Professional Biography
Charlene Van Buiten is a food chemist at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on the biochemical functionality of plant-based foods in treating chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and how processing techniques can be used to enhance their health benefits. Dr. Van Buiten employs an interdisciplinary approach to addressing research questions, utilizing techniques from biophysical chemistry and molecular biology to characterize physicochemical interactions between food components and address the biological impacts of these interactions. The ultimate outcomes of her research translate to the use of food processing techniques to increase the healthfulness of plant-based food products and will lead to the application of these products towards the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases of the gut.
Before joining the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at CSU in 2019, Dr. Van Buiten spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University in Dr. Ilya Raskin’s Plant Biology lab. In this position funded by the National Institute of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Dr. Van Buiten studied pre-absorptive benefits of poorly bioavailable dietary compounds and elucidated their function in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Dr. Van Buiten earned her PhD in Food Science at Pennsylvania State University under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan Elias. During her time at Penn State, she began her ongoing project elucidating mechanisms by which polyphenols confer protection to the GI tract within the context of celiac disease. She was awarded a fellowship by the United States Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture to pursue this research project. Penn State is also where Dr. Van Buiten developed a passion for teaching, taking on classroom leadership roles for courses focused on the processing of plant-based foods and effective scientific communication. In 2016, she was awarded the Harold F. Martin Graduate Teaching Award for her efforts with these courses and dedication to the university’s Upward Bound Math & Science program.
Before joining the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at CSU in 2019, Dr. Van Buiten spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University in Dr. Ilya Raskin’s Plant Biology lab. In this position funded by the National Institute of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Dr. Van Buiten studied pre-absorptive benefits of poorly bioavailable dietary compounds and elucidated their function in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Dr. Van Buiten earned her PhD in Food Science at Pennsylvania State University under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan Elias. During her time at Penn State, she began her ongoing project elucidating mechanisms by which polyphenols confer protection to the GI tract within the context of celiac disease. She was awarded a fellowship by the United States Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture to pursue this research project. Penn State is also where Dr. Van Buiten developed a passion for teaching, taking on classroom leadership roles for courses focused on the processing of plant-based foods and effective scientific communication. In 2016, she was awarded the Harold F. Martin Graduate Teaching Award for her efforts with these courses and dedication to the university’s Upward Bound Math & Science program.
