(HealthNewsDigest.com) – As Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Biocolloids and Surfaces, Nathalie has focused her research on how cranberries affect infectious bacteria, particularly in the case of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Her team was the first to reveal the multi-pronged action of cranberry on infectious bacteria and their host cells.
Their research showed that cranberry reduces the frequency of bacterial infections in the urinary tract by altering the virulence and action of the infection-inducing culprits. Dr. Tufenkji and her team have helped identify what could be the key mechanism behind the power of cranberries in preventing UTIs.
Dr. Tufenkji and her team have since expanded their research, understanding the potential for this discovery to reduce the risk of other ailments, such as gastroenteritis and chronic wound infections. They have also begun to tackle the issue of infections contracted in the hospital; the contamination of medical devices, including urinary catheters, is a significant public health problem. Based on their research, Tufenkji’s team developed a cranberry-modified silicone that impairs bacterial spreading, offering the potential to develop implantable medical devices (such as urinary catheters) that are less prone to contamination.
Dr. Tufenkj earned her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Yale University, where she worked on particle and pathogen transport in groundwater environments. She received the American Water Works Association Academic Achievement Award for best doctoral dissertation in the field (2006), a Fulbright Scholar Award for tenure at Harvard University (2012), and very recently, she was awarded the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in Science and Technology (2014).
Dr. Tufenkji enjoys cranberries in her homemade muffins and as a healthy snack mixed with nuts.
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