Dong Lab
Zhen Dong, DrPH
Affiliated Assistant Scientist
Dr. Dong received her degree of Doctor of Public Health from the Penn State College of Medicine. Her doctoral research focused on nutritional epidemiology. In 2017, she began working with OFAS as an intern and joined as a Scientist in July 2019. She brings experience in designing and conducting both retrospective and prospective observational studies, spanning ecological, cross-sectional, case-control, and multi-center cohort studies, in various chronic disease areas. In addition to her work at OFAS, she is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at Penn State. Dr. Dong’s recent work has focused on exploring the associations between consumption of sulfur amino acids and human chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer.
Dr. Dong’s research addresses three different diseases known to be affected by SAAR in animal models: diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. She will assess over time the reported intake of SAA versus diabetes morbidity rates, and any changes in relevant biomarkers; reported intake of SAA versus heart disease mortality and morbidity rates and changes in relevant biomarkers; and reported intake of SAA with cancer mortality and morbidity rates and changes in relevant biomarkers.
Dr.P.H. Penn State College of Medicine
- Dietary Methionine and Total Sulfur Amino Acid Restriction in Healthy Adults
Richie Jr JP, Sinha R, Dong Z, Nichenametla SN, Ables GP, Ciccarella A, Sinha I, Calcagnotto AM, Chinchilli VM, Reinhart L, Orentreich D
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2023; 27(2): 111-123| PubMed ID: 36806866Cumulative consumption of sulfur amino acids and risk of diabetes: a prospective cohort study
Dong Z, Richie JP, Gao X, Al-Shaar L, Nichenametla SN, Shen B, Orentreich D
Journal of Nutrition 2022; 152(11): 2419| PubMed ID: 35945644Association of dietary sulfur amino acid intake with mortality from diabetes and other causes
Dong Z, Gao X, Chinchilli VM, Sinha R, Muscat J, Winkels R, Richie JP
European Journal of Nutrition 2021; : | PubMed ID: 34327571Association of sulfur amino acid consumption with cardiometabolic risk factors: Cross-sectional findings from NHANES III
Dong Z, Gao X, Chinchilli VM, Sinha R, Muscat J, Winkels RM, Richie JP
EClinical Medicine 2020; 19: 100248| PubMed ID: 32140669Disease prevention and delayed aging by dietary sulfur amino acid restriction: translational implications
Dong Z, Sinha R, Richie JR
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2018; 1418: 44-55| PubMed ID: 29399808
Dr. Dong will present at the webinar, “Sulfur Amino Acid Restriction – Moving from Animals to Humans”, for Aging Science Talks on October 20-21, 2021. The complete program, including information on attending the Zoom sessions, is available here.