Lori Bechard
Associate Professor
Â鶹¹ÙÍø Faculty Since 2023
Lori J. Bechard, PhD, MEd, RDN, FASPEN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and educator in the College of Health & Wellness. She has wide-ranging expertise in clinical nutrition research and specialized pediatric clinical practice. She led the Pediatric International Nutrition Study (PINS), an international cohort study of mechanically ventilated critically ill children, and has authored many publications on nutrition assessment, management, and outcomes of acutely and chronically ill children. A fellow of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, she is also an active member of the American Society of Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, currently serving as an Advisor to the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group.
Education
- Ph.D., Health Sciences, Rutgers University School of Health Professions
- M.Ed., Nutrition Education, Framingham State University
- B.S., Dietetics, University of Vermont
Teaching Interests
Pediatric Nutrition
Nutrition Research
Clinical Investigation
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Scholarly Interests
Nutrition interventions to improve outcomes in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Knowledge translation in clinical nutrition practice
Assessment of nutritional status and outcomes
Epidemiology and assessment of functional status in hospitalized children
Courses
- NUTR6100: Advanced Clinical Nutrition
- NUTR6900: Nutrition Capstone
Professional Affiliations
American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN)
American Society of Nutrition
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group
Publications
- O'Hara JE, Buchmiller TL, Bechard LJ, Akhondi-Asl A, Visner G, Sheils C, Becker R, Studley M, Lemire L, Mullen MP, Vitali S, Mehta NM, Dickie B, Zalieckas JM, Albert BD. Long-Term Functional Outcomes at 1-Year After Hospital Discharge in Critically Ill Neonates With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2023 Aug 1;24(8):e372-e381. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000003249. Epub 2023 Apr 26. PMID: 37098788.
- Bechard LJ, Earthman CP, Farr B, Ariagno KA, Hoffmann RM, Pham IV, Mehta NM. Feasibility of bioimpedance spectroscopy and long-term functional assessment in critically ill children. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2022 Feb;47:405-409. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.12.009. Epub 2021 Dec 13. PMID: 35063234.
- Bechard LJ, Staffa SJ, Zurakowski D, Mehta NM. Time to achieve delivery of nutrition targets is associated with clinical outcomes in critically ill children. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Nov 8;114(5):1859-1867. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab244. PMID: 34320161.
- Mills KI, Albert BD, Bechard LJ, Duggan CP, Kaza A, Rakoff-Nahoum S, Vlamakis H, Sleeper LA, Newburger JW, Priebe GP, Mehta NM. Stress ulcer prophylaxis versus placebo-a blinded randomized control trial to evaluate the safety of two strategies in critically ill infants with congenital heart disease (SUPPRESS- CHD). Trials. 2020 Jun 29;21(1):590. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04513-w. PMID: 32600393; PMCID: PMC7322718.
- Bechard LJ, Duggan C, Touger-Decker R, Parrott JS, Rothpletz-Puglia P, Byham- Gray L, Heyland D, Mehta NM. Nutritional Status Based on Body Mass Index Is Associated With Morbidity and Mortality in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Children in the PICU. Crit Care Med. 2016 Aug;44(8):1530-7. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000001713. PMID: 26985636; PMCID: PMC4949117.
- Bechard LJ, Parrott JS, Mehta NM. Systematic review of the influence of energy and protein intake on protein balance in critically ill children. J Pediatr. 2012 Aug;161(2):333-9.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.01.046. Epub 2012 Mar 7. PMID: 22402566.