Christopher Blesso, PhD

Interim Department Head, Nutritional Sciences

Christopher N. Blesso, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, where he is serving as Interim Department Head. He earned his Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from UConn in 2012, following an M.S. and B.S. in Nutrition/Nutritional Sciences from Boston University, and completed postdoctoral training in the Lipid Sciences Section of the Department of Pathology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Since joining the UConn faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2013, he has also served as Graduate Program Director for Nutritional Sciences from 2019 to 2024 and has taken on numerous departmental and university leadership roles, including chairing multiple Promotion, Tenure, and Reappointment committees and faculty search committees.

Dr. Blesso’s research program bridges molecular nutrition and clinical investigation, focusing on how bioactive lipids and dietary factors influence cardiometabolic and liver disease. His laboratory has made notable contributions to understanding how dietary and gut microbiome-derived lipids shape gut health and protect against atherosclerosis, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation, drawing on animal models, tissue culture, and human clinical trials. His work extends to sustainability, exploring how underutilized dairy and egg processing byproducts can be developed into valuable bioactive lipid sources for human health.

His research has been continuously funded by USDA NIFA, USDA-affiliated commodity boards, and industry partners, and he has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications along with numerous invited reviews and editorials. Dr. Blesso’s scholarly impact has been widely recognized both nationally and internationally. He has consistently ranked among the world’s most highly cited researchers. Beyond his research publications, he serves as an active grant reviewer for federal, industry, and international funding agencies, and holds editorial positions for several prominent nutrition and cardiovascular journals.

In addition to his scholarly achievements, Dr. Blesso has a strong record of mentorship and teaching, recognized with the UCAHNRA Teaching Award in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources in 2022 and the Dr. Lynne Goodstein and Dr. Peter Langer Award for Honors Advising in 2017.