Amanda MacFarlane

Amanda MacFarlane is an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Biology at Carleton University, affiliated with Health Canada. She holds a B.Sc. from Carleton University and a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism, epigenetic mechanisms, and the impacts of maternal/fetal nutrition on health. She is also involved in public health policy related to food fortification and dietary guidelines.

Education:

• B.Sc., Carleton University
• Ph.D., University of Ottawa

Research Interests: Dr. MacFarlane’s lab investigates folate metabolism in health and disease, including its role in DNA synthesis, methylation, and genome stability. Key areas include:

• Maternal nutrition and its effects on fertility and offspring health
• Epigenetic patterning influenced by folic acid supplementation
• Population-level folate status and determinants in Canada
• Policy implications of dietary fortification and supplementation

Publications: Recent work spans clinical nutrition studies (e.g., folic acid in breast milk), epigenetic effects in assisted reproduction, and epidemiological analyses of neural tube defects in Canada. Her research also addresses public health policy and international standards for dietary reference intakes.

Awards: None explicitly listed.

Advising & Grants: No student advisees or grant details provided in the text. Her research is conducted in collaboration with Health Canada and academic institutions.

Labs/Teams: Research is based at Health Canada’s Sir Frederick Banting Research Centre, focusing on nutritional genomics and public health interventions.