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Faculty

Sarah Borengasser, PhD, MS
Pediatrics

Sarah Borengasser, PhD, MS

Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Research and Training at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center

sarah-borengasser@ouhsc.edu

Dr. Borengasser has been an exercise, nutrition, and obesity researcher for 18+ years across the translational research spectrum.  She has been funded by NIH at every career level (T32 predoctoral student, T32 postdoctoral fellow, K01 faculty, R01 faculty).  Dr. Borengasser is passionate about mentoring the next generation of obesity, nutrition, and exercise scientists.  She has developed a career development curriculum focused on enhancing communication skills to effectively present research findings to scientific and lay audiences using TED-talk style approaches and providing learners training opportunities not typically offered in other internal and external venues such as creating an infographic CV and how to give a rapid fire talk.  On a personal note, Dr. Borengasser has been an avid runner for 30+ years and loves to eat/cook, watch her kids compete in soccer and cross country, and read.  

Education:

  • B.A. Wartburg College, Waverly, IA, Spanish Studies
  • M.S. Iowa State University, Ames, IA, Exercise Science
  • Ph.D. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, Nutrition
  • Postgraduate Training
  • Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, Early Origins of Obesity

Clinical/Research Interests:

Her primary research interests involve using multi-omics approaches (epigenetics, metabolomics, genetics, gut microbiome, and proteomics) to identify molecular biomarkers and biologically relevant pathways for environmental exposures in adult and pediatric populations, with specific expertise in epigenetics. Most recently, she is highly enthusiastic about using epigenetic clocks/epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) as biomarkers to assess the role of detrimental (obesity, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking) and beneficial (weight loss, exercise, high quality diet, smoking cessation) environmental exposures on biological (body) age and intervention responsiveness.  

Funding:

  • NIH R01 HD110585 |PI: Borengasser
    02/01/2023 – 01/31/2028 
    “Preconception Maternal Nutrition, Offspring DNA Methylation, and Infant Growth in Low Resource Settings” The aims of this proposal are to determine if a preconception maternal nutrition supplement can alter targeted and epigenome-wide DNA methylation (DNAme) in infants born in regions prone to high rates of growth stunting (Guatemala, India, and Pakistan).  We will also test if DNAme profiles at birth are associated with growth parameters at birth and in the first two years of life. Role: PI
     
  • NIH R01 HD110585-01S1 | PI: Borengasser
    09/07/2023 – 01/31/2024
    “Preconception Maternal Nutrition, Offspring DNA Methylation, and Infant Growth in Low Resource Settings” The purpose of this R01 supplement is test if maternal heat stress impacts infant growth and if maternal nutritional status can mitigate such effects. We will also assess if maternal heat stress alters offspring epigenome at birth and beyond as an extension to the parent R01.
    Role: PI
     
  • NIH R56 DK136601 | PI: Creasy
    09/01/23 – 08/31/2024
    “Examining Time and Nutrient Dependent Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Energy Metabolism in Adults with Overweight and Obesity” The goal of this R56 is to examine differences in energy metabolism, targeted and untargeted metabolomics, and metabolic outcomes due to exercising in the morning or evening in the same individuals using a crossover study design. 
    Role: Co-I

Select Publications:

  • Siebert JC, Stanislawski MA, Zaman A, Ostendorf DM, Konigsberg IR, Jambal P, Ir D, Bing K, Wayland L, Scorsone JJ, Lozupone CA, Görg C, Frank DN, Bessesen DH, MacLean PS, Melanson EL, Catenacci VA*, and Borengasser SJ*.  Multiomic predictors of short-term weight loss and clinical outcomes during a behavioral-based weight loss intervention.  Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021 May;29(5):859-869. doi: 10.1002/oby.23127. Epub 2021 Apr 3. PMID: 33811477.  *Authors contributed equally
  • Hill EB, Siebert JC, Yazza DN, Ostendorf DM, Bing K, Wayland L, Scorsone JJ, Bessesen DH, MacLean PS, Melanson EL, Catenacci VA, and Borengasser SJ.   Baseline proteomics and dietary intakes predict short and long term changes in cardiovascular health within a behavioral-based weight loss intervention.  Obesity.  2022 Nov;30(11): 2134-2145.  doi: 10.1002/oby.23574. PMID: 36321274.
  • Shankar K, Ali SA, Ruebel ML, Jessani S, Borengasser SJ, Gilley SP, Jambal P, Yazza D, Weaver N, Kemp JF, Westcott JL, Hendricks AE, Saleem S, Goldenberg RL, Hambidge KM, and Krebs NF.  Maternal nutritional status modifies heat-associated growth restriction in women with chronic malnutrition. PNAS Nexus. 2023 Jan;2(1):1-15.  
  • Hill EB*, Konigsberg IR*, Ir D, Frank DN, Jambal P, Litowski E, Lange E, Lange L, Ostendorf DM, Scorsone JJ, Wayland L, Bing K, MacLean PS, Melanson EL, Bessesen DH, Catenacci VA, Stanislawski MA*, and Borengasser SJ*. The Microbiome, Epigenome, and Diet in Adults with Obesity During Behavioral Weight Loss. *Authors contributed equally. Nutrients 2023, 15(16), 3588
  • Waldrop SW, Niemiec SS, Wood C, Gyllenhammer LE, Jansson T, Friedman JE, Tryggestad JB, Borengasser SJ, Davidson EJ, Yang IV, Kechris K, Dabelea D, and Boyle KE.  Cord Blood DNA Methylation of Immune and Lipid Metabolism Genes is Associated with Maternal Triglycerides and Child Adiposity.  In press at Obesity.