Catherine Field, Professor of Nutrition

Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science
University of Alberta

Catherine Field holds a Tier 1 CRC in Human Nutrition and Metabolism in the Department of Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. Her research program centers on the effect of nutrition on the immune system. Current research includes establishing the role of polyunsaturated fats on immune development, the use of fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and identifying the association between nutritional status and maternal mental health and infant neuro-physical development. She has published more than 275 peer-reviewed publications and trained over 100 students in research. Dr. Field is a fellow of the Canadian Council for Health Research. She received the McCalla and Killam Professorships from the University of Alberta, the Earl Willard McHenry Award for Leadership in Nutrition from the Canadian Nutrition Society and the Mary Mitchell Award for service to the Dietetic Profession in Alberta. She has given more than 205 invited Keynote talks and authored 400 abstract that have been presented around the world. Dr. Field is a Past-President of the American Society for Nutrition and Vice Chair of the CIHR advisory board for the Institute for Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. She is currently an Associate Editor for Advances in Nutrition.

The Science and Implementation of Time-restricted Eating as a Novel Tool for Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

Session Description: Time-restricted eating is a type of intermittent fasting where calorie intake is restricted to a selected window of time during the day, commonly 8 hours in length. This dietary strategy has received substantial media attention in recent years and is therefore a hot topic in clinical and research settings. This session will review the scientific literature regarding the cardiovascular and metabolic health effects and underpinning mechanisms for time-restricted eating, highlighting the potential role as an adjunct therapy for cardiovascular disease and cancer populations. Additionally, the safety profile and feasibility for implementation of this intervention in practice will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

·Describe three potential mechanisms for general health benefits of time-restricted eating

·Evaluate the quality of the available observational and experimental data for potential health benefits of time-restricted eating and knowledge gaps

·Understand the potential safety concerns associated with time-restricted eating including hypoglycemia, muscle loss, and changes in diet quality

·Describe potential benefits and underlying mechanisms for the role of time-restricted eating in primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer

·Describe key features of a delivery model for time-restricted eating that is likely to result in high adherence and sustainability