Mariana Calle Ph. D., MS., RDN.
Mariana Calle Ph. D., MS., RDN.
Professor
Mariana Calle Ph. D., MS., RDN.
508-929-8739 mcalle@worcester.edu
Faculty Member's Office
ST110 J
Office Hours:
Student visitation hours.

Bio

Dr. Calle received her B.S. (Nutrition 2001) at the University of Buenos Aires, College of Medicine, in Argentina; Master of Science (Human Nutrition and Metabolism 2009) and Ph.D. (Nutritional Sciences 2011) at the University of Connecticut; and certification for Registered Dietitian (2015) from the Academics of Nutrition and Dietetics. Prior to attending graduate school, she was a dietitian in hospitals in Argentina, responsible for the delivery of medical nutrition therapy. As a private practitioner, Dr. Calle provided nutritional counseling to athletes in search of improving their performance.
Dr. Calle has been working at WSU since 2011 and is an Associate Professor since 2018 and Chair of the Health Sciences Department at WSU (2019-2022). She teaches undergraduate Public Health required and Health Education electives courses.
Her research area of expertise includes type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Her research focus on the effects of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, on inflammatory markers. Dr. Calle has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles, and has presented her work at international meetings, such as Experimental Biology, American Public Health Association and the American Society for Nutrition conferences.

 

Registered Dietitian

Courses Taught
HE 120 Health and Nutrition
The course is constructed to move from the basic nutrition concepts to the integration of those concepts in daily living. In other words, how the food we eat could affect our health either in the short or the long term. Basic nutrition concepts include but are not limited to macronutrients and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), digestion, energy balance and nutritional needs at different stages in life.
3
HC 425 Research Seminar
The course will examine each step of the research process: identifying a study question, selecting a study approach, designing the study and collecting data, analyzing data and reporting the findings.
3
HE 325 Sports Nutrition
LASC Categories: ICW, QAC Prerequisites: HE-120 The course is designed to examine the role of nutrition in exercise metabolism and to explore the link between basics of exercise physiology concepts and nutrition. This course includes the application of nutrition principles to maintain optimum health and to enhance athletic performance from a healthy, adequate, and personalized diet. Sports nutrition concepts include, but are not limited to, body composition, nutritional supplements, energy balance, and nutritional needs for physically active people and athletes.
3
HE 225 Advanced Nutrition: The Prevention and Treatment of Obesity
LASC Categories: ICW Prerequisites: HE-120 This course examines the role of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of a major public health issue: obesity. The course builds on basic nutrition principles and their application to weight management and eating behaviors. Emphasis will be on the consequences of obesity on cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Body weight regulation concepts will include, but are not limited to, body weight assessment, energy metabolism, regulation of eating behavior, energy nutrients, and the role of diet/physical activity in weight management.
3
HC450 Practicum in Health
LASC Categories: CAP, WAC Prerequisites: 24 credits in HE/HC courses and EN-102 Field experience in which students will select a community health speciality area and spend a semester pursuing their goal through participation. See HE 440 Practicum in Health.
Education
2011
University of Connecticut
Ph. D. Human Nutrition
2015
Iowa State University
Dietetics
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Academic of Dietetics

Publications

Assessment of Dietary Patterns Represents a Potential, yet Variable, Measure of Inflammatory Status: A Review and Update.
Healthy Plant-Based Diets Improve Dyslipidemias, Insulin Resistance and Inflammation in Metabolic Syndrome. A Narrative Review
Dietary Influences on Gut Microbiota with a Focus on Metabolic Syndrome
Inflammation and type 2 diabetes. Review. Diabetes and Metabolism