Richard Bruno

Headshot of Richard Bruno

Professor, Department of Human Sciences

Program Area: Human Nutrition

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

Personal Website

Biography

Richard Bruno, PhD, RD is the Carol S. Kennedy Professor of Human Nutrition in the Department of Human Sciences and Senior Director of Ohio State University’s Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP).

In his faculty role, Dr. Bruno provides expertise in micronutrients, phytochemicals, functional foods, and advanced metabolism to support the undergraduate and graduate curricula of the Human Nutrition Program. He also leads the Diet & Cardiometabolic Health Lab, which focuses on the bioavailability of phytochemicals and anti-inflammatory nutrition strategies to prevent cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Bruno directs the Bionutrition Core Lab, a specialized service lab that utilizes HPLC/LC-MS and other analytical techniques to assess biomarkers related to micronutrient status, gut and cardiometabolic health, inflammation, metabolism, and other clinical outcomes.

Dr. Bruno’s internationally recognized research program has earned awards from the American Society of Nutrition and the OSU College of Education and Human Ecology. He is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief of Nutrition Research since 2020, Dr. Bruno is a member of the editorial boards for prominent journals in the field, including Antioxidants, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, and the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

As Senior Director of STEP, Dr. Bruno provides strategic leadership to enhance the second-year student experience at OSU. His work focuses on fostering faculty-student mentoring, supporting student engagement, and advancing curricular innovations that promote student success during this pivotal year. This high-impact program contributes to the professional development and enrichment needs of nearly 3,000 second-year students annually and is recognized for its commitment to education beyond the classroom.

In his spare time, Dr. Bruno enjoys spending time with his wife, Jenny, and their two children, exercising, traveling, and exploring the food and culture scene as a self-proclaimed foodie.

Education

  • Postdoctoral Scholar, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, 2004-2005
  • PhD, Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, 2004
  • Registered Dietitian, Commission on Dietetic Registration, 2002
  • MS, Human Nutrition, University of Delaware, 1999
  • BS, Applied Nutrition (Minor in Biology), University of Delaware, 1997

Research Interests

Research Summary

Dr. Bruno’s research in the Diet & Cardiometabolic Health Lab focuses on the bioavailability and anti-inflammatory properties of phytochemicals and functional foods, with an emphasis on preventing and managing cardiometabolic disorders. His work combines human clinical trials and preclinical models to explore how dietary interventions can modulate oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic health.

His research investigates how bioactive food components—such as polyphenols from green tea, vitamin E, vitamin C, and other phytochemicals—can reduce chronic inflammation and improve metabolic function to prevent cardiovascular disease. His translational research aims to discover dietary strategies that support cardiometabolic health, providing practical approaches to mitigating the risks of obesity, (pre)diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Dr. Bruno’s research utilizes cutting-edge biomolecular and analytical techniques, including HPLC/LC-MS, genomic sequencing, spectrophotometry, and molecular biology approaches, to analyze biomarkers related to gut health, inflammation, microbiota composition and function, and metabolism of dietary components. These tools, combined with non-invasive clinical measures of vascular health and intestinal function in humans and assessments of intestinal and liver health in preclinical models, allow his lab to uncover the mechanistic pathways and efficacy of nutrition to alleviate cardiometabolic risk, providing a foundation for evidence-based dietary recommendations.

Current Areas of Research Include

  1. Bioavailability, metabolism, and requirements of vitamin E and polyphenols
  2. Anti-inflammatory bioactivities of polyphenols, antioxidants, and functional foods on intestinal barrier function and cardiometabolic health, including MASLD and (pre)diabetes
  3. Nutritional strategies to improve vascular endothelial function by reducing hyperglycemia and inflammation

Selected Publications

Dr. Bruno has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters and has been invited to deliver several hundred presentations around the world at scientific conferences, academic institutions, and industry and government groups. With an h-index of 50, his work has been cited over 7,400 times. His peer-reviewed publications can be found on Google Scholar or at NIH NCBI. Select publications since 2020 include: 

  1. M Zeng, JK Hodges, A Pokala, M Khalafi, GY Sasaki, J Pierson, S Cao, G Brock, Z Yu, J Zhu, Y Vodovotz, RS Bruno. A green tea extract confection decreases circulating endotoxin and fasting glucose by improving gut barrier function but without affecting systemic inflammation: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial in healthy adults and adults with metabolic syndrome. Nutr Res. 2024;124:94-110.
  2. A Pokala, J Kraft, VM Taormina, M-C Michalski, C Vors, M Torres-Gonzalez, RS Bruno. Whole milk dairy foods and cardiometabolic health: Dairy fat and beyond. Nutr Res. 2024;126:99-122.
  3. MT Goodus, AN Alfredo, KE Carson, P Dey, N Pukos, JM Schwab, PG Popovich, J Gao, X Mo, RS Bruno, DM McTigue. Spinal cord injury-induced metabolic impairment and steatohepatitis develops in non-obese rats and is exacerbated by premorbid obesity. Exp Neurol. 2024;379:114847. 
  4. JP Chan, J Tanprasertsuk, EJ Johnson, P Dey, RS Bruno, MA Johnson, LW Poon, A Davey, JL Woodard, MJ Kuchan. Associations between brain alpha-tocopherol stereoisomer profile and hallmarks of brain aging in centenarians. Antioxidants. 2024;13:997.
  5. A Pokala, WR Quarles, J Ortega-Anaya, R Jimenez-Flores, S Cao, M Zeng, JK Hodges, RS Bruno. 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. 2023;15:3259.
  6. JK Hodges, GY Sasaki, Y Vodovotz, RS Bruno. Gallation and B-ring dihydroxylation increase green tea catechin residence time in plasma by differentially affecting tissue-specific trafficking: Compartmental model of catechin kinetics in healthy adults. Nutrients. 2023;15:4021.
  7. KR Weinhold, RR Andridge, JA Bomser, GY Sasaki, RS Bruno, TS Orchard. Sugars measured enzymatically in a fasting overnight urine sample are not sensitive biomarkers of dietary added sugar intake in postmenopausal women. Nutr Health. 2022:2601060221106819.
  8. X Sun, P Dey, RS Bruno, J Zhu. 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. 2022;109:109094.
  9. GY Sasaki, Y Vodovotz, Z Yu, RS Bruno. Catechin bioavailability following consumption of a green tea extract confection is reduced in obese persons without affecting gut microbial-derived valerolactones. Antioxidants. 2022;11:2490.
  10. L Chen, R Xu, JD McDonald, RS Bruno, F Choueiry, J Zhu. Dairy milk casein and whey proteins differentially alter the postprandial lipidome in persons with prediabetes: A comparative lipidomics study. J Agric Food Chem. 2022;70:10209-20.
  11. HY Chen, A Almonte-Loya, FY Lay, M Hsu, E Johnson, E González-Avalos, J Yin, RS Bruno, Q Ma, HE Ghoneim, DJ Wozniak, FE Harrison, CJ Lio. Epigenetic remodeling by vitamin C potentiates plasma cell differentiation. Elife. 2022;11:e73754.
  12. S Cao, EL Shaw, WR Quarles, GY Sasaki, P Dey, JK Hodges, A Pokala, M Zeng, RS Bruno. 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. 2022;14:1545.
  13. GY Sasaki, J Li, MJ Cichon, RE Kopec, RS Bruno. Catechin-rich green tea extract and the loss-of-TLR4 signaling differentially alter the hepatic metabolome in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2021;65:e2000998.
  14. MT Goodus, KE Carson, AD Sauerbeck, P Dey, AN Alfredo, PG Popovich, RS Bruno, DM McTigue. Liver inflammation at the time of spinal cord injury enhances intraspinal pathology, liver injury, metabolic syndrome and locomotor deficits. Exp Neurol. 2021;342:113725.
  15. L Chen, S Zhang, X Sun, JD McDonald, RS Bruno, J Zhu. Application of comparative lipidomics to elucidate postprandial metabolic excursions following dairy milk ingestion in individuals with prediabetes. J Proteome Res. 2021;20:2583-95.
  16. H Chatelaine, P Dey, X Mo, E Mah, RS Bruno, RE Kopec. Vitamin a and d absorption in adults with metabolic syndrome versus healthy controls: A pilot study utilizing targeted and untargeted LC-MS lipidomics. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2021;65:e2000413.
  17. RS Bruno, A Pokala, M Torres-Gonzalez, CN Blesso. Cardiometabolic health benefits of dairy-milk polar lipids. Nutr Rev. 2021;79:16-35.
  18. KM Ranard, MJ Kuchan, RS Bruno, JM Juraska, JW Erdman. Synthetic α-tocopherol, compared with natural α-tocopherol, downregulates myelin genes in cerebella of adolescent Ttpa-null mice. J Nutr. 2020;150:1031-40.
  19. WR Quarles, A Pokala, EL Shaw, J Ortega-Anaya, L Hillmann, R Jimenez-Flores, RS Bruno. Alleviation of metabolic endotoxemia by milk fat globule membrane: Rationale, design, and methods of a double-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover dietary intervention in adults with metabolic syndrome. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020;4:nzaa130.
  20. MJ Kuchan, KM Ranard, P Dey, S Jeon, GY Sasaki, KJ Schimpf, RS Bruno, M Neuringer, JW Erdman, Jr. Infant rhesus macaque brain α-tocopherol stereoisomer profile is differentially impacted by the source of α-tocopherol in infant formula. J Nutr. 2020;150:2305-13.
  21. JK Hodges, J Zhu, Z Yu, Y Vodovotz, G Brock, GY Sasaki, P Dey, RS Bruno. 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. 2020;17:100495.
  22. JK Hodges, GY Sasaki, RS Bruno. 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.
  23. KM Hirahatake, RS Bruno, BW Bolling, C Blesso, LM Alexander, SH Adams. Dairy foods and dairy fats: New perspectives on pathways implicated in cardiometabolic health. Adv Nutr. 2020;11:266-79.
  24. P Dey, BD Olmstead, GY Sasaki, Y Vodovotz, Z Yu, RS Bruno. Epigallocatechin gallate but not catechin prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice similar to green tea extract while differentially affecting the gut microbiota. J Nutr Biochem. 2020;84:108455.
  25. H Chatelaine, P Dey, X Mo, E Mah, RS Bruno, RE Kopec. Vitamin A and D absorption in adults with metabolic syndrome versus healthy controls - a pilot study utilizing targeted and untargeted LC-MS lipidomics. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2020;65:e2000413.
  26. BK Alba, AE Stanhewicz, P Dey, RS Bruno, WL Kenney, LM Alexander. Controlled feeding of an 8-d, high-dairy cheese diet prevents sodium-induced endothelial dysfunction in the cutaneous microcirculation of healthy, older adults through reductions in superoxide. J Nutr. 2020;150:55-63.
  27. RA Williams, AM Rose, RS Bruno, AS Hanks, JA Kennel, JD McDonald, AN Labyk, C Gunther. Examination of the relationship of diet quality with cardiometabolic risk factors in apparently healthy college students. J Educ Health Promot. 2019;8:148.
  28. MG Traber, GR Buettner, RS Bruno. The relationship between vitamin C status, the gut-liver axis, and metabolic syndrome. Redox Biol. 2019;21:101091.
  29. GY Sasaki, J Li, MJ Cichon, KM Riedl, RE Kopec, RS Bruno. Green tea extract treatment in obese mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis restores the hepatic metabolome in association with limiting endotoxemia-TLR4-NFκB-mediated inflammation. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019;63:e1900811.
  30. KM Ranard, MJ Kuchan, RS Bruno, JM Juraska, JW Erdman. Synthetic alpha-tocopherol, compared with natural alpha-tocopherol, downregulates myelin genes in cerebella of adolescent Tpa-null mice. J Nutr. 2019.
  31. JD McDonald, E Mah, P Dey, BD Olmstead, GY Sasaki, FA Villamena, RS Bruno. 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. 2019;63:129-39.
  32. JD McDonald, E Mah, C Chitchumroonchokchai, P Dey, AN Labyk, FA Villamena, JS Volek, RS Bruno. 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. 2019;63:165-76.
  33. I Hatsu, C Gunther, E Hade, S Vandergriff, N Slesnick, R Williams, RS Bruno, J Kennel. Unaccompanied homeless youth have extremely poor diet quality and nutritional status. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth. 2019;24:319-32.
  34. 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. Flavanol supplementation protects against obesity-associated increases in systemic interleukin-6 levels without inhibiting body mass gain in mice fed a high-fat diet. Nutr Res. 2019;66:32-47.
  35. P Dey, GY Sasaki, P Wei, J Li, L Wang, J Zhu, D McTigue, Z Yu, RS Bruno. 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. 2019;67:78-89.
  36. P Dey, JB Kim, C Chitchumroonchokchai, J Li, GY Sasaki, BD Olmstead, KL Stock, JM Thomas-Ahner, SK Clinton, RS Bruno. Green tea extract inhibits early oncogenic responses in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Food Funct. 2019;10:6351-61.