Sharon M. Donovan

Melissa N. Noel Endowed Professor in Nutrition and Health
Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics, College of Medicine; Director, Division of Nutritional Sciences

Research Interests

Pediatric nutrition with an emphasis on optimizing intestinal function in healthy and compromised neonates.

The early neonatal period is a critical phase of development during which time nutrition can exert both short and long-term effects. Human milk is the optimal form of nutrition for the human infant; however, most babies in the U.S. are not breastfed or only receive breast milk for a short period of time. Formulas provide adequate nutrition, but differ in nutrient composition from breast milk and do not contain the bioactive components (e.g. hormones and growth factors) that are present in breast milk. How these various components influence development and their long-term consequences is largely unknown. Therefore, our research program is directed at understanding the regulation of neonatal development by components present in human milk and infant formula. A primary focus in the laboratory is on neonatal intestinal development and the development of clinically-efficacious therapies (including optimized formulas) to enhance gut function of neonates. We utilize a variety of porcine models of human disease, including parenteral nutrition, rotavirus diarrhea, and inflammation (including necrotizing enterocolitis). A recent focus in the laboratory is on the impact of soy formula components, including isoflavones, on neonatal intestinal development.

Selected Publications
Andres, A., S.M. Donovan, T.B. Kuhlenschmidt, and M.S. Kuhlenschmidt. (2007) Isoflavones at concentrations present in soy infant formula inhibit rotavirus infection in vitro. J. Nutr. 137:2068-2073.

Donovan, S.M. (2006) Role of human milk components in gastrointestinal development: Current knowledge and future needs. J. Pediatr. 149(suppl 3):49-61.

Chen, A.-C., M.A. Berhow , K.A. Tappenden, and S.M. Donovan. (2005) Genistein inhibits intestinal cell proliferation in piglets. Ped. Res. 57:192-200.

Hartke, J.L., M.H. Monaco, M.B. Wheeler, and S.M. Donovan. (2005) Effect of a short-term fast on intestinal disaccharidase activity and villus morphology of piglets suckling insulin-like growth factor-I transgenic sows. J. Anim. Sci. 83:2404-2413.

Chen, A.-C. and S.M. Donovan. (2004) Genistein at a concentration present in soy infant formula inhibits Caco2BBe cell proliferation by causing G2/M cell cycle arrest. J. Nutr. 134:1301-1308.

Conour, J.E., D. Ganessunker, K.A. Tappenden, S.M. Donovan, and H.R. Gaskins. (2002) Acidomucin goblet cell expansion induced by parenteral nutrition in the small intestine of piglets. Am. J. Physiol. (GI and Liver Physiology) 285:G1185-1196.

Deplancke, B., O. Vidal, D. Ganessunker, S.M. Donovan, R.I. Mackie, and H.R. Gaskins. (2002) Selective growth of mucolytic bacteria including Clostridium perfringens in a neonatal piglet model of total parenteral nutrition. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 76:1117-1125.

Teaching

Courses recently taught:

NUTR 421 - Pediatric Clinical Nutrition

NUTR 520 - Advanced Clinical Nutrition

NUTR 590, 591 - Dietetic Internship

Latest Degree

Ph.D. University of California-Davis-1988

Awards

2006 Senior Award for Excellence in Research (College of ACES); 2006 Norman A. Kretchmer Award (American Society for Nutrition); 2003 Jonas Salk Health Leadership Award, Central Illinois Division of the March of Dimes; 2003 Melissa N. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health; 1998-2001 University Scholar (UIUC); 1997 Award for Excellence in Research (College of ACES) and Mead Johnson Award (American Society for Nutritional Sciences); 1995 Young Investigator Award; 1992 International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Future Leader Award

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Donovan received her B.S. and Ph.D. in Nutrition at the University of California at Davis in 1983 and 1988, respectively. After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, she joined the faculty at UIUC in February 1991 as an Assistant Professor of Nutrition. She was promoted to Associate Professor with indefinite tenure and to Full Professor in August 1997 and August 2001, respectively. She has served as Director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences since 1999. Dr. Donovan teaches both basic and advanced nutrition classes to undergraduate and graduate students and has been included on the "Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students" thirteen times in the past ten years for five different courses. Dr. Donovan has over 85 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Department of Agriculture, and the food and pharmaceutical industry. Her research efforts have been recognized by both national and international organizations with several awards, and her graduate students have been the recipients of prestigious fellowships, scholarships and awards for their research accomplishments.