As an athlete, Logan Glosser has always known the importance of eating well and exercising. So when deciding on a career path, nutrition seemed to be the obvious choice.
The Toledo, Ohio, native opted to study at Case Western Reserve University, where he could continue his soccer career as a Spartan—and participate in extensive lab work and classroom education in his chosen field.
“Sports nutrition offers both athletes, and individuals who choose to be active, an excellent avenue to obtain personal goals in fitness and in health,” he said.
Four years later, as a senior, Glosser studies the impacts of excess iron on the body. Earlier this month, he competed off the soccer field, presenting his work in the American Society for Nutrition’s Excellence in Nutrition Research and Practice/Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition at the Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego, California.
Up against students—from undergraduate all the way to postdocs—from 65 countries, and having been selected to present from more than 430 total submissions, Glosser captured second place.
The first- and third-place winners? Postdoctoral students.
“It was a great honor to receive the award and be among some of the best researchers in their respective scientific fields,” Glosser said. “Many of my competitors were not only from well-known labs here in the U.S., but internationally, since the Experimental Biology Conference draws attendees from all over the world and is seen as a premier scientific venue.”
Ultimately, it was the work he completed over the summer in James Swain’s lab under a Nutrition Department Research Fellowship that impressed the judges. He and Swain, assistant professor of nutrition, worked together to determine the effects of excess dietary iron on intestinal tumor growth. Their data revealed that consuming iron in excess of what the body needs can lead to increased tumor growth and progression.
The experience caps off Glosser’s undergraduate career, as he will walk across the stage next month at commencement. The competition serves as a fitting achievement to end on, considering it was Case Western Reserve’s reputation as a strong academic institution with plenty of opportunities for students to pursue clinical and lab-based research that drew Glosser here in the first place.
He knew such work would lay the foundation for further medical research he hopes to complete—and it’s paid off.
After graduation, Glosser will head to Cleveland Clinic Anesthesiology Institute’s outcomes research department. Following that, he hopes to either get a PhD in nutrition and dietetics or attend medical school.
But before he goes, get to know Glosser—also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity—even better in this week’s five questions.
1. What is your proudest accomplishment?
Completing four years at Case Western Reserve University…officially in two weeks.
2. If you could do anything you wanted for a day, what would you do?
Fly to Mars to conduct unlimited iron research. The red color of Mars is from iron oxide. Once there, I would do my favorite hobbies of soccer, piano and mole-ball.
3. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Anthony Michael Hall from The Breakfast Club.
4. If you could go back in time to tell your childhood self something, what would you say?
I would go back in time and tell myself the quote by Uzoma Nnadi to use everyone’s greatest strength: one’s self.
“Iron can only be destroyed by rust, and rust is a slow process which is caused by the hydrogen ion from water in the environment. Coat yourself against negative thoughts and be careful what you feed your mind because your mind is your greatest asset, make sure you are not using it against yourself.” ― Uzoma Nnadi
5. What’s your favorite thing about Case Western Reserve?
Case Western Reserve is a conglomerate of people with various goals that is similar to no other place that I have been. The mix of interests allows everyone to converse and learn about multiple disciplines outside of their majors.