Genetics and Nutrition Education Program

Like all areas of medicine, nutrition is informed by genetics as well as diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors. As knowledge of genetic contributions to nutrition and health increases, dietitians and nutritionists have an opportunity to incorporate genetic and genomic data into assessment and care plans for personalized patient management.

Genetics and Nutrition is a free, online resource for dietetic faculty and practitioners that supports the integration of genetics and genomics into clinical practice. Along with the basic genetics content on family history, genetic testing, and other topics, this program discusses evaluating genetics studies, including assessing the clinical utility and validity of genetic changes related to common disease. It includes interactive case studies that allow the learner to practice genetic risk assessment and management in MTHFR, celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis scenarios.

This program was originally developed in 2008 through collaboration between the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics and the American Dietetic Association with support from the National Human Genome Research Institute and Office of Rare Disease Research, and updated in 2013.