Hedley C. Freake

Hedley C. Freake is a Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, with over three decades of academic and research contributions. He has held administrative roles such as Undergraduate Program Coordinator (2002–present), Faculty Director of the Global House Living Learning Community (2012–15), and Chair of multiple university committees. His teaching spans undergraduate courses like NUSC 1167 Food, Culture and Society and graduate courses including NUSC 5100 Concepts of Nutrition and NUSC 6313 Nutrition and Gene Expression (co-taught with Ji-Young Lee).

• Education: B.Sc. (Nutrition, 1976–79), Ph.D. (Physiology, 1979–83), Fellowship in Molecular Endocrinology (1983–86)

Research Interests focus on molecular nutrition, particularly zinc homeostasis and its interaction with thyroid hormones in regulating gene expression. His work explores how zinc status affects cellular responses in normal versus cancerous cells, with applications to metabolic diseases and dietary interventions.

Notable Funding includes USDA-AFRI (2016–19), NSF-STEP (2005–10), and USDA/Hatch grants (2010–13). His scientific awards highlight service excellence and teaching contributions.