Timothy A. Garrow

Professor of Nutrition

Research Interests

Folate, vitamin B12, and one-carbon metabolism; homocysteine and methionine metabolism and relationship to cardiovascular disease risk; nutrient and hormonal regulation of gene expression; chemistry of methyltransferases.

Dr. Garrow's research focuses on how nutrient and hereditary factors interact to increase cardiovascular disease risk. His specific focus is on how these factors influence blood homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is derived from the essential amino acid methionine and high blood levels of homocysteine are known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Ongoing research includes how diet influences liver metabolism which, in turn, affects blood homocysteine levels. Dr. Garrow's research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

Selected Publications
Ratnam S., Wijekoon E.P., Hall B., Garrow T.A., Brosnan M.E., Brosnan J.T. Effects of diabetes and insulin on betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase expression in rat liver. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006; 290 (5): E933-9.

Collinsova M., Strakova J., Jiracek J., Garrow T.A. Inhibition of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase causes hyperhomocysteinemia in mice. J. Nutr. 2006; 136(6): 1493-7.

Jiracek J., Collinsova M., Rosenberg I., Budesinsky M., Protivinska E., Netusilova H., Garrow T.A. S-alkylated homocysteine derivatives: new inhibitors of human betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase. J. Med. Chem. 2006; 49(13): 3982-9.

Szegedi SS, Castro CC, Koutmos M, Garrow TA.  Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase-2 is an S-methylmethionine-homocysteine methyltransferase.J Biol Chem. 2008, 283; 8939-45.

View Garrow Publication List [PDF]

Teaching

Courses recently taught:

FSHN 426 - Biochemical Nutrition 

FSHN 510 - Folates ,Vitamin B-12 and 1-C metabolism

FSHN 511 - Regulation of Metabolism

 

Latest Degree

Ph.D. University of California-Berkeley (1992)

Awards

Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA) from NIH (2006); NACTA Teacher Fellow Award (2005); Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois (2001); Faculty Award for Excellence in Research from College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois (2000); Mead Johnson Award from American Society for Nutritional Sciences (2000); FIRST Award, National Institutes of Health (1997); Faculty Award, Nutritional Sciences Graduate Student Association, University of Illinois (1998 and 1996); Future Leader Award, International Life Sciences Institute (1995)

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Tim Garrow received a B.S. in Nutrition Science (1986) and a M.S. in Nutrition (1988) from the University of California at Davis. Following his formal training in nutrition, he continued his education at the University of California at Berkeley where he received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (1992). Dr. Garrow also obtained postdoctoral training on the Berkeley campus. In January of 1994 Dr. Garrow joined the University of Illinois faculty. Dr. Garrow contributes to the teaching mission of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Division of Nutritional Sciences, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.