Geoffrey Sasaki

Education

PhD, Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio

BS, Food Science & Technology, Oregon State University – Corvallis, Oregon

Biography

Geoffrey Sasaki, PhD is the Director of Craft Brewing and lecturer in the Craft Brewing Program and Department of Biological Sciences. Prior to Central Washington University, Dr. Sasaki served as Quality Manager at Columbus Brewing Company (Columbus, OH). At the brewery, he oversaw and performed daily analytical and microbiological analyses of in-process and finished beers as well as lead daily and weekly sensory panels to evaluate raw materials, in-process/finished beer, and shelf life. While at the brewery, Dr. Sasaki developed a strong interest in teaching and education and began leading staff trainings on beer production, food/fermentation science, and sensory. Additionally, he taught courses and guest lectured at The Ohio State University in nutrition, food science, and microbiology. Along with brewing and fermentation science, Dr. Sasaki developed a passion for polyphenol research in relation to improving cardiometabolic health during his graduate studies. His work primarily focused on the anti-inflammatory benefits of green tea but has also collaborated on research projects involving other functional foods and their associated health benefits.

Research Interests

• Food & Fermentation Science
  • Hop and Yeast Interactions
  • Sensory Evaluation of Foods and Fermented Products
• Phytochemicals and Health
  • Polyphenols and Cardiometabolic Health
  • Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota Interactions
  • Bioavailability of Polyphenols

Publications

• Hodges JK, Sasaki GY, Vodovotz Y, Bruno RS. Gallation and B-ring dihydroxylation increase green tea catechin residence time in plasma by differentially affecting tissue-specific trafficking: Compartmental model of catechin kinetics in healthy adults. Nutrients. 2023; 15(18):4021.
• Sasaki GY, Vodovotz Y, Yu, Z, Bruno RS. Catechin bioavailability following consumption of a green tea extract confection is reduced in obese persons without affecting gut microbial-derived valerolactones. Antioxidants. 2022;11(12);2490.
• Weinhold KR, Andridge RR, Bomser JA, Sasaki GY, Bruno RS, Orchard TS. Sugars measured enzymatically in a fasting overnight urine sample are not sensitive biomarkers of dietary added sugar intake in postmenopausal women. Nutr Health. 2022;0(0).
• Cao S, Shaw EL, Quarles WR, Sasaki GY, Dey P, Hodges JK, Pokala A, Zeng M, Bruno RS. Daily inclusion of potatoes in a Dietary Guidelines for Americans dietary pattern does not adversely affect cardiometabolic risk in adults with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2022;14(8);1545.
• Sasaki GY, Li J, Cichon MJ, Kopec RE, Bruno RS. Catechin-rich green tea extract and the loss-of-TLR4 signaling differentially alter the hepatic metabolome in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2021;65:e2000998.
• Hodges JK, Sasaki GY, Bruno RS. Anti-inflammatory activities of green tea catechins along the gut-liver axis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: lessons learned from preclinical and human studies. J Nutr Biochem. 2020;85:108478.
• Dey P, Olmstead BD, Sasaki GY, Vodovotz Y, Yu Z, Bruno RS. Epigallocatechin gallate but not catechin prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice similar to green tea extract while differentially affecting the gut microbiota. J Nutr Biochem. 2020;84:108455.
• Kuchan MJ, Ranard KM, Dey P, Jeon S, Sasaki GY, Schimpf KJ, et al. Infant Rhesus Macaque Brain alpha-Tocopherol Stereoisomer Profile Is Differentially Impacted by the Source of alpha-Tocopherol in Infant Formula. J Nutr. 2020;150:2305-13.
• Hodges JK, Zhu J, Yu Z, Vodovotz Y, Brock G, Sasaki GY, Dey P, Bruno RS. Intestinal-level anti-inflammatory bioactivities of catechin-rich green tea: Rationale, design, and methods of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in metabolic syndrome and healthy adults. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2020;17:100495.
• Sasaki GY, Li J, Cichon MJ, Riedl KM, Kopec RE, Bruno RS. Green tea extract treatment in obese mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis restores the hepatic metabolome in association with limiting endotoxemia-TLR4-NFkappaB-mediated inflammation. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019;63(24):e1900811.
• Dey P, Kim JB, Chitchumroonchokchai C, Li J, Sasaki GY, Olmstead BD, Stock KL, Thomas-Ahner JM, Clinton SK, Bruno RS. Green tea extract inhibits early oncogenic responses in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Food Funct. 2019;10(10):6351-61.
• Dey P, Sasaki GY, Wei P, Li J, Wang L, Zhu J, McTigue D, Yu Z, Bruno RS. Green tea extract prevents obesity in male mice by alleviating gut dysbiosis in association with improved intestinal barrier function that limits endotoxin translocation and adipose inflammation. J Nutr Biochem. 2019;67:78-89.
• McDonald JD, Mah E, Dey P, Olmstead BD, Sasaki GY, Villamena FA, Bruno RS. Dairy milk, regardless of fat content, protects against postprandial hyperglycemia-mediated impairments in vascular endothelial function in adults with prediabetes by limiting oxidative stress responses that reduce nitric oxide bioavailability. J Nutr Biochem. 2019;63:129-39.
• Luo T, Miranda-Garcia O, Sasaki G, Wang J, Shay NF. Genistein and daidzein decrease food intake and body weight gain in mice, and alter LXR signaling in vivo and in vitro. Food Funct. 2018;9(12):6257-67.
• Li J, Sasaki GY, Dey P, Chitchumroonchokchai C, Labyk AN, McDonald JD, Kim JB, Bruno RS. Green tea extract protects against hepatic NFkappaB activation along the gut-liver axis in diet-induced obese mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by reducing endotoxin and TLR4/MyD88 signaling. J Nutr Biochem. 2017;53:58-65.
• Luo T, Miranda-Garcia O, Sasaki G, Shay NF. Consumption of a single serving of red raspberries per day reduces metabolic syndrome parameters in high-fat fed mice. Food Funct. 2017;8(11):4081-8.
• Luo T, Miranda-Garcia O, Adamson A, Sasaki G, Shay NF. Development of obesity is reduced in high-fat fed mice fed whole raspberries, raspberry juice concentrate, and a combination of the raspberry phytochemicals ellagic acid and raspberry ketone. J Berry Res. 2016;6(2):213-23.

Book Chapters

• Dey P, Sasaki GY, Bruno RS. Health Benefits of Green Tea. In: Wildman RE, Bruno RS, eds. Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Taylor and Francis, 2020.