Nipun Saini

Dr. Nipun Saini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health. His research focuses on maternal-fetal metabolism during pregnancy, particularly how stressors like alcohol, obesity, and diabetes disrupt metabolic adaptations, impairing fetal growth and brain development. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and conducted postdoctoral research at UNC's Nutrition Research Institute.

Education:

• PhD in Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2015)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UNC Nutrition Research Institute (2023)
• MS in Biotechnology, University of Essex, UK (2008)
• BE in Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand Institute, India (2007)

Research Interests:

• Metabolic mechanisms in alcohol-exposed pregnancies
• Role of maternal insulin resistance in fetal outcomes
• Nutritional interventions to mitigate FASD
• Placental and hepatic metabolic pathways

His work bridges nutritional biochemistry and public health, with a focus on improving maternal and fetal health through metabolic insights.

Awards:

• Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence (PARE), UNC Chapel Hill (2022)
• FASDSG Travel Award (2018)
• Outstanding Animal Care Award (2015)

Teaching & Service:

• Teaches courses in Nutrition Research, Human Metabolism, and Honors Thesis Seminars
• Serves on dissertation committees and reviews for journals like Nutrients and FASEB
• Ad-hoc reviewer for Alcohol and Alcoholism

His lab investigates metabolic maladaptations in pregnancy, with ongoing studies on choline and iron supplementation to counteract alcohol's effects. Collaborations include translational research on maternal-fetal metabolic pathways.