James McClung, PhD

James P. McClung, Ph.D., is a nutrition biologist in the Military Nutrition Division at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) in Natick, Massachusetts. Dr. McClung’s past and current research focuses on micronutrient nutrition at both the basic and applied levels. He has expertise in the areas of iron, selenium, and zinc nutrition. Ongoing experiments in his laboratory include studies investigating the impact of poor iron status on bone health and skeletal muscle function in both humans and animals. These experiments include analysis of the impact of iron status on function at the whole body, tissue, and molecular level. One project in Dr. McClung’s laboratory involves the assessment of iron status in female military recruits. A unique aspect of this study includes determination of the impact of iron status on both physical and cognitive performance using a variety of applied and computer-based tests. Current efforts are focused on the development of nutritional interventions for the maintenance of iron status during military training. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of New Hampshire and his Ph.D. from Cornell University.