Ahmed El-Sohemy, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics
Department of Nutritional Sciences

Ph: 416.946.5776
Fax: 416.978.5882
a.el.sohemy@utoronto.ca



Primary Affiliations:

• Department of Nutritional Sciences
  

Education/Degrees:

• 1994  B.Sc. (Hon.), University of Toronto, Nutritional Sciences
• 1999  PhD, University of Toronto, Nutritional Sciences (Molecular Biology Major)
• 1999  Summer Program, Harvard School of Public Health, Epidemiology

Postdoctoral Training:

• 1999-2000  Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition

Awards/Recognition:

• 2003-2013  Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics

Professional Memberships:

• 1994-present  Canadian Nutrition Society
• 1997-present  American Society for Nutrition
• 2006-present  International Society of Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics

Research

The overall goal of my research program in nutrigenomics is to identify biomarkers of dietary exposure and elucidate the genetic basis for variability in nutrient response and dietary preferences. Our research program employs metabolomics, proteomics and genomics to study the effects of diet on human health. This approach will help us to understand how genetic and dietary factors interact to regulate various metabolic and biochemical pathways involved in the development of chronic diseases. We are currently investigating the role of genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the development of coronary heart disease, and how genetic differences affecting inflammation interact with diet to alter biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome. Other research projects focus on micronutrient genomics, genetics of caffeine response and genetic determinants of sugar consumption. 

Current Students:

• 2009-present  Andre Dias, PhD candidate
• 2010-present  Bibiana Garcia-Bailo, PhD candidate
• 2010-present  Daiva Nielsen, MSc candidate
• 2011-present  Joseph Jamnik, BSc, 3rd year research project
• 2011-present  Evelyn Romero-Smith, BSc, 4th year research project
• 2011-present  Andrea Josse, Postdoctoral Fellow

Recent Publications:                                                   

 

1. Ozsungur, S., Brenner, D.M. and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) Fourteen well described caffeine withdrawal symptoms factor into three clusters. Psychopharmacology. 201: 541-48.
2. Fontaine-Bisson, B., Wolever, T.M.S., Connelly, P.W., Corey, P.N. and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) NF-κB -94Ins/Del ATTG polymorphism modifies the association between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and HDL-cholesterol in two distinct populations. Atherosclerosis 204: 465-470.
3. Cahill, L., Cory, P. and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) Vitamin C deficiency in a population of young Canadian adults. Am. J. Epidemiol. 170: 464-71.
4. Cahill, L., Fontaine-Bisson, B. and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) Functional genetic variant of glutathione S-transferase protects against ascorbic acid deficiency. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 90:1411-17.
5. Eny, K., Cory, P. and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) Dopamine D2 receptor genotype (C957T) is associated with habitual sugar consumption in a free-living population. J. Nutrigenetics Nutrigenomics 2: 235-242.
6. Khataan, N.H., Stewart, L., Brenner, D.M., Cornelis, M.C. and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) TAS2R38 genotypes and phenylthiocarbamide bitter taste perception in a population of young adults. J Nutrigenetics Nutrigenomics. 2: 251-56.
7. Cahill, L., and El-Sohemy, A. (2009) Vitamin C transporter gene polymorphisms, dietary vitamin C and serum ascorbic acid. J. Nutrigenetics Nutrigenomics. 2: 292-301.
8. Brenner, D.R., Tepylo, K., Eny, K.M., Cahill, L.E. and El-Sohemy, A. (2010) Comparison of body mass index and waist circumference as predictors of cardiometabolic health in a population of young Canadian adults. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome. 2:28.
9. Mackinnon, E.S., El-Sohemy, A., Rao, A.V. and Rao, L.G. (2010) Paraoxonase 1 polymorphisms 172TA and 584AG modified the association between serum concentrations of the antioxidant lycopene and bone turnover markers and oxidative stress parameters in women 25-70 years of age. J. Nutrigenetics Nutrigenomics. 3: 1-8.
10. Liu, Z., Garofalo, F., Lee, H-J., Jenkins, D.J.A. and El-Sohemy, A. (2010) Simultaneous detection of carotenoids and tocopherols J. Chromatog Science 397:777-90.
11. Cahill, L., and El-Sohemy, A. (2010) Haptoglobin genotype modifies the association between dietary vitamin C and serum ascorbic acid deficiency. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 92:1494-500.
12. Eny, K.M, Wolever, T.M.S., Corey, P.N. and El-Sohemy, A. (2010) Genetic variation in TAS1R2 (Ile191Val) is associated with consumption of sugars in overweight and obese individuals in two distinct populations. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 92:1501-10.
13. van Ommen, B., El-Sohemy, A., Hesketh, J., Kaput, J., Fenech, M., Evelo, C.T., McArdle, H.J., Bouwman, J., Lietz, G., Mathers, J.C., Fairweather-Tait, S., van Kranen, H., Elliot, R., Wopereis, S., Ferguson, L.R., Méplan, C., Perozzi, G., Allen, L., and Rivero, D. (2010) The Micronutrient Genomics Project: a community-driven knowledge base for micronutrient research. Genes Nutr. 5: 285-296.
14. Cuda, C., Badawi, A.F., Karmali, M. and El-Sohemy, A. (2011) Polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor 4 are associated with factors of the metabolic syndrome and modify the association between dietary saturated fat and fasting HDL-cholesterol. Metabolism 60: 1131-35.
15. Brenner, D.R., Boucher, B.A., Krieger, N., Jenkins, D.J. and El-Sohemy, A. (2011) Dietary Patterns in an Ethnoculturally Diverse Population of Young Canadian Adults. Can. J. Diet. Res. Prac. 72(3): 132.
16. Merino, D.M., Johnston, H., Clarke, S., Roke, K., Nielsen, D., Badawi, A., El-Sohemy, A., Ma, D. and Mutch, D. (2011) Polymorphisms in FADS1 and FADS2 alter desaturase activity in young Caucasian and Asian adults. Mol. Genet. Metab. 103:171-78.
17. Fenech, M. El-Sohemy, A., Cahill, L., Ferguson, L., French, T-A., Tai, E-S., Milner, J., Koh, W-P., Xie, L., Zucker, M., Bucklye, M., Cosgrove, L., Lockett, T., Fung, K. and Head, R. (2011) Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Viewpoints on Current status and Applications in Nutrition Research and Practice. J. Nutrigenetics Nutrigenomics. 4:69-89.
18. Arora, P., Garcia-Bailo, B., Dastani, Z., Brenner, D., Villegas, A., Richards, B., El-Sohemy, A., Malik, S., Karmali, M., Badawi, A. (2011) Genetic polymorphisms of innate immunity-related inflammatory pathways and their association with factors related to type 2 diabetes. BMC Med Genet. 12:95.
19. Brathwaite, J.M., Da Costa, L.E. and El-Sohemy, A. (2011) Catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype is associated with self-reported increased heart rate following caffeine consumption. J. Caffeine Res. 1:123-30.
20. García-Bailo B, Brenner DR, Nielsen D, Lee HJ, Domanski D, Kuzyk M, Borchers CH, Badawi A, Karmali MA, and El-Sohemy A. (2011) Dietary patterns and ethnicity are associated with distinct plasma proteomic profiles. Am. J. Clin Nutr. 95: 352-361.
21. Brenner, D.R., P. Arora, B. García-Bailo, T.M.S. Wolever, H. Morrison, A. El-Sohemy, M. Karmali, and A. Badawi. (2011) Plasma vitamin D and risk of the metabolic syndrome in Canadians. Clin. Invest. Med. 34:E377-E384.

PubMed