Leigh Greathouse, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences

Didactic Program Director for Pre-Dietetics

Nutrition Sciences

Laboratory Website is www.laboratoryofhumanhealthandbehavior.com

Also, please visit the website for the book I am writing on science and faith @ attheprecipice.org

Education:

2011-2014

Postdoctoral Cancer Prevention Fellowship, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD

2011

Masters of Public Health (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD

2010

Ph.D. Molecular Carcinogenesis, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, TX

2001

M.S., Exercise and Sports Nutrition, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX

1997

B.S., Nutrition and Food Science Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Background:

Dr. Leigh Greathouse is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition Sciences at Baylor University. Before coming to Baylor, Dr. Greathouse received her masters degree in exercise and sports nutrition from Texas Woman’s University. She went on to obtain a Ph.D. In molecular carcinogenesis at University of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she studied the effects of early life exposure to dietary and environmental xenoestrogens on development of reproductive tract disease. Dr. Greathouse continued her research in cancer prevention at the National Cancer Institute, where she completed her masters in public health at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and postdoctoral fellowship in cancer prevention. While at the NCI, her research was focused on the impact of obesity and the microbiome on lung cancer risk. At Baylor, she continues this research where her laboratory focuses on understanding how the relationship between diet, obesity and the microbiome impact risk for colon cancer.

Research:

The focus of my laboratory is on elucidating the relationship between diet, the microbiome and colon cancer etiology. Our goal is to 1) delineate the dietary factors that modify the microbiome and its function, 2) develop microbial multi-omic classifiers that improve stratification of patients for colon cancer treatment, and 3) identify key functional pathways and mechanisms of the microbiota-host communication, including nucleic acid sensing cell receptors that control inflammation. Ultimately, our goal is to discover microbial and metabolic targets for the development of clinical tools to improve the treatment and reduce mortality from colon cancer.

Accomplishments:

Recipient of the National Institutes of Health Merit Award

Consultant for Sevident Inc.

What teaching at Baylor means to me.

Three events in my life have shaped my passion for teaching in the field of nutrition and cancer prevention, my strong belief in the power of 'living a healthy lifestyle as the norm' for prevention of disease, my battle with cancer and my faith. Baylor University gives me the opportunity to integrate all these experiences to not only deliver knowledge but also faith-based perspective that challenges students to examine their understanding of the intersection of science and faith.

Publications:

Peer-reviewed Publications:

L. Greathouse, J. White, V. Bliskovsky, A. Vargas, E. Polley, E. Bowman, M. Khan, A. Robles, B. Ryan, A. Dzutsev, G. Trinchieri, M. Pineda, S. Bilke, P. Meltzer, C. Deming, S. Conlan, J. Oh, J.A. Segre, C.C. Harris. Microbiome-TP53 Gene Interaction in Human Lung Cancer. (submitted).

N. Daquigan, A. M. Seekatz, K. L. Greathouse, V. B. Young, J. R. White. “High-resolution profiling of the gut microbiome reveals the extent of Clostridium difficile burden.” (submitted)

K. Leigh Greathouse, M. Faucher, M. Hastings-Tolsma. The Gut Microbiome, Obesity, and Weight Control in Women’s Reproductive Health. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 2017 Aug; 39(8):1094-1119.

Bríd M Ryan, PhD, Jin Jen, MD, Ana I Robles, PhD, Cain McClary, MD, Kara Calhouna, BS, Elise D Bowmana, M.Sc., Kirsi Vähäkangas, MD, K. Leigh Greathouse, PhD, Wang, Yie, MD, Susan Olivo Marston, PhD, Angela S. Wenzlaff, MPH, Bo Dengb, MD, Ping Yang, MD, Ann G. Schwartz, PhD, Curtis C Harris, MD. A DRD1 Polymorphism Predisposes to Lung Cancer among those Exposed to Secondhand smoke during Childhood. Cancer Prevention Research. 2014 Oct 3.

K. Leigh Greathouse, Jamie Chriqui, Richard P. Moser, Tanya Agurs-Collins, Frank M. Perna. The Association of Soda Sales Tax and School-Nutrition Law: A Concordance of Policies. Public Health Nutrition. 2013 Nov 14:1-6.

Greathouse KL, Bredfeldt T, Everitt JI, Lin K, Berry T, Kannan K, Mittelstadt ML, Ho SM, Walker CL. Environmental Estrogens Differentially Engage the Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 to Increase Risk of Uterine Tumorigenesis. Mol Cancer Res. 2012 Apr;10(4):546-57. Appeared as a Highlight in this issue.

Bredfeldt, T.G, Greathouse, K.L., Berry, T.D., Hensley, S., Safe, S.H., Hung, M.C., Bedford, M.T., Walker, C.L. Non-Genomic estrogen receptor signaling modulates EZH2. Molecular Endocrinology 2010 24, 5:993-1006.

K.L. Greathouse, K.L., J.D. Cook, K. Lin, B.J. Davis, T. Berry, T. Bredfeldt, C.L.Walker. Identification of uterine leiomyoma genes developmentally reprogrammed by neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol. Reproductive Sciences. 2008 Oct; 15(8): 765-778.

K.L. Greathouse, M. Samuels, N.M. DiMarco, D.S. Criswell. Effects of increased dietary fat and exercise on skeletal muscle lipid peroxidation and antioxidant capacity in male rats. European Journal of Nutrition. 2005 44, 7: 429-435

Publications (Previews):

K.L. Greathouse, C.C. Harris, S. Bultman. Dysfunctional families: Clostridium scindens and secondary bile acids inhibit the growth of Clostridium difficile. Cell Metabolism. 2015

Publications (Book Chapter):

K.L. Greathouse and C.L. Walker. Molecular Mechanisms of Endocrine Disruptors. In: Environmental Impacts on Reproductive Health and Fertility. Cambridge Press. 2009