Bibiana García-Bailo
PhD
Other Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, Arizona, USA (2021 - present)
Director of Research and Development, Nutrigenomix Inc. (2017 - present)
At a Glance
- Dr. García-Bailo is Director of Research and Development at Nutrigenomix Inc. and Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences.
- She is a distinguished researcher and educator, focusing on the relationship between genetic variation and diet, health and lifestyle.
About Dr. García-Bailo
Dr. García-Bailo is an Associate Professor in the School of Nutrition at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences in Tempe, Arizona, where she teaches graduate courses in nutrigenomics and personalized nutrition, evidence-based research in practice, medical genetics, and biochemistry. Dr. García-Bailo serves as Director of Research and Development for Nutrigenomix Inc., the first company to develop a genetic test kit for personalized nutrition offered exclusively through healthcare providers. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, where she co-supervises nutrition research students. Dr. García-Bailo completed her PhD in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and was subsequently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, General Mills (jointly with the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto). Dr. García-Bailo has received several awards for her research work, including the 2014 Canadian Nutrition Society PhD Dissertation Research Award and the 2012 American Society for Nutrition Nutritional Sciences Council Research Award.
Research Synopsis
Dr. García-Bailo’s current research expertise centres on nutritional genomics and genetic testing for personalized nutrition. Her PhD dissertation focused on vitamin D, lifestyle, genetic variation, and cardiometabolic disease risk in an ethnically diverse population of young adults. Dr. García-Bailo's work at the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition at General Mills involved carrying out research to inform development, nutrient content claims, and health messaging for different food products. Dr. García- Bailo has published over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, and she has delivered numerous presentations to academic, health professional and government audiences worldwide.
Recent Awards and Distinctions (Selected)
PhD Dissertation Research Award, Canadian Nutrition Society (2014)
Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014)
National and International Committee Memberships (Current)
Exam Developer, Personalized Nutrition Practitioner Examination Development Council, American Nutrition Association (2021 - present)
Exam Developer, Certified Nutritional Genomics Specialist Examination Development Council, American Nutrition Association (2021 - present)
Subject Matter Expert/Course Developer, American Nutrition Association (2020 - present)
Recent Publications
- Kerzner S, Zeitoun T, Jarosz A, Garcia-Bailo B, El-Sohemy A. Plasma Carotenoids and Premenstrual Symptoms in a Multi-Ethnic Population of Young Women. Nutrients. 2021 Oct 29;13(11):3870. doi: 10.3390/nu13113870. PMID: 34836125; PMCID: PMC8618911.
- Jarosz AC, Noori D, Zeitoun T, Garcia-Bailo B, El-Sohemy A. Variation in the vitamin D receptor gene, plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and risk of premenstrual symptoms. Genes Nutr. 2021 Sep 22;16(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s12263-021-00696-2. Erratum in: Genes Nutr. 2021 Oct 19;16(1):18. PMID: 34551710; PMCID: PMC8459465.
- Wong O, Marshall K, Sicova M, Guest NS, García-Bailo B, El-Sohemy A. CYP1A2 Genotype Modifies the Effects of Caffeine Compared With Placebo on Muscle Strength in Competitive Male Athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021 Jul 20:1-7. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0395. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34284351.
- Garcia-Bailo B, El-Sohemy A. Recent advances and current controversies in genetic testing for personalized nutrition. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2021 Jul 1;24(4):289-295. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000763. PMID: 33883417.
- Vanderhout SM, Rastegar Panah M, Garcia-Bailo B, Grace-Farfaglia P, Samsel K, Dockray J, Jarvi K, El-Sohemy A. Nutrition, genetic variation and male fertility. Transl Androl Urol. 2021 Mar;10(3):1410-1431. doi: 10.21037/tau-20-592. PMID: 33850777; PMCID: PMC8039611.
- Zeitoun T, Dehghan Noudeh N, Garcia-Bailo B, El-Sohemy A. Genetics of Iron Metabolism and Premenstrual Symptoms: A Mendelian Randomization Study. J Nutr. 2021 Jul 1;151(7):1747-1754. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxab048. PMID: 33758941.
- Thakkar D, Sicova M, Guest NS, Garcia-Bailo B, El-Sohemy A. HFE Genotype and Endurance Performance in Competitive Male Athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021 Jul 1;53(7):1385-1390. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002595. PMID: 33433155.
- García-Bailo B, Guest N, El-Sohemy A. The Alleged Health-Protective Effects of Coffee. JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Dec 1;178(12):1724-1725. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.5807. PMID: 30508050.
- Wang J, Jamnik J, García-Bailo B, Nielsen DE, Jenkins DJA, El-Sohemy A. ABO Genotype Does Not Modify the Association between the "Blood-Type" Diet and Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Disease in Overweight Adults. J Nutr. 2018 Apr 1;148(4):518-525. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxx074. PMID: 29659952.
- Jamnik J, García-Bailo B, Borchers CH, El-Sohemy A. Gluten Intake Is Positively Associated with Plasma α2-Macroglobulin in Young Adults. J Nutr. 2015 Jun;145(6):1256-62. doi: 10.3945/jn.115.212829. Epub 2015 Apr 8. PMID: 25855121.
In the News
Nutrigenomix launches new genetic test for plant-based personalized nutrition suitable for vegetarians and vegans. EIN Presswire. April 18, 2019.
Teaching Appointments (within the Department of Nutritional Sciences)
Sessional Lecturer, NFS382 - Vitamin and Mineral Metabolism Throughout the Lifecycle (undergraduate), Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto