Dr. Vatsala Maitin

Vatsala Maitin, Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cellular Nutrition, has been a faculty member at Texas State University since Fall of 2007.  She received her B.S. degree in Microbiology from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, India, an M.S. degree in Food Technology from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India, and a Ph.D. in Food Biotechnology from the University of Reading, U.K.

Classes currently taught include Nutrition Science, Nutrition and Health, Advanced Food Science, and Advanced Food Science Laboratory.

Dr. Maitin's primary research interest lies in investigating the role of dietary fats and the human gut microbiota in modulating the molecular and cellular events underlying the progression of cardiovascular disease and obesity.  Based on her training in biotechnology and cellular lipid metabolism, her research program will focus on studying the interactions between diet, host cell and selected bacterial species in the human gut which can potentially impact molecular targets and pathways related to the above chronic diseases.  She also aims to  translate these findings to develop novel nutritional strategies to combat these diseases.