving on the faculty at University of Connecticut and subsequently joining OSU in 2012 as a tenured faculty member.

As Chair of the Human Nutrition Program, Dr. Bruno is committed to training, educating, and mentoring the next-generation nutrition and dietetic professionals by providing vison and leadership of the human nutrition program in support of the broader mission of the Department of Human Science.  As Principal Investigator of the Dietary Phytochemical & Cardiometabolic Health Laboratory[BR1] , Dr. Bruno’s research in the areas of nutritional biochemistry and clinical nutrition includes basic discovery and clinical translation to establish evidence-based dietary recommendations regarding micronutrients and phytochemicals, especially their bioavailability and anti-inflammatory activities that protect against obesity-related cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Bruno is also Director of the Bionutrition Core Laboratory, a service laboratory specializing in HPLC/LC-MS and spectrophotometric measures of biomarkers to assess micronutrient status, gut and cardiometabolic health, inflammation, metabolism, and other clinical outcomes.

Dr. Bruno’s impactful research has been recognized through awards from the American Society of Nutrition and the OSU College of Education and Human Ecology, and has been widely disseminated through >130 peer-reviewed publications, nearly two dozen books and book chapters, and hundreds of invited presentations to scientific audiences. Dr. Bruno is a member of the American Society for Nutrition, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, and the Society of Redox Biology and Medicine. He serves on the Editorial Board for leading journals in the nutrition field, including AntioxidantsMolecular Nutrition and Food Research, and the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, and has been the Editor-in-Chief of Nutrition Research since 2020.

In his spare time, Dr. Bruno enjoys time with his family including two children, exercising, traveling, and being a self-proclaimed foodie.

Education

  • PhD, Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University
  • MS, Human Nutrition, University of Delaware
  • BS, Applied Nutrition (minor in Biology), University of Delaware
  • RD, Commission on Dietetic Registration

Research Interests

Research Summary

The Dietary Phytochemical & Cardiometabolic Health Laboratory (PI: Richard Bruno) provides international leadership concerning the health benefits of bioactive food components to manage oxidative distress and inflammatory responses along the gut-liver axis that contribute to poor cardiometabolic health, especially in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, and vascular endothelial dysfunction. To pursue this research agenda, studies in rodent models that recapitulate cardiometabolic disorders in humans and controlled trials in humans are conducted to inform research translation and establish evidence-based dietary recommendations that can improve cardiometabolic health in humans.

Research in the lab includes:

  1. human studies examining the bioavailability phytochemicals, especially polyphenols, vitamin E, vitamin K, and certain carotenoids;
  2. controlled studies examining polyphenols and functional foods in humans and obese rodents on gut microbiota, intestinal barrier function, and host inflammation and metabolic health; 
  3. human trials examining dietary approaches to improve vascular endothelial function by limiting postprandial hyperglycemia and associated oxidative distress responses.

Current Projects

  • Anti-inflammatory bioactivities of green tea catechins at the gut in obese models of metabolic endotoxemia (supported by USDA-NIFA)
  • Spinal cord injury causes liver pathology and metabolic dysfunction (supported by NIH NIDDK)
  • Assessing gut microbiota mediate health outcomes of whole wheat and its major bioactive components (supported by USDA-NIFA)
  • Achieving nutritional adequacy of vitamins E and K with an egg/plant-based food pairing (supported by Egg Nutrition Center)
  • Apple pomace on cardiometabolic health and inflammation status in a mouse model of obesity (supported by CFAES Internal Grants Program)
  • Use Of DYRK1A/B kinase inhibitors for the treatment of liver diseases (supported by NIH NIDDK)

Selected Publications

Dr. Bruno has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters throughout his career. He has an h-index of 49, his work has been cited >6700 times, and details of publications can be found at Google Scholar or at NIH NCBI. Publications from the past 5 years include:

  1. JD McDonald, C Chitchumroonchokchai, J Li, E Mah, AN Labyk, EJ Reverri, KD Ballard, JS Volek, RS Bruno. (2018). Replacing carbohydrate during a glucose challenge with the egg white portion or whole eggs protects against postprandial impairments in vascular endothelial function in prediabetic men by limiting increases in glycemia and lipid peroxidation. Br J Nutr, 119(3):259-270.
  2. P Dey, E Mah, J Li, T Jalili, JD Symons, RS Bruno. (2018). Improved hepatic γ-tocopherol status limits oxidative and inflammatory stress-mediated liver injury in db/db mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. J Funct Food, 40, 670-678.  
  3. R Pei, DM DiMarco, KK Putt, DA Martin, C Chitchumroonchokchai, RS Bruno, BW Bolling (2018). Pre-meal low-fat yogurt consumption reduces postprandial inflammation and markers of endotoxin exposure in healthy premenopausal women in a randomized controlled trial. J Nutr, 148:1-7.
  4. M Xu, F Zhong, RS Bruno, KD Ballard, J Zhang, J Zhu. (2018). Comparative metabolomics elucidates postprandial metabolic modifications in plasma of obese individuals with metabolic syndrome. J Proteome Res, 17(8):2850-2860.
  5. M Goodus, A Sauerbeck, PG Popovich, RS Bruno, DM McTigue. (2018). Dietary green tea extract prior to spinal cord injury prevents hepatic iron overload but does not improve chronic hepatic and spinal cord pathology in rats. J Neurotrauma, 35(24):2872-2882.
  6. JD McDonald, E Mah, C Chitchumroonchokchai, EJ Reverri, J Li, JS Volek, FA Villamena, RS Bruno. (2018). Co-ingestion of whole eggs or egg whites with glucose protects against postprandial hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and dysregulated arginine metabolism in association with improved vascular endothelial function in prediabetic men. Br J Nutr, 120(8):901-913.
  7. JD McDonald, E Mah, C Chitchumroonchokchai, P Dey, AN Labyk, FA Villamena, JS Volek, RS Bruno (2018). Dairy milk proteins attenuate hyperglycemia-induced impairments in vascular endothelial function in adults with prediabetes by limiting increases in glycemia and oxidative stress that reduce nitric oxide bioavailability. J Nutr Biochem, 63:165-176.
  8. JD McDonald, E Mah, P Dey, BD Olmstead, GY Sasaki, FA Villamena, RS Bruno. (2018). Dairy milk, regardless of fat content, protects against postprandial hyperglycemia-mediated impairments in vascular endothelial function in adults with prediabetes by limiting oxidative stress responses that reduce nitric oxide bioavailability. J Nutr Biochem, 63:129-139.
  9. MG Traber, GR Buettner, RS Bruno. (2019). The relationship between vitamin C status, the gut-liver axis, and metabolic syndrome. Redox Biology (Invited Review), 21:101091. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2018.101091
  10. I Hatsu, C Gunther, E Hade, S Vandergriff, N Slesnick, R Williams, R Bruno, J Kennel. (2019). Unaccompanied homeless youth have extremely poor diet quality and nutritional status. Int J Adol Youth, 24:3, 319-332. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2018.1538885
  11. P Dey, GY Sasaki, P Wei, L Wang, J Li, C Chitchumroonchokchai, J Zhu, D McTigue, Z Yu, RS Bruno. (2019). Green tea extract prevents obesity in male mice by alleviating gut dysbiosis in association with improved intestinal barrier function that limits endotoxin translocation and adipose inflammation. J Nutr Biochem, 67:78-89.
  12. LE Griffin, DW Fausnacht, JL Tuzo, AK Addington, KC Racine, H Zhang, MD Hughes, KM England, RS Bruno, SF O’Keefe, AP Neilson, AC Stewart. (2019). Flavanol supplementation protects against obesity-associated increases in systemic IL-6 levels without inhibiting body mass gain in mice fed a high-fat diet. Nutr Res, 66:32-47.
  13. R Williams, A Rose, RS Bruno, A Hanks, J Kennel, J McDonald, C Gunther. (2019). Examination of the relationship of diet quality with cardiometabolic risk factors in apparently healthy college students. J Am Coll Health, 8:148. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_12_19.
  14. P Dey, JB Kim, C Chitchumroonchokchai, J Li, GY Sasaki, BD Olmstead, KL Stock, JM Thomas-Ahner, SK Clinton, RS Bruno. (2019). Green tea extract inhibits early oncogenic responses in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Food Funct, 10, 6351-6361.
  15. GY Sasaki, J Li, MJ Cichon, KM Riedl, RE Kopec, RS Bruno. (2019). Green tea extract treatment in obese mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis restores the hepatic metabolome in association with limiting endotoxemia-TLR4-NFkB-mediated inflammation. Mol Nutr Food Res, 63(24):e1900811. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201900811.
  16. BK Alba, AE Stanhewicz, P Dey, RS Bruno, WL Kenney, LM Alexander. (2020). Controlled feeding of an 8-day high dairy cheese diet prevents sodium-induced endothelial dysfunction in the cutaneous microcirculation through reductions in superoxide. J Nutr, 150(1):55-63; doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz205.
  17. KM Hirahatake, RS Bruno, BW Bolling, C Blesso, LM Alexander, SH Adams. (2019). Dairy foods and dairy fats: new perspectives on pathways implicated in cardiometabolic health. Adv Nutr, 11(2):266-279. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz105.
  18. KM Ranard, MJ Kuchan, RS Bruno, JM Juraska, JW Erdman. (2020). Synthetic α-tocopherol, compared with natural α-tocopherol, downregulates myelin genes in cerebella of adolescent Ttpa-null mice. J Nutr, 150(5):1031-1040. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz330.
  19. JK Hodges, J Zhu, Z Yu, Y Vodovotz, G Brock, GY Sasaki, P Dey, RS Bruno. (2020) Intestinal-level anti-inflammatory bioactivities of catechin-rich green tea: Rationale, design, and methods of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in metabolic syndrome and healthy adults. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 17:100495. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100495
  20. MM Kemski, CA Rappleye, K Dabrowski, RS Bruno, M Wick. (2020). Transcriptomic response to soybean meal-based diets as the first formulated feed in juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Sci Rep, 10(1):3998. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-59691-z.
  21. MJ Kuchan, KM Ranard, P Dey, S Jeon, GY Sasaki, KJ Schimpf, RS Bruno, M Neuringer, JW Erdman Jr. (2020). Infant rhesus macaque brain α-tocopherol stereoisomer profile is differentially impacted by source of α-tocopherol in infant formula. J Nutr, doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa174.
  22. P Dey, BD Olmstead, GY Sasaki, Y Vodovotz, Z Yu, RS Bruno (2020). Epigallocatechin gallate but not catechin prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice similar to green tea extract while differentially affecting the gut microbiota. J Nutr Biochem, doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108455.
  23. WR Quarles, A Pokala, E Shaw, J Ortega, L Hillman, R Jimenez-Flores, RS Bruno. (202x). Alleviation of metabolic endotoxemia by milk fat globule membrane: Rationale, design, and methods of a double-blind, randomized controlled, crossover dietary intervention trial in adults with metabolic syndrome. Curr Dev Nutr, 4(9):nzaa130. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa130.
  24. JK Hodges, GY Sasaki, RS Bruno. (2020). Anti-inflammatory activities of green tea catechins along the gut-liver axis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: lessons learned from preclinical and human studies. J Nutr Biochem, 2020;85:108478. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108478.
  25. H Chatelaine, P Dey, X Mo, RS Bruno, RE Kopec. (2020). Vitamin A and D absorption in adults with metabolic syndrome vs. healthy controls – a pilot study utilizing targeted and untargeted LC-MS lipidomics. Mol Nutr Food Res, 2021;65(2):e2000413. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202000413.
  26. GY Sasaki, J Li, MJ Cichon, RE Kopec, RS Bruno. (2020). Catechin-rich green tea extract and the loss-of-TLR4 signaling differentially alter the hepatic metabolome in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Submitted, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2021; 65(2):e2000998. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202000998.
  27. RS Bruno, AP Neilson, JD Lambert, N Moustaid-Moussa. (2021). Journal Of Nutritional Biochemistry Special Issue: Polyphenols, Obesity, And Cardiometabolic Health. J Nutr Biochem, 2021; 89:108565. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108565.
  28. L Chen, S Zhang, X Sun, JD McDonald, RS Bruno, J Zhu. (2021). Application of comparative lipidomics to elucidate postprandial metabolic excursions following dairy milk ingestion in individuals with prediabetes. J Proteome Res, 2021; 20(5):2583-2595. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c01009.
  29. MT Goodus, KE Carson, AD Sauerbeck, P Dey, AN Alfredo, PG Popovich, RS Bruno, DM McTigue. (2021) Liver inflammation at the time of spinal cord injury enhances intraspinal pathology, liver injury, metabolic syndrome and locomotor deficits. Exp Neurol. 2021;342:113725. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113725
  30. RS Bruno, A Pokala, M Torres-Gonzalez, CN Blesso. (2021). Cardiometabolic Health Benefits Of Dairy Milk Polar Lipids. Nutr Rev, 2021;79(Suppl 2):16-35. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab085
  31. S Cao, EN Shaw, W Quarles, GY Sasaki, P Dey, JK Hodges, A Pokala, M Zeng, RS Bruno. (2022). Daily inclusion of resistant starch-containing potatoes in a Dietary Guidelines for Americans dietary pattern does not adversely affect cardiometabolic risk or intestinal permeability in adults with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 14(8):1545. doi: 10.3390/nu14081545
  32. KR Weinhold, RR Andridge, JA Bomser, GY Sasaki, RS Bruno, TS Orchard. (2022). Sugars measured enzymatically in a fasting overnight urine sample are not sensitive biomarkers of dietary added sugar intake in postmenopausal women. Nutr Health, 2601060221106819. doi: 10.1177/02601060221106819.  
  33. X Sun, P Dey, RS Bruno, J Zhu. (2022). EGCG and catechin relative to green tea extract differentially modulate the gut microbial metabolome and liver metabolome to prevent obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet. J Nutr Biochem, 109:109094. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109094.
  34. L Chen, R Xu, J McDonald, RS Bruno, F Choueiry, J Zhu (2022). Dairy milk casein and whey proteins differentially alter the postprandial lipidome in persons with prediabetes: A comparative lipidomics study. J Agric Food Chem, 70(33):10209-10220. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c03662.
  35. H-Y Chen, A Almonte-Loya, F-Y Lay, M Hsu, E Johnson, E Gonzalez-Avalos, J Yin, RS Bruno, Q Ma, HE Ghoneim, DJ Wozniak, FE Harrison, C-WJ Lio. (2022). Epigenetic remodeling by vitamin C potentiates plasma cell differentiation. eLife, 11:e73754. doi: 10.7554/eLife.73754.
  36. GY Sasaki, Y Vodovotz, Z Yu, RS Bruno. (2022). Catechin bioavailability following consumption of a green tea extract confection is reduced in obese persons without affecting gut microbial-derived valerolactones. Antioxidants, 11(12):2490. doi: 10.3390/antiox11122490.
  37. RS Bruno, K Zamary. (2023). Reemergence from the pandemic, annual awards, and editorial office updates: from the desk of the Editor-in-Chief, Nutrition Research. Nutr Res. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2023.05.002.
  38. A Pokala, WR Quarles, J Ortega-Anaya, R Jimenez-Flores, S Cao, M Zeng, JK Hodges, RS Bruno. (2023). Milk-fat-globule-membrane-enriched dairy milk compared with a soy-lecithin-enriched beverage did not adversely affect endotoxemia or biomarkers of gut barrier function and cardiometabolic risk in adults with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled crossover trial. Nutrients, 15(14):3259; doi: 10.3390/nu15143259
  39. JK Hodges, GY Sasaki, Y Vodovotz, RS Bruno. (2023). Gallation and B-Ring Di-Hydroxylation Increase Green Tea Catechin Residence Time in Plasma by Differentially Affecting Tissue-Specific Trafficking: Compartmental Model of Catechin Kinetics in Healthy Adults. Nutrients, In Press