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Diane F. Birt

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Diane F. Birt
Born (1949-10-12) October 12, 1949 (age 75)
Petaluma, California, US
Spouse
Kenneth Allen Birt
​
(m. 1973)​
Academic background
EducationBA, 1971, Whittier College
PhD, 1975, Purdue University
Academic work
InstitutionsIowa State University

Diane Feikert Birt (October 12, 1949) is an American nutritionist. Following her retirement in January 2015, Birt was named a fellow of the American Society for Nutrition and National Academy of Medicine.

Early life and education

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Birt was born on October 12, 1949, in Petaluma, California, to parents Dorothy Beatrice Cunningham and Joseph Ernst Feickert.[1] She attended El Molino High School where she received a scholarship to attend Whittier College for her Bachelor's degree.[2][3] Upon graduating, she married engineer Kenneth Allen Birt in 1973.[4] She subsequently earned a Ph.D. in nutrition from Purdue University in 1975.[1] In 2005, Birt was an inaugural inductee into the Purdue University Foods and Nutrition Department's Hall of Fame.[5]

Career

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Following her PhD, Birt became an assistant professor in human nutrition at Iowa State University (ISU) before accepting a similar position at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer to accommodate her husband's career transition.[1] She eventually returned to ISU to serve as chairwoman of the food science and human nutrition department and was given the rank of Distinguished Professor.[6] From 1997 until 2002, she direct their Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition before being replaced by Paul Flakoll.[7] Following his death in 2006, she was appointed its interim director[7] and named to the Food and Nutrition Board.[8]

Birt's research at ISU focused on the prevention of colon cancer through ingestion of resistant starches. She also investigated the bioactive and toxic agents in the plant genera Echinacea, Hypericum, and Prunella. Through her research studies, Birt demonstrated that the plant chemical apigenin protects people from ultraviolet light, thereby lowering the risk of contracting skin cancers.[1] Following her retirement in January 2015, Birt was named a fellow of the American Society for Nutrition[9] and National Academy of Medicine.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Cumo, Christopher (July 30, 2021). "Birt, Diane Feickert". Iowa State University Biographical Dictionary. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "Diane Feikert". The Press Democrat. June 4, 1967. Retrieved September 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Awards given to graduates". Sonoma West Times and News. June 15, 1967. Retrieved September 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Couple wed in Monte Rio". Petaluma Argus-Courier. June 26, 1973. Retrieved September 21, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Hall of Fame, 2005 Inductees". Purdue University. 2005. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Lewellen, Kate (April 29, 2004). "Three ISU professors earn 'distinguished' title from university". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Interim director takes over nutrition center". Iowa State Daily. January 27, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  8. ^ "Iowa State professor appointed to Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board". Iowa State University. August 18, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Brown, Meg (February 17, 2015). "Iowa State professor receives national honor in cancer prevention". Iowa State University. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  10. ^ "Iowa State University Distinguished Professor named to National Academy of Medicine". Iowa State University. October 19, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
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Diane F. Birt publications indexed by Google Scholar

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