Personalized and Precision Nutrition Careers | Plant-Based Food and Nutrition

Under the umbrella of personalized medicine, personalized and precision nutrition are a rapidly emerging approach that is revolutionizing current paradigms of health and nutrition. The application of nutrigenomics (nutritional genomics) and nutrigenetics is quickly becoming a critical tool for designing and prescribing individualized diets based on an individual's metabolic phenotype, patterns of gene expression and epigenetics, and genome and genetic variations. Further, this changing paradigm is applicable across a broad range of health professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, psychologists, nutritionists, and dietitians.

What is Personalized Nutrition and Where is it Heading?

According to the American Nutrition Association: Personalized nutrition is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon a broad range of sciences to advance human health. It considers the unique makeup of individuals and specifically identified sub-groupings of people with similar characteristics, and encompasses a person-centered approach to nutrition science evidence, education, and clinical care” (American Nutrition Association, https://theana.org/certify/CNScandidate/nutritionpros)

The traditional assumption of a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition is shifting in the face of a new paradigm of personalized nutrition – a field that is evolving with the advancement of novel health assessment technologies and research findings.

Accordingly, in January 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will spend $170 million through 2027 to advance research in the study of precision nutrition. Findings from this cutting-edge research will expand our understanding of how diet, the gut microbiome, metabolism, lifestyle, and environmental factors impact human health.

Advanced degrees and training within the field, such as a graduate certificate in Precision Nutrition, or the Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition are excellent tools to either enter the field, or to become more proficient in making personalized nutrition recommendations in one’s current dietetics or other healthcare practice. Our MS in Personalized Nutrition additionally helps students prepare for a career as a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).

Personalized and Precision Nutrition Employment

Nutritionist & Dietician Jobs: A Rapidly Growing Field according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Employment of nutritionists and dietitians is expected to grow by 7% between 2021 and 2031, adding about 5,100 new jobs each year.

Nutritionist & Dietitian Job Rankings by US News & World Report (USNWR)

In 2022, nutritionist and dietitian careers are ranked among best jobs nationwide, 21^st among Best Health Care Jobs and 75^th among Best Jobs Overall.

Personalized & Precision Nutrition Job Title Examples:

Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)
Clinical Dietitian
Consultant/Travel Dietitian
Corporate Wellness Consultant
Eating Disorder Dietitian
Food and Nutrition Management
Food Labeling Specialist
Food Safety Auditor
Food Regulation/Policy Maker
Food Technologist
Personal Health Coach
Health Consultant
Holistic Dietitian
Nutrition Counselor
Nutrition Educator
Nutrition Manager
Nutrition Researcher
Nutrition Therapist
Nutrition Writer
Oncology Dietitian
Pediatric Dietitian
Public Health Nutritionist
Sports Dietitian
Online Nutritional Health Coach
Food Nutrition Teacher
Entry Level Nutritionist
Nutrition Writer
Nutrition Professor
Nutrition Product Development
Nutrition Therapist
Nutrition Consultant
Nutritionist Assistant
Nutrition Scientist

Personalized & Precision Nutrition Employment Sectors:

Clinical settings: hospitals, nursing homes, clinics
Centers for alternative & integrative medicine
Private food business
Public health agency
Spas and wellness centers
Health and exercise facilities
Corporate wellness programs
Natural products and/or supplements industry
State and local governments
Schools and universities

Personalized & Precision Nutrition Employment Roles:

Nutritional consulting (private or group settings)
Research and development on human nutrition (academia or industry)
Nutrition education and promotion
Nutritional advising (e.g., product and menu development)

Personalized & Precision Nutrition Employment Categories:

Nutritional Epidemiology
Nutrition
Nestle Healthcare Nutrition
Food Science Nutrition
School Nutrition
Clinical Nutrition Research
Corporate Nutrition
Nutrition Policy
Nutrition Research
Genomics

Note: Regulation of nutrition practice is state-specific, and certain career paths listed above may require certain licensure/credentials that cannot be earned solely through completion of the MS in Personalized Nutrition and Graduate Certificate in Precision Nutrition programs. This includes the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential, which requires completion of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-accredited program, internship, and have passed the . For individuals interested in obtaining the RDN credential to become a dietitian, please refer to the UConn Department of Nutritional Sciences’ Didactic Program in Dietetics.

Personalized & Precision Nutrition: Careers Steeped in Goal Attainment and Patient Success

Successful Patient Outcomes = Greater Job Satisfaction = Rewarding Career

Being of service to others in improving health is intricately intertwined with a sense of job satisfaction and a rewarding career. By personalizing nutritional recommendations, the likelihood of achieving desired results in improving health and preventing disease grows exponentially. This wave of the future provides new tools for health professionals to better serve their patients: “Applying nutrigenomics to everyday life as the future of nutrition science offers new tools for dietitians to design and prescribe diets for individuals based on their genome and their genetic variations” (Carrie Dennett, MPH, RDN, CD, The Future of Nutrigenomics, https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/1017p30.shtml). For patients, the inclusion of genetic data as part of a personalized approach increases motivation and compliance to making and maintaining recommended dietary changes. As part of a comprehensive nutrition program that assesses individualized health for the whole person, nutrigenomics has the potential to help people overcome health obstacles where other approaches have failed.