Reza Hakkak, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Professor, Maternal and Child Health, College of Public Health

Doctoral Degree
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1986

Research Interests:
Influence of diet and nutrition on cancer prevention, Obesity and Breast Cancer promotion, Animal modeling for Cancer Research, nutrition education, interactions of diet and drug metabolism, and alcohol as a risk factor for cancer development.

Email: RHakkak@uams.edu

Phone: (501) 686-6166    Fax: (501) 686-5716

Research Overview:

Reza Hakkak, Ph.D., a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences faculty member since 1990, is a nutritionist, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition in the College of Health Related Professions, Professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine, and Professor of Maternal Child Health in the College of Public Health. Dr. Hakkak's research is primarily in the areas of basic nutrition science research and nutrition education. His basic nutrition research interests include the influence of nutrition on cancer prevention, the influence of obesity on cancer promotion, and the effects of differing diets and nutrition on chemical carcinogenesis. Recently, his research interests have focused on links between obesity and breast cancer promotion.

In 2005, the Susan G. Komen Foundation awarded Dr. Hakkak a grant to further this research. When comparing data from obese and lean rats, he found that the carcinogen DMBA found in cigarette smoke, car exhaust and some cooked foods caused mammary tumors to increase more than two times in obese rats compared to lean rats. With this grant, Dr. Hakkak is studying how diet may play a role in women developing breast cancer.

In December 2006, The USDA awarded a grant to Dr. Hakkak to investigate the role of specific diet and obesity on Breast Cancer.

Selected Publications:

Hakkak R, MacLeod S, Shaaf S, Holley AW, Simpson P, Fuchs G, Jo CH, Kieber Emmons T, Korourian S. Obesity Increases the Incidence of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-Induced Mammary Tumors in Ovariectomized Zucker Rat. International Journal of Oncology, 30:557-563, 2007.

Hakkak R, Holley AW, Shaaf S, Cockrell, G and MacLeod S. Effects of obesity and short-term dietary manipulations on serum Insulin and leptin levels in female Zucker rats following DMBA treatment. FASEB J. 20:A1029, 2006.

 Hakkak R, Shaaf S, MacLeod S, Talley L and Korourian S. Effects of Obesity on Serum DHEA and DHEA Sulfate Levels Using the Obese Zucker Rat as a Model for Breast Cancer Development. Obesity, 14:A134, 2006.

Melnyk S, Holley A, James SJ and Hakkak R. Effects of obesity on serum level of S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and Adenosine in female Zucker rats following DMBA treatment. FASEB J. 2007 (In Press).

Hakkak R, MacLeod S, Shaaf S, Talley L and Korourian S. Estrogen Receptor Expression of DMBA-Induced Mammary Tumors in Intact and Ovariectomized Lean and Obese Zucker Rats. FASEB J. 2007 (In Press).

Whitehead T, Holley AW, Kieber-Emmons T, Korourian S, Hakkak, R . Metabolic phenotype of the DMBA-induced mammary tumor in obese female Zucker Rats. Am Assoc Cancer Res. 2005; 46:6074.

Hakkak R , Holley AW, MacLeod S, Simpson P, Fuchs G, Jo CH, Kieber-Emmons T, Korourian S. Obesity Promotes 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-Induced Mammary Tumor Development in Female Zucker Rats. Breast Cancer Research, 7:R627-R633, 2005.

Hakkak R , Holley AW, Gno F, Owens R. Effects of obesity on serum adiponectin levels and breast cancer development in lean and obese female Zucker rats following DMBA treatment. FASEB J. 19:A993, 2005.