Wendy E. Ward
Professor
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
Brock University
Canada
Biography
Osteoporosis is a silent disease that ultimately results in fragility fractures, and unfortunately is often associated with a dramatic decline in quality of life. My research team focuses on developing prevention rather than treatment strategies to reduce the risk of fragility fracture during aging. Specifically, we study how foods and food components regulate bone health with the long-term goal of developing nutritional strategies that prevent bone loss, preserve bone structure, and ultimately reduce the risk of fragility fractures. (funded by NSERC, CIHR and CFI).
Research Interest
"Current research interests involve humans or experimental models to investigate How early diet – including soy isoflavones, folic acid, vitamin D and protein -favourably programs bone and muscle metabolism The mechanisms by which foods or bioactives – including flavonoids present in tea or dietary estrogens such as flaxseed lignans or soy isoflavones, or specific fatty acids – modulate bone metabolism during aging Gut-Bone Axis: how the gut associated microbial community or the molecules they synthesize modulate bone health (in collaboration with E. Comelli, University of Toronto) How foods or food components promote oral health and healing after periodontal procedures I am actively involved in knowledge translation activities for health professionals and lay audiences on topics related to nutrition and issues relating to oral health and/or women’s health"
Publications
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Miotto P, *Castelli L, Amoye F, LeBlanc PJ, Peters SJ, Roy B, Ward WE. Maternal high fat feeding does not have long-lasting effects on body composition and bone health in female and male rat offspring at young adulthood. Molecules. 18(12):15094-15109, 2013.
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Kaludjerovic J, Ward WE. Adequate but not supplemental folic acid combined with soy isoflavones during early life improves bone health at adulthood in male mice. J Nutr Biochem. 24(10):1691-1696, 2013
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Kaludjerovic J, Ward WE. Bone-specific gene expression patterns and whole bone tissue of female mice are programmed by early life exposure to soy isoflavones and folic acid. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 26(10):1068-1076, 2015.
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Ward WE, *Kaludjerovic J, *Dindsale EC. A mouse model for studying nutritional programming: Effects of early life exposure to soy isoflavones on bone and reproductive health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 13(5):E488, 2016.
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Sacco SM, Saint C, LeBlanc PJ, Ward WE. Maternal consumption of hesperidin and naringin flavonones exerts transient effects to tibia bone structure in female CD-1 offspring. Nutrients. 9(3): E250, 2017.
