Overview

My research interests relate to underlying mechanisms of nutrition and disease risk. I am eager to contribute to targeted and population-based prevention strategies of chronic diseases. My research specifically focuses on B-vitamins and their functions in human metabolism. B-vitamins are essential nutrients for normal cell growth and the nervous system and thus have an impact on human health from the embryo to the older adult. Low folate and/or vitamin B-12 status may yield pregnancy complications, low birth weight, and cognitive impairment.

The overarching theme of my research is nutrient adequacy. My current research projects focus on maternal-fetal nutrient dependency, periconceptional vitamin adequacy, and the role of maternal and infant nutrition on growth and development. In the UBC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory that I established, my team has set up a wide array of externally validated analytical methods. One of our goals is to identify sensitive nutritional biomarkers for early diagnosis of micronutrient inadequacies. With the use of stable-isotope-tracer-protocols, we are able to investigate metabolic and functional consequences of nutrient inadequacies and imbalances. The studies help evaluate optimal vitamin intake to maintain biochemical functions. I am specifically interested in the metabolic effects of folic acid and less than optimal vitamin B-12 intake.

Publications

Early Pregnancy Folic Acid Supplement Use and Folate Status in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) Study
Amy Tan and Maria F. Mujica-Coopman and Nicole Letourneau and Deborah Dewey and Gerald Giesbrecht and Catherine Field and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3390/proceedings2023091100
12/2023

Epigenetic effects of folate and related B vitamins on brain health throughout life: Scientific substantiation and translation of the evidence for health improvement strategies
Nutrition Bulletin
Caffrey, A. and Lamers, Y. and Murphy, M.M. and Letourneau, N. and Irwin, R.E. and Pentieva, K. and Ward, M. and Tan, A. and Rojas-G{\'o}mez, A. and Santos-Calder{\'o}n, L.A. and Canals-Sans, J. and Leung, B.M.Y. and Bell, R. and Giesbrecht, G.F. and Dewey, D. and Field, C.J. and Kobor, M. and Walsh, C.P. and McNulty, H.
DOI: 10.1111/nbu.12611
2023

Exploring the parity paradox: Differential effects on neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation by APOEe4 genotype at middle-age
bioRxiv
Lee, B.H. and Cevizci, M. and Lieblich, S.E. and Ibrahim, M. and Wen, Y. and Eid, R.S. and Lamers, Y. and Duarte-Guterman, P. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.12.548731
2023

Cellular and molecular signatures of motherhood in the adult and ageing rat brain
Open Biology
Duarte-Guterman, P. and Richard, J.E. and Lieblich, S.E. and Eid, R.S. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230217
2023

Long-term cellular and molecular signatures of pregnancy in the adult and ageing brain
bioRxiv
Duarte-Guterman, P. and Richard, J.E. and Lieblich, S.E. and Eid, R.S. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.24.529879
2023

Vitamin B-12 Requirements in Older Adults—Increasing Evidence Substantiates the Need To Re-Evaluate Recommended Amounts and Dietary Sources
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac179
11/2022

Vitamin B-6 and riboflavin, their metabolic interaction, and relationship with MTHFR genotype in adults aged 18–102 years
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Jarrett, H. and McNulty, H. and Hughes, C.F. and Pentieva, K. and Strain, J.J. and McCann, A. and McAnena, L. and Cunningham, C. and Molloy, A.M. and Flynn, A. and Hopkins, S.M. and Horigan, G. and O'Connor, C. and Walton, J. and McNulty, B.A. and Gibney, M.J. and Lamers, Y. and Ward, M.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac240
2022

Folic acid intervention during pregnancy alters DNA methylation, affecting neural target genes through two distinct mechanisms
Clinical Epigenetics
Ondi?ov{\'a}, M. and Irwin, R.E. and Thursby, S.-J. and Hilman, L. and Caffrey, A. and Cassidy, T. and McLaughlin, M. and Lees-Murdock, D.J. and Ward, M. and Murphy, M. and Lamers, Y. and Pentieva, K. and McNulty, H. and Walsh, C.P.
DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01282-y
2022

Impact of high-dose folic acid supplementation in pregnancy on biomarkers of folate status and 1-carbon metabolism: An ancillary study of the Folic Acid Clinical Trial (FACT)
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Malia SQ Murphy and Katherine A Muldoon and Hauna Sheyholislami and Nathalie Behan and Yvonne Lamers and Natalie Rybak and Ruth Rennicks White and Alysha LJ Harvey and Laura M Gaudet and Graeme N Smith and Mark C Walker and Shi Wu Wen and Amanda J MacFarlane
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa407
05/2021

Detectable Unmetabolized Folic Acid and Elevated Folate Concentrations in Folic Acid-Supplemented Canadian Children With Sickle Cell Disease
Frontiers in Nutrition
Williams, B.A. and Mayer, C. and McCartney, H. and Devlin, A.M. and Lamers, Y. and Vercauteren, S.M. and Wu, J.K. and Karakochuk, C.D.
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.642306
2021

Maternal vitamin B 12 status in early pregnancy and its association with birth outcomes in Canadian mother-newborn Dyads
British Journal of Nutrition
Tan, A. and Sinclair, G. and Mattman, A. and Vallance, H.D. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521000581
2021

Postpartum corticosterone and fluoxetine shift the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway in dams
bioRxiv
Qiu, W. and Go, K.A. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.11.430473
2021

Postpartum corticosterone and fluoxetine shift the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway in dams
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Qiu, W. and Go, K.A. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105273
2021

Maternal plasma folate concentration is positively associated with serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein across the three trimesters of pregnancy.
Scientific reports
da Silva MT and Mujica-Coopman MF and Figueiredo ACC and Hampel D and Vieira LS and Farias DR and Shahab-Ferdows S and Allen LH and Brito A and Lamers Y and Kac G and S Vaz J
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77231-7
PubMed: 33214613
11/2020

Knowledge gaps in understanding the metabolic and clinical effects of excess folates/folic acid: a summary, and perspectives, from an NIH workshop.
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Maruvada P and Stover PJ and Mason JB and Bailey RL and Davis CD and Field MS and Finnell RH and Garza C and Green R and Gueant JL and Jacques PF and Klurfeld DM and Lamers Y and Zappalà G
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa259
PubMed: 33022704
11/2020

Plasma riboflavin concentration as novel indicator for vitamin-B2 status assessment: suggested cutoffs and its association with vitamin-B6 status in women
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Amy Tan and Mohammad Zubair and Chia-ling Ho and Liadhan McAnena and Helene McNulty and Mary Ward and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/s0029665120006072
06/2020

Development of novel Vitamin B12 fortified yogurts using isolated and microencapsulated Vitamin B12
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Larisse Melo and Clementine Ng and Ricky Tsang and Anubhav Pratap Singh and David Kitts and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/s0029665120002128
06/2020

Blood DHA, Choline, and Lutein Concentrations and Their Correlation with Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in 18-Month Old Toddlers: Preliminary Findings.
Current developments in nutrition
Rossen L and Montgomery S and Zibrik D and Dyer R and Oberlander T and Lamers Y
05/2020

Nutritional Status in Breastfed 18-Month Old Toddlers: Cross-Sectional Findings.
Current developments in nutrition
Montgomery S and Ho G and Rossen L and Zibrik D and Dyer R and Oberlander T and Lamers Y
05/2020

Plasma Choline Concentration Is Positively Correlated with Visual Acuity in 18-Month Old Toddlers: Preliminary Findings.
Current developments in nutrition
Montgomery S and Rossen L and Zibrik D and Dyer R and Oberlander T and Lamers Y
05/2020

Vitamin B-12 Biomarkers Reviewed: Holotranscobalamin Allows Identification of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Children with Short-Bowel Syndrome.
Current developments in nutrition
St-Cyr C and Lamers Y and Casey L and Saunders M and Sinclair G and Mattman A
05/2020

Plasma Free Choline Concentration Did Not Reflect Dietary Choline Intake in Early and Late Pregnancy: Findings from the APrON Study.
Current developments in nutrition
Mujica M and Lewis E and Jacobs R and Letourneau N and Bell R and Field C and Lamers Y
05/2020

Detectable Unmetabolized Folic Acid, and Sufficient Folate and Vitamin B12 Concentrations Are Evident in Canadian Children with Sickle Cell Disease.
Current developments in nutrition
Williams B and McCartney H and Lamers Y and Vercauteren S and Wu J and Karakochuk C
05/2020

Postpartum fluoxetine increases maternal hippocampal IL-1ß and decreased plasma tryptophan: clues for efficacy
Qiu W and Duarte-Guterman P and Eid RS and Go KA and Lamers Y and Galea LAM
DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.22.960021
02/2020

Maternal and cord blood folate concentrations are inversely associated with fetal DNA hydroxymethylation, but not DNA methylation, in a cohort of pregnant Canadian women
Journal of Nutrition
Plumptre, L. and Tammen, S.A. and Sohn, K.-J. and Masih, S.P. and Visentin, C.E. and Aufreiter, S. and Malysheva, O. and Schroder, T.H. and Ly, A. and Berger, H. and Croxford, R. and Lamers, Y. and Caudill, M.A. and Choi, S.-W. and O'Connor, D.L. and Kim, Y.-I.
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz232
2020

Is folate deficiency a common cause of distal symmetric polyneuropathy in Zambian clinics?
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Kvalsund, M. and Kayamba, V. and Kelly, P. and Birbeck, G.L. and Mwansa-Thurman, C. and Sommer, I.N. and Lamers, Y. and Gardiner, J. and Herrmann, D.N.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116583
2020

Postpartum fluoxetine increased maternal inflammatory signalling and decreased tryptophan metabolism: Clues for efficacy
Neuropharmacology
Qiu, W. and Duarte-Guterman, P. and Eid, R.S. and Go, K.A. and Lamers, Y. and Galea, L.A.M.
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108174
2020

Serum Betaine and Dimethylglycine Are Higher in South Asian Compared with European Pregnant Women in Canada, with Betaine and Total Homocysteine Inversely Associated in Early and Midpregnancy, Independent of Ethnicity
The Journal of Nutrition
Maria F Mujica-Coopman and Amy Tan and Theresa H Schroder and Graham Sinclair and Hilary D Vallance and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz178
12/2019

Variability of Water-Soluble Forms of Choline Concentrations in Human Milk during Storage, after Pasteurization, and among Women
Nutrients
Sara Moukarzel and Alejandra M. Wiedeman and Lynda S. Soberanes and Roger A. Dyer and Sheila M. Innis and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3390/nu11123024
12/2019

Formate concentrations in maternal plasma during pregnancy and in cord blood in a cohort of pregnant Canadian women: relations to genetic polymorphisms and plasma metabolites
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
John T Brosnan and Lesley Plumptre and Margaret E Brosnan and Theerawat Pongnopparat and Shannon P Masih and Carly E Visentin and Howard Berger and Yvonne Lamers and Marie A Caudill and Olga V Malysheva and Deborah L O–Connor and Young-In Kim
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz152
11/2019

Maternal Plasma Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate Concentration Is Inversely Associated with Plasma Cystathionine Concentration across All Trimesters in Healthy Pregnant Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Maria F Mujica-Coopman and Dayana R Farias and Ana B Franco-Sena and Juliana S Vaz and Gilberto Kac and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz082
08/2019

Micronutrient intakes of lactating mothers and their association with breast milk concentrations and micronutrient adequacy of exclusively breastfed Indonesian infants
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz047
08/2019

Approaches to improving micronutrient status assessment at the population level
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/S0029665118002781
05/2019

Reference intervals for serum total vitamin B12 and holotranscobalamin concentrations and their change points with methylmalonic acid concentration to assess vitamin B12 status during early and mid-pregnancy
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM)
DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2018-1337
05/2019

Associations between the Level of Trace Elements and Minerals and Folate in Maternal Serum and Amniotic Fluid and Congenital Abnormalities
Nutrients
Rafal D. Kocylowski and Mariusz Grzesiak and Zuzanna Gaj and Wiktor Lorenc and Ewa Bakinowska and Danuta Baralkiewicz and Constantin S. von Kaisenberg and Yvonne Lamers and Joanna Suliburska
DOI: 10.3390/nu11020328
02/2019

Approaches to improving micronutrient status assessment at the population level
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/s0029665118002781
01/2019

Evaluation of folate concentration in amniotic fluid and maternal and umbilical cord blood during labor
Archives of Medical Science
Suliburska, J. and Kocy?owski, R. and Grzesiak, M. and Gaj, Z. and Chan, B. and Von Kaisenberg, C. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2018.78776
2019

Periconceptional intake of folic acid among low-risk women in Canada: Summary of a workshop aiming to align prenatal folic acid supplement composition with current expert guidelines
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and MacFarlane, A.J. and O'Connor, D.L. and Fontaine-Bisson, B.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy212
2018

Pregnant women of South Asian ethnicity in Canada have substantially lower vitamin B12 status compared with pregnant women of European ethnicity
British Journal of Nutrition
Theresa H. Schroder and Graham Sinclair and Andre Mattman and Benjamin Jung and Susan I. Barr and Hilary D. Vallance and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1017/s0007114517002331
09/2017

Barriers and facilitators to recruitment of South Asians to health research: a scoping review
BMJ Open
Teo AW Quay and Leora Frimer and Patricia A Janssen and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014889
05/2017

South Asian Ethnicity Is Related to the Highest Risk of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Pregnant Canadian Women
Nutrients
Marta Jeruszka-Bielak and Carly Isman and Theresa Schroder and Wangyang Li and Tim Green and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3390/nu9040317
03/2017

Correlations between Maternal, Breast Milk, and Infant Vitamin B12 Concentrations among Mother–Infant Dyads in Vancouver, Canada and Prey Veng, Cambodia: An Exploratory Analysis
Nutrients
Philip Chebaya and Crystal Karakochuk and Kaitlin March and Nancy Chen and Rosemary Stamm and Hou Kroeun and Prak Sophonneary and Mam Borath and Setareh Shahab-Ferdows and Daniela Hampel and Susan Barr and Yvonne Lamers and Lisa Houghton and Lindsay Allen and Tim Green and Kyly Whitfield
DOI: 10.3390/nu9030270
03/2017

Vitamin B-6 Status in Unsupplemented Pregnant Women Is Associated Positively with Serum Docosahexaenoic Acid and Inversely with the n–6-to-n–3 Fatty Acid Ratio
The Journal of Nutrition
Maria F Mujica-Coopman and Ana B Franco-Sena and Dayana R Farias and Juliana S Vaz and Alex Brito and Gilberto Kac and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3945/jn.116.239483
02/2017

Pregnant women of South Asian ethnicity in Canada have substantially lower vitamin B12 status compared with pregnant women of European ethnicity
British Journal of Nutrition
Schroder, T.H. and Sinclair, G. and Mattman, A. and Jung, B. and Barr, S.I. and Vallance, H.D. and Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114517002331
2017

Prevalence and Predictors of Low Vitamin B6 Status in Healthy Young Adult Women in Metro Vancouver
Nutrients
Chia-ling Ho and Teo Quay and Angela Devlin and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3390/nu8090538
09/2016

Reference interval of methylmalonic acid concentrations in dried blood spots of healthy, term newborns to facilitate neonatal screening of vitamin B12 deficiency
Clinical Biochemistry
Theresa H. Schroder and Andre Mattman and Graham Sinclair and Hilary D. Vallance and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2016.03.007
09/2016

Low Serum Vitamin B-12 Concentrations Are Prevalent in a Cohort of Pregnant Canadian Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Carly E Visentin and Shannon P Masih and Lesley Plumptre and Theresa H Schroder and Kyoung-Jin Sohn and Anna Ly and Andrea Y Lausman and Howard Berger and Ruth Croxford and Yvonne Lamers and Young-In Kim and Deborah L O'Connor
DOI: 10.3945/jn.115.226845
04/2016

Folic acid fortified milk increases blood folate to concentrations associated with a very low risk of neural tube defects in Singaporean women of childbearing age.
Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition
Cheong M and Xiao HY and Tay V and Karakochuk CD and Liu YA and Harvey S and Lamers Y and Houghton LA and Kitts DD and Green TJ
DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.2016.25.1.08
PubMed: 26965763
01/2016

High prevalence of suboptimal vitamin B12 status in young adult women of South Asian and European ethnicity
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
Teo A.W. Quay and Theresa H. Schroder and Marta Jeruszka-Bielak and Wangyang Li and Angela M. Devlin and Susan I. Barr and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0200
2015

Genetic hemoglobin disorders rather than iron deficiency are a major predictor of hemoglobin concentration in women of reproductive age in rural prey veng, Cambodia
Journal of Nutrition
Karakochuk, C.D. and Whitfield, K.C. and Barr, S.I. and Lamers, Y. and Devlin, A.M. and Vercauteren, S.M. and Kroeun, H. and Talukder, A. and McLean, J. and Green, T.J.
DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.198945
2015

Methylmalonic Acid Quantified in Dried Blood Spots Provides a Precise, Valid, and Stable Measure of Functional Vitamin B-12 Status in Healthy Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Theresa H. Schroder and Teo A. W. Quay and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.194829
08/2014

Metabolite Profile Analysis Reveals Functional Effects of 28-Day Vitamin B-6 Restriction on One-Carbon Metabolism and Tryptophan Catabolic Pathways in Healthy Men and Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Vanessa R. da Silva and Luisa Rios-Avila and Yvonne Lamers and Maria A. Ralat and Øivind Midttun and Eoin P. Quinlivan and Timothy J. Garrett and Bonnie Coats and Meena N. Shankar and Susan S. Percival and Yueh-Yun Chi and Keith E. Muller and Per Magne Ueland and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.3945/jn.113.180588
08/2013

Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Extended Metabolic Consequences of Marginal Vitamin B-6 Deficiency in Healthy Human Subjects
PLoS ONE
Jesse F. Gregory and Youngja Park and Yvonne Lamers and Nirmalya Bandyopadhyay and Yueh-Yun Chi and Kichen Lee and Steven Kim and Vanessa da Silva and Nikolas Hove and Sanjay Ranka and Tamer Kahveci and Keith E. Muller and Robert D. Stevens and Christopher B. Newgard and Peter W. Stacpoole and Dean P. Jones
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063544
06/2013

Red blood cell folate levels in pregnant women with a history of mood disorders: A case series
Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology
Elyse Yaremco and Angela Inglis and Sheila M. Innis and Catriona Hippman and Prescilla Carrion and Yvonne Lamers and William G. Honer and Jehannine Austin
DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23144
06/2013

Marginal Vitamin B-6 Deficiency Decreases Plasma (n-3) and (n-6) PUFA Concentrations in Healthy Men and Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Mei Zhao and Yvonne Lamers and Maria A. Ralat and Bonnie S. Coats and Yueh-Yun Chi and Keith E. Muller and James R. Bain and Meena N. Shankar and Christopher B. Newgard and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.3945/jn.112.163246
09/2012

Global hypothesis testing for high-dimensional repeated measuresoutcomes
Statistics in Medicine
Chi, Y.-Y. and Gribbin, M. and Lamers, Y. and Gregory, J.F. and Muller, K.E.
DOI: 10.1002/sim.4435
2012

Indicators and methods for folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6 status assessment in humans
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1097/mco.0b013e328349f9a7
09/2011

Moderate Vitamin B-6 Restriction Does Not Alter Postprandial Methionine Cycle Rates of Remethylation, Transmethylation, and Total Transsulfuration but Increases the Fractional Synthesis Rate of Cystathionine in Healthy Young Men and Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Bonnie Coats and Maria Ralat and Eoin P. Quinlivan and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.3945/jn.110.134197
03/2011

Folate Recommendations for Pregnancy, Lactation, and Infancy
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism
Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1159/000332073
2011

Indicators and methods for folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6 status assessment in humans
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
Lamers, Y.
DOI: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328349f9a7
2011

Kinetics of Folate and One-Carbon Metabolism
Folate in Health and Disease, Second Edition
Jesse Gregory III and Vanessa da Silva and Yvonne Lamers
DOI: 10.1201/9781420071252-c20
11/2009

Vitamin B-6 restriction tends to reduce the red blood cell glutathione synthesis rate without affecting red blood cell or plasma glutathione concentrations in healthy men and women
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Bruce O’Rourke and Lesa R Gilbert and Christine Keeling and Dwight E Matthews and Peter W Stacpoole and Jesse F Gregory
DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.27747
06/2009

Supplementation with a multivitamin containing 800 µg of folic acid shortens the time to reach the preventive red blood cell folate concentration in healthy women
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research
Susanne Brämswig and Reinhild Prinz-Langenohl and Yvonne Lamers and Oliver Tobolski and Eva Wintergerst and Heiner K. Berthold and Klaus Pietrzik
DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831.79.2.61
03/2009

A Mathematical Model Gives Insights into the Effects of Vitamin B-6 Deficiency on 1-Carbon and Glutathione Metabolism
The Journal of Nutrition
H. Frederik Nijhout and Jesse F. Gregory and Courtney Fitzpatrick and Eugenia Cho and K. Yvonne Lamers and Cornelia M. Ulrich and Michael C. Reed
DOI: 10.3945/jn.109.104265
02/2009

Production of 1-Carbon Units from Glycine Is Extensive in Healthy Men and Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Jerry Williamson and Douglas W. Theriaque and Jonathan J. Shuster and Lesa R. Gilbert and Christine Keeling and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.3945/jn.108.103580
02/2009

Moderate Dietary Vitamin B-6 Restriction Raises Plasma Glycine and Cystathionine Concentrations While Minimally Affecting the Rates of Glycine Turnover and Glycine Cleavage in Healthy Men and Women
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Jerry Williamson and Maria Ralat and Eoin P. Quinlivan and Lesa R. Gilbert and Christine Keeling and Robert D. Stevens and Christopher B. Newgard and Per M. Ueland and Klaus Meyer and Ase Fredriksen and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.3945/jn.108.099184
01/2009

Kinetics of folate and one-carbon metabolism
Folate in Health and Disease, Second Edition
Gregory, J.F. and da Silva, V.R. and Lamers, Y.
2009

Reply to EP Quinlivan
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Klaus Pietrzik
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1538
05/2008

Calculation of red blood cell folate steady state conditions and elimination kinetics after daily supplementation with various folate forms and doses in women of childbearing age
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Klaus Pietrzik and Yvonne Lamers and Susanne Brämswig and Reinhild Prinz-Langenohl
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/86.5.1414
11/2007

Glycine Turnover and Decarboxylation Rate Quantified in Healthy Men and Women Using Primed, Constant Infusions of [1,2-13C2]Glycine and [2H3]Leucine
The Journal of Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Jerry Williamson and Lesa R. Gilbert and Peter W. Stacpoole and Jesse F. Gregory
DOI: 10.1093/jn/137.12.2647
2007

Red blood cell folate concentrations increase more after supplementation with [6 S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate than with folic acid in women of childbearing age
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Reinhild Prinz-Langenohl and Susanne Brämswig and Klaus Pietrzik
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/84.1.156
06/2006

Supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid equally reduces plasma total homocysteine concentrations in healthy women
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Yvonne Lamers and Reinhild Prinz-Langenohl and Rudolf Moser and Klaus Pietrzik
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/79.3.473
03/2004

Supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid equally reduces plasma total homocysteine concentrations in healthy women
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Lamers, Y. and Prinz-Langenohl, R. and Moser, R. and Pietrzik, K.
2004

Research

DERiVE: DEvelopment of Riboflavin biomarkers to relate dietary sources with status, gene-nutrient Interactions and Validated health Effects in adult cohorts (JPI-HDHL)
Vitamin B2 plays a crucial role in human development and health across the lifespan. Recently, an increase in vitamin B2 intake was suggested to having a reducing effect on blood pressure. In most countries, there is little or no knowledge about the vitamin B2 nutrition status of the population due to the lack of convenient blood indicators and assessment tools. Dietary records are the sole source of information for most countries; however these do not reflect the biochemical status of the population which is a better indicator of health effects. In this international and multidisciplinary project, we aim to develop accessible blood indicators for vitamin B2 status assessment and identify which most sensitively reflect dietary intakes and food sources of vitamin B2 in Irish and Canadian adults. We will also demonstrate an important health effect of vitamin B2 by investigating its role in modulating blood pressure via a novel gene-nutrient interactive effect. In summary, sub-optimal vitamin B2 status may be more widespread than is generally recognized across the developed world, because of the reliance on dietary data only in nutrition surveys, without blood indicator evidence. This project will address this gap by developing accessible vitamin B2 blood indicators for use in population surveys globally, and by demonstrating important functional, gene-nutrient and health effects of optimal vitamin B2 status in Canadian, Irish and UK cohorts.

JPI-HDHL Call "Biomarkers in Nutrition and Health;" CIHR Team Grant (PI: Yvonne Lamers)

Webpage: www.derive-riboflavin.com

Epigenetic Effects of B Vitamins on Brain Health Throughout Life
B vitamins play an important role in brain development and function. Not only have previous studies observed an association between maternal folate status during pregnancy and cognitive performance in offspring, but optimal folate and related B-vitamin status may also prevent cognitive decline in later life. Epigenetics, which involves modifications to DNA without affecting the sequence, can influence gene expression and may be a possible mechanism linking B vitamins and brain outcomes. The EpiBrain project, a collaboration among research teams in Canada, United Kingdom and Spain, aims to investigate the nutrition-epigenome-brain relationship across the lifespan in hopes of improved understanding of the role of B vitamins, their effects on the epigenome and brain function in childhood and older age.

JPI-HDHL Call "Nutrition & the Epigenome;" CIHR Team Grant (Lead PI: Yvonne Lamers)
BCCHR Co-Investigator: Dr. Michael Kobor, Investigator at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics
International Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Nicole Letourneau (University of Calgary), Dr. Helene McNulty (Ulster University, Northern Ireland), Dr. Michelle Murphy (Universitat Rovira i Virgili)

Vitamins in Pregnancy and Infancy – Defining Adequacy for Maternal and Child Health
Early development during pregnancy and infancy, also described as the first 1000 days of life, is characterized by rapid growth and increased nutrient demands. Low vitamin status during this critical time period can impair fetal and infant growth and development, and predispose the child to potential long-term health consequences.

Maternal vitamin B12 status during pregnancy has been described to have a long-term impact on neonatal and infant vitamin B12 status. Vitamin B12, as well as folate, vitamin B6, and riboflavin, play key roles in the one-carbon metabolism crucial for DNA synthesis and methylation. Our research focuses on defining sensitive biomarkers of B-vitamin status in various stages of pregnancy and their association with infant vitamin status and growth indicators.

This project is in collaboration with Dr. Hilary Vallance, Director of the Newborn Screening Program in B.C. and Yukon, Dr. Graham Sinclair, Biochemical Geneticist, BC Newborn Screening Program at BC Children’s Hospital and Dr. Andre Mattman, Medical Biochemist at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Newborn Screening as an Opportunity to Monitor for Nutritional Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin B12 deficiency in the infant develops in the first year of life and can lead to developmental delays. Screening for vitamin B12 deficiency is generally done by measuring serum (or plasma) total vitamin B12 concentrations. We recently developed a novel method for quantification of methylmalonic acid (MMA) in dried blood spots (DBS), which allows convenient and minimally invasive assessment of functional vitamin B12 status. The method is 10-fold more sensitive than currently existing screening test and able to quantify DBS MMA in ranges of vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to maternal deficiency. We estimated a reference interval for DBS MMA concentrations in healthy, term newborns (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27040901/). In light of the detrimental and potentially irreversible consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency, early diagnosis is crucial and ideally established for all newborns.

Derivation of Early Indicators for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Children
Vitamin B12 deficiency in early childhood can result in severe and permanent adverse health consequences; however, there is a lack of an accurate tool for vitamin B12 deficiency diagnosis in children. Blood vitamin B12 levels are evaluated against adult normal values, yet early consequences may occur before blood levels appear to be “abnormal”. Our research team recently developed a new method to measure a more sensitive marker of vitamin B12 deficiency. By comparing the new method with clinical vitamin B12 testing in blood of at-risk children, we aim to define levels of vitamin B12 deficiency that warrant early treatment.

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Linda Casey, Director of the BC Children’s Hospital Intestinal Rehabilitation Program (CHIRP).

Effects of Milk Intake on Nutrient Status and Neurocognitive Development in Toddlers
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), lutein, and choline are three nutrients thought vital for growth, neurocognitive development and function in early childhood. These nutrients are found in a limited number of foods, and based on data collected by us regarding the dietary intakes of young Canadian children and current feeding guidelines, may not be present in sufficient amounts in the diets of toddlers. This study aims to address whether improved levels of DHA, lutein, and choline contained in a follow-on formula (a toddler transition formula/milk beverage called Growing Up Milk, or GUM) improves the status of these nutrients in toddlers aged 18-24 months when compared to toddlers drinking cows’ milk at currently recommended levels. Biochemical markers of DHA, choline and lutein status are assessed along with anthropometrics, visual acuity and neurological outcomes using measures of cognitive and language development.

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Tim Oberlander, a physician-scientist in the UBC Department of Pediatrics, located at BC Children’s Hospital.

If you have a child under 18 months and are interested in participating, find out more here: https://www.bcchr.ca/nutrition-metabolism-research-home/participate/awa…

Riboflavin and Vitamin B6 Status in Young and Older Adult Women
Vitamin B6 is essential to mount an adequate immune response and to maintain a healthy nervous system. Although research shows that dietary intake of vitamin B6 among Canadians is low, no clear data exists as to whether Canadians are living with suboptimal or deficient biochemical vitamin B6 status. Suboptimal vitamin B6 status has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer. Specifically, there is a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer, which puts women into special focus.

In two cross-sectional studies, we determined the prevalence and determinants of vitamin B6 deficiency and suboptimal vitamin B6 status in young adult women (aged 19-35 years) and older adult women (aged 51-70 years). We found a 12% prevalence (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/9/538) of low vitamin B6 status in young adult women. Further, we identified relative dietary vitamin B6 intake and the use of vitamin B6 containing supplements to be positive predictors, and body mass index and South Asian ethnicity to be negative predictors of vitamin B6 status. The data on older adult women are currently being evaluated.

Functional Consequences of Suboptimal B-Vitamin Status
A mounting number of epidemiologic studies have shown that suboptimal vitamin status, the ‘grey zone’ between adequacy and deficiency, is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases. Suboptimal vitamin B12 status for example has been associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as spina bifida, and faster cognitive decline in older adults. Suboptimal vitamin B6 status has been linked with cardiovascular diseases and cancer. We are interested in contributing to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms between inadequacy and disease development by studying the biochemical alterations in stages of suboptimal vitamin status using stable isotope tracer protocols. Our research will contribute to the understanding of the metabolic and physiologic consequences of suboptimal B-vitamin status and B-vitamin imbalance.

Research Group Members

Adrianna Greco, Clinical Trainee
Nick Hays, Study Sponsor & Monitor
Gloria Ho, Master's Student
Svilena Lazarova, Study Reviewer/Monitor
Sarah Montgomery, PhD Candidate
Mikaela Stewart, Dietitian
Amy Tan, Doctoral Trainee
Niklas Tappauf
Deborah Zibrik, Study Coordinator
Lindsay Zibrik, Research Assistant