Sherry Tanumihardjo

The Vitamin A Assessment Laboratory is a progressive research and outreach team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.  The laboratories have two main research foci.  These include vitamin A assessment methodology and carotenoid bioavailability.  Often the two overlap when investigating provitamin A carotenoids.  The research group works with a number of animal models (i.e., gerbils, rats, pigs and monkeys) to answer various questions on issues related to vitamin A toxicity and deficiency.  Moreover, the team does not stop there, but they take the research outcomes and apply them to the human model.  In that regard, the team has conducted studies in humans in the United States, Indonesia, South Africa, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.  The lab strongly advocates the promotion of vegetables and fruits to enhance overall health and general well-being.  Current research efforts in this regard are the interaction of anthocyanins in cranberries and purple carrots with carotenoid uptake and clearance.  The team has developed educational materials to enhance the intake of locally grown produce in the state of Wisconsin with special emphasis on cranberries.  Some of these materials have been disseminated to other states.