University of Nevada, Reno is excited to welcome David St-Jules to the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. He is a registered dietitian and nutritionist, and his research focuses on renal disease, which is the final and most severe stage of chronic kidney disease.

St-Jules' decision to focus on this disease came from his interest in obesity-related chronic diseases, which are currently major concerns of the population. Renal disease is understudied and has not received as much attention from the medical community as diseases such as diabetes, even though 15 percent of U.S. adults are diagnosed with it.

"I'm excited to be transferring to the University since it has an established dietetics program with a good reputation that I know will support my research," said St-Jules. "The school has a great environment, and I'm excited to get to know the faculty and staff there."

St-Jules completed two postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard School of Public Health and the New York University School of Medicine for Nutrition. He now plans to continue his research into renal disease and build the evidence base for treatment.

Immediate plans include studying the role of registered dietitians in medical nutrition therapy and the use of technology in the treatment of pre-dialysis patients. He also aims to perform basic research on plant-based diets and their effectiveness in treating individuals with chronic kidney diseases. St-Jules looks forward to using his experience as a nutritionist to mentor graduate students who are interested in nutrition research.

"We're excited to be bringing a national leader in renal disease to this institution," said Jamie Benedict, chair of the College's Department of Nutrition. "Dr. St-Jules is going to complement the strengths of our current faculty and help to enhance the research, teaching and outreach efforts of the Department of Nutrition."