Lorena Muhaj, MS ’24, Presents Muscle Mass Research at ASPEN 2025

Lorena Muhaj, MS ’24, Presents Muscle Mass Research at ASPEN 2025

Lorena Muhaj, MS ’24, a graduate of Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition (IHN), presented her master’s thesis research at the ASPEN 2025 Nutrition Science & Practice Conference in Columbus, Ohio. The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition held the conference March 22–25, 2025. An IHN Travel Award supported her attendance.

Examining the limits of muscle mass estimates

Muhaj’s research examined the Kim equation, which uses biomarker and body-weight data to estimate muscle mass. Her conference poster abstract, co-authored with Michael Owen-Michaane, describes a cross-sectional analysis of electronic health records from the All of Us Research Program. The study investigated whether the equation could reliably estimate muscle mass and help identify malnutrition and sarcopenia.

The findings suggested that the equation may overestimate muscle mass in people with high body mass index (BMI) or kidney disease. The authors identified limitations in its accuracy and called for further research to improve these estimates.

Thesis research at Columbia IHN

Muhaj completed the project through IHN’s MS in Human Nutrition. Explore the program’s thesis research opportunities to learn about research tracks and conference travel awards.