author
Graham Lusk
1866–1932
A pioneering American physiologist and nutrition expert, he helped turn the study of metabolism into a modern science. His work on diabetes, calories, and how the body uses food shaped nutrition research in the early twentieth century.
1 Audiobook
Food in War Time
by Graham Lusk
About the author
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on February 15, 1866, Graham Lusk studied at Columbia University and later earned a PhD at the University of Munich, where he worked with the noted physiologist Carl Voit. He went on to become a leading American authority on physiology and nutrition, teaching for many years at Cornell University Medical College in New York.
Lusk is best remembered for research on metabolism and the body's use of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. He wrote influential scientific works, including The Elements of the Science of Nutrition, and was widely respected for helping establish nutrition as a rigorous scientific field in the United States. He was also known for his expertise on diabetes and for applying laboratory science to practical medical questions.
Despite becoming profoundly deaf during adulthood, he continued an active and distinguished career. He was elected to major scientific honors, including fellowship in the Royal Society, and remained an important figure in biological science until his death in New York on July 18, 1932.