Email

mgrusak@bcm.edu

Positions

Professor

Pediatrics-Nutrition
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US

Addresses

CNRC (Office)

Children's Nutrition Research Center
Room: CNRC-11074
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-7044
mgrusak@bcm.edu
https://www.bcm.edu/departments/pediatrics/sections-divisions-centers/childrens-nutrition-research-center

Education

BS from Bates College, 1979

Lewiston, Maine United States

Department of Biology

MS from University Of California, 1982

Davis, California United States

Department of Botany

PhD from University Of California, 1985

Davis, CA United States

Department of Botany

Honors & Awards

Fellow

American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2015

Diversity and Equal Opportunity Award

USDA-ARS Outreach, 2007

Technology Transfer Award

USDA-ARS Southern Plains Area, 2006

Senior Research Scientist of the Year

USDA-ARS Southern Plains Area, 2002

Chairman

10th International Symposium on Iron Nutrition and Interactions in Plants, 2000

USDA Superior Performance Award (1995, 1997, 2006)

USDA Outstanding Performance Award (1994, 1996, 1998-2005, 2007-2013)

USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Associate Award (1992, 1996)

Professional Interests

• Homeostasis of iron and other micronutrient metals in plants
• Mechanisms and regulation of iron and zinc transport to edible sinks
• Mechanisms of long-distance phloem transport, phloem loading, and phloem unloading
• Calcium transport and nutrition of crop plants, as these relate to enhancing nutritional quality
• Biosynthesis of carotenoids and other nutritionally relevant phytochemicals
• Production of plant-derived biomolecules for use in human and animal nutrition studies
• Bioavailability of essential nutrients and phytochemicals in humans
• Impact of climate change processes on crop nutritional quality

Websites

Selected Publications

• Rodriguez-Celma J, Ceballos-Laita L, Grusak MA, Abadía J, López-Millán AF "Plant fluid proteomics: delving into the xylem sap, phloem sap and apoplastic fluid proteomes." Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016 Aug;1864(8):991-1002. Pubmed PMID: 27033031
• Grusak MA "Building the Future of Our Society.." 2016 Mar 2;
• Murgia I, De Gara L, Grusak MA "Biofortification: how can we exploit plant science and biotechnology to reduce micronutrient deficiencies?." Front Plant Sci. 2013 Nov 6;4:429. Pubmed PMID: 24223578
• Grusak MA "Telling our Stories." 2016 Apr 5;CSA News 61(4):17-19.

Memberships

American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Society for Nutritional Sciences

American Society of Agronomy

Bean Improvement Cooperative

Botanical Society of America

Crop Science Society of America

Texas Academy of Science

North American Pulse Improvement Association