Nutrition

This certificate program helps you answer one of the most important questions you can ask yourself: how can I live the longest, healthiest life possible? Courses present in-depth contemporary scientific information on nutrition and disease prevention, while building your awareness of ways to preserve optimal lifetime health. From diet to exercise and weight loss, you’ll go beyond the “fluff” and explore a holistic view of how biochemical pathways work together with physiological systems and behavior to determine your nutritional health and overall wellness. For the best experience in this program it is recommended to take these courses in the order that they appear.

Metabolic health is a global priority, with significant variation across regions influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. In this certificate program, you’ll have the opportunity to explore how modern environments — shaped by cultural, economic, and societal factors — contribute to rising rates of metabolic disorders. Throughout the courses, you will gain insight into the interplay between genetics (nature) and environment (nurture), which is essential for addressing the root causes of poor metabolic health. Whether you’re a health professional or simply interested in enhancing personal wellness, you’ll have the opportunity to examine dietary choices that can help prevent or manage conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, learning about strategies to reduce these risks and exploring approaches to improve overall metabolic function. This program emphasizes an individual-based approach to metabolic health research, offering you the chance to explore metabolic-friendly diets, evaluate the effectiveness of diet versus exercise, and discover effective health management tools to drive lifestyle changes. By the conclusion of the program, you’ll be well equipped with a deeper understanding of how precision nutrition can be used to tailor improvements for personal wellness and on your way to helping yourself and others live a healthier life. The credits earned during this program may be applied toward Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

Learn proven, research-based counseling techniques to improve your effectiveness as a licensed nutrition professional.

Precision nutrition and AI are transforming how we approach health and wellness, offering personalized solutions that consider individual biological and environmental nuances. As the demand for tailored dietary recommendations grows, so does the need for professionals equipped to lead these innovations. By engaging with this five-course Precision Nutrition and AI certificate program, you will deepen your expertise from foundational knowledge to practical application. In this program, you will begin by exploring the fundamentals of precision nutrition, examining how genetic, microbiome, and metabolic factors, along with environmental influences, shape individual dietary responses. You’ll enhance your critical analysis abilities by evaluating cutting-edge research, understanding methodologies, and crafting research questions using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) framework. You will then advance your knowledge as you delve into the practical applications, limitations, and ethical considerations surrounding precision nutrition. By analyzing how personalized nutrition can transform health and wellness, you’ll be well equipped to navigate real-world challenges and opportunities. As you develop essential technical skills in R programming and progress from basic to advanced statistical analysis, data visualization, and modeling, you will be empowered to drive data-driven research endeavors. Finally, you will gain hands-on experience in data analysis through activities simulating the “All of Us” Research Program, one of the largest and most diverse health databases in the U.S. You’ll apply your skills to explore precision medicine across varied populations. After completing this certificate, you’ll be prepared to conduct research, lead initiatives, and innovate in the rapidly evolving field of precision nutrition. Throughout these courses you will explore the All of Us Research Workbench via videos and demos. Personal access to All of Us is determined by the organization with which you are affiliated and will not be provided through Cornell. To get the most out of this program, it is highly recommended that you have prior knowledge or experience in high school-level biology (or equivalent), basic proficiency in R or Python, an introductory understanding of statistics, and familiarity with evaluating scientific studies and basic research methodology. The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

Plants have evolved thousands of potentially useful compounds over millions of years on Earth. As long as humans have been around, we have studied and tried to understand and use these plant products to improve our health. This certificate program is an introduction to medicinal plants and how they can be used to treat illnesses. Throughout the courses, you will examine both the historical and biochemical aspects of integrating plant-based medicine into your own personal health plan. You will examine each of the body’s systems in detail and develop an understanding of what plants might be useful in treating that system, based on knowledge collected from around the world. This certificate is not a replacement for consulting with a physician; it is intended as an exploration of alternatives that you may not have considered or about which you would like to learn more. Familiarity with high school-level chemistry and biology will help you be successful in this program. The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.