Martha Field

Assistant Professor, Nutritional Sciences

portrait of a woman in a black shirt in front of a hedge

About

I am an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. I received a B.S. in chemistry from Butler University in 2000 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology from Cornell University in 2007.

My laboratory studies gene-nutrient interactions that lead to development of disease. It is clear that what we eat can be associated with disease onset, and some individuals are more likely to be affected based on certain genetic, or inherited, characteristics. We investigate these interactions at a molecular level, with the ultimate goal of designing interventions that prevent disease and improve human health.

Impaired folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism is associated with adverse physiological outcomes that include certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, neurological impairments, and birth defects. Our laboratory uses several in vitro and in vivo model systems to study the mechanisms that underlie physiological outcomes associated with perturbed one-carbon metabolism. More specifically, we are interested in understanding the contributions of folate and/or vitamin B12 nutrition and enzyme localization in supporting mitochondrial DNA precursor synthesis, with a focus on understanding how folate nutrition affects mitochondrial DNA integrity and pathogenesis of metabolic diseases such as mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes, chronic disease, and age-related decline in mitochondrial function.

Recently, our research has also focused on the metabolism of erythritol, which is a product of the pentose phosphate pathway and which has recently emerged as a predictive biomarker of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. We have identified the enzymes responsible for endogenous production of erythritol and are currently using animal models to understand the metabolic pathways underlying the association between erythritol exposure, genetic variants that affect endogenous erythritol synthesis, and central adiposity.

Education

2007, Ph.D., Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University

2000, B.S., Chemistry, Butler University

Recent Research

The Field research group uses several in vitro and in vivo model systems to study the mechanisms that underlie physiological outcomes associated with perturbed one-carbon metabolism. Impaired folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism is associated with adverse physiological outcomes that include certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, neurological impairments, and birth defects. More specifically, the Field laboratory is interested in the contributions of folate and vitamin B12 nutrition to supporting mitochondrial DNA precursor synthesis with a focus on understanding how folate and B12 affect mitochondrial DNA integrity and support mitochondrial function, especially as related to development of chronic diseases and age-related decline in mitochondrial function.

The Field research group also works on understanding the metabolism of erythritol, which is a newly discovered product of human glucose metabolism through the pentose phosphate pathway. This is important because elevated plasma erythritol has recently emerged as a predictive biomarker of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. We have identified key pentose phosphate pathway enzymes that regulate endogenous production of erythritol from glucose. The lab is currently using model systems to understand how obesogenic dietary exposures and common genetic variants interact to affect endogenous erythritol synthesis and whether metabolism of glucose to erythritol is causally related to cardiometabolic disease development.

Courses Taught

NS 3320: Methods in Nutritional Sciences

NS 4010: Empirical Research (Independent Undergraduate Research)

BIOG 2990: Independent Undergraduate Research

BIOG 4990: Independent Undergraduate Research

Contact Information

113 Savage Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853

(607) 255-6081

mas246 [at] cornell.edu

Selected Publications

Ortiz, S.R. and Field, M.S. (2023) C2C12 muscle myotubes, but not kidney proximal tubule HK-2 cells, elevate erythritol synthesis in response to oxidative stress Curr, Dev. Nutr., online ahead of print: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102012
Ortiz, S.R. and Field, M.S. (2022) Sucrose intake elevates erythritol in plasma and urine in male mice. J. Nutr., online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.05.022.
Heyden, K.E., Fiddler, J.L., Xiu, Y., Malysheva, O.M, Handzlik, M.K., Phinney, W.N., Stiles, L., Stabler, S.P., Metallo, C.M., Caudill, M.A., and Field, M.S. (2023) Reduced methionine synthase expression results in uracil accumulation in mitochondrial DNA and impaired oxidative capacity. PNAS Nexus, https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad105
Fiddler, J.L, Blum, J.E., Heyden, K.E., Castillo, L.F., Thalacker-Mercer, A.E., and Field, M.S. (2023) Impairments in SHMT2 expression or cellular folate availability reduce oxidative phosphorylation and pyruvate kinase activity. Genes Nutr. 18: 5.
Francis, D.K., Awuah, E.B., Field, M.S., Karakochuk. C.D., Dixit, R., Cassano, P.A. (2022) Protocol-Intervention: Vitamin B supplementation for sickle cell disease. Cochrane Database of Scientific Reviews, October 2022.
Field, M.S., Bailey, R.L, and Stover, P.J. (2022) Unrecognized riboflavin deficiency and cascading effects on B6 status. Amer. J. Clin. Nutr., nqac269.
Stover, P.J., Field, M.S., Brawley, H.N., Angelin, B., Iverson, P.O., and Fruhbeck, G. (2022) Nutrition and Stem Cell Integrity in Aging. J. Intern. Med., 292: 587-603.
Ortiz, S.R., Heinz, A., Hiller, K., and Field, M.S. (2022) Erythritol synthesis in human cells is elevated in response to oxidative stress and regulated by the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. Front. Nutr., https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.953056.
Field, M.S., Bailey, R.L., Brannon. P.M., Gregory, J.F., Lichtenstein, A.F., Saldanha, I.J., Schneeman, B.O. (2022) Scanning the Evidence: Process and lessons learned from an evidence scan of riboflavin to inform decisions on updating the riboflavin dietary reference intakes. Amer. J. Clin. Nutr., 116: 299-302.
Blum, J.E., Gheller, B.J, Benvie, A., Field, M.S., Panizza, E., Vacanti, N.M., Berry, D. & Thalacker-Mercer, A.E . (2021) Pyruvate Kinase M2 supports muscle progenitor cell proliferation but is dispensable for skeletal muscle regeneration after injury. J. Nutr., 151: 3313-3328.
Fiddler, J.L., Xiu, Y., Blum, J.E., Lamarre, S.G., Phinney, W.N., Stabler, S.P., Brosnan, M.E., Brosnan, J.T., Thalacker-Mercer, A.E., and Field, M.S. (2021) Reduced Shmt2 expression impairs mitochondrial folate accumulation and respiration and leads to uracil accumulation in mouse mitochondrial DNA. J. Nutr., 151: 2882-2893.
Ortiz, S.R. and Field, M.S. (2021) Chronic dietary erythritol exposure elevates plasma erythritol level in mice but does not cause weight-gain or modify glucose homeostasis. J. Nutr., 151: 2114-2124.
Field, M.S., Mithra, P., and Pena-Rosas, J.P. (2021) Wheat flour fortification with iron and other micronutrients for reducing anaemia and improving iron status in populations. Cochrane Database of Scientific Reviews, January 2021.
Gheller, B.J., Blum, J.E, Lim, E.W., Handzlik, M.K., Fong, E.H.H., Ko, A.C., Khanna, S., Gheller, M.E., Bender, E.L., Alexander, M.S., Stover, P.J., Field, M.S., Cosgrove, B.D., Metallo, C.M., Thalacker-Mercer, A.E. (2020) Extracellular serine and glycine are required for mouse and human skeletal muscle stem and progenitor cell function. Mol. Metab., 43: 101106.
Maruvada, P., Stover, P.J., Mason, J.B., Bailey, R.L., Davis, C.D., Field, M.S., Finnell, R.H., Garza, C., Green R., Gueant. J-L., Jacques, P.F., Johnston, B., Klurfeld, D.M., Lamers, Y., MacFarlane, A., Miller, J.F., Molloy, A.M., O’Connor, D.L., Pfeiffer, C.M., Potischman, N.A., Rodricks, J.V., Rosenberg, I.H., Ross, S.A., Selhub, J., Shane, B., Stabler, S.P., Trasler, J., Yamini, S., and Zappalà, G. (2020) Knowledge gaps in understanding the metabolic and clinical effects of excess folates/folic acid: a summary, and perspectives, from an NIH workshop. Amer. J. Clin. Nutr., 112: 1390-1403
Stover, P.J., Garza, C., Durga, J., and Field, M.S. (2020) Emerging Concepts in Nutrient Needs. J. Nutr., 150, Supp 1, 2593S-2601S.
Xiu, Y. and Field, M.S., (2020) The Roles of Mitochondrial Folate Metabolism in Supporting Mitochondrial DNA Synthesis, Oxidative Phosphorylation, and Cellular Function. Curr. Dev. Nutr., 4: nzaa153.
Field, M.S., Mithra, P., Estevez, D., and Pena-Rosas, J.P. (2020) Wheat flour fortification with iron for reducing anaemia and improving iron status in populations. Cochrane Database of Scientific Reviews, July 2020.
Ortiz, S.R. and Field, M.S. (2020) Mammalian Metabolism of Erythritol, a Predictive Biomarker of Metabolic Dysfunction. Curr. Opin. Clin. Nutr. Metab. Care, 23: 296-301.
Lachenauer, E.R., Stabler, S.P., Field, M.S. and Stover, P.J. (2020) p53 Disruption Increases Uracil Accumulation in DNA of Murine Embryonic Fibroblasts and Leads to Folic Acid–Nonresponsive Neural Tube Defects in Mice. J. Nutr., 150: 1705-1712.
Schlicker, L., Szebenyi, D.M.E., Ortiz, S.R., Heinz, A., Hiller, K., and Field, M.S. (2019) Unexpected roles for ADH1 and SORD in catalyzing the final step of erythritol biosynthesis. J. Biol. Chem., 294, 16095-16108.
Chon, J., Field, M.S., and Stover, P.J. (2019) Deoxyuracil in DNA and disease: genomic signal or managed situation? DNA Repair, 77: 36-44.
Tiani, K.A., Stover, P.J., and Field, M.S. (2019) Nutrition and the blood-brain barrier. Ann. Rev. Nutr., 39: 147-173.
Misselbeck, K., Marchetti, L., Priami, C., Stover, P.J., and Field, M.S. (2019) The 5-formyltetrahydrofolate futile cycle reduces pathway stochasticity in an extended hybrid-stochastic model of folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism Sci Rep., 9: 4322.
Garza, C., Stover, P.J., Ohlhorst, S.D., Field, M.S., Steinbrook, R., Rowe, S., Woteki, C., and Campbell, E., (2019) Best practices in nutrition science to earn and keep the public’s trust. Amer. J. Clin. Nutr., 0: 1-19.
Alonzo, J.R., Venkataraman, C., Field, M.S., and Stover, P.J. (2018) The mitochondrial inner membrane protein MPV17 prevents uracil accumulation in mitochondrial DNA. J. Biol. Chem., 293: 20285-20294.
Lan, X., Field, M.S., and Stover, P.J. (2018) Cell Cycle Regulation of Folate-Mediated One-Carbon Metabolism. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Systems Biology and Medicine, 10:e1426.
Field, M.S., Kamynina, E., Chon, J., and Stover, P.J. (2018) Nuclear Folate Metabolism. Ann. Rev. Nutr., 38: 219-43.
Field, M.S., Lan, X., Stover, D.M., and Stover, P.J. (2018) Uridine modifies tumorigenesis in the ApcMin/+ model of intestinal cancer. Curr. Dev. Nutr., 2: nzy013
Field, M.S. and Stover, P.J. (2017) Safety of folic acid. Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 1414: 59-71.
Stover, P.J., Durga, J., and Field, M.S. (2017) Folate and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol., 44: 146-152.
Palmer, A.M., Kamynina, E., Field, M.S., and Stover, P.J. (2017) Folate rescues vitamin B12 depletion-induced inhibition of nuclear thymidylate biosynthesis and genome instability. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 114: E4095-4102
Kamynina, E., Lachenauer, E., DiRisio, A.C., Liebenthal, R.P., Field, M.S., and Stover, P.J. (2017) Arsenic trioxide targets MTHFD1 and SUMO-dependent nuclear de novo thymidylate biosynthesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 114: E2319-E2326.
Misselbeck, K., Marchetti, L., Field, M.S., Scotti, M., Priami, C., and Stover, P.J. (2017) A hybrid stochastic model of folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism: Effect of the common C677T MTHFR variant on de novo thymidylate biosynthesis. Sci Rep., 11: 797.
Bae, S., Chon, J., Field, M.S., and Stover, P.J. (2017) Alcohol dehydrogenase 5 is a source of formate for de novo purine biosynthesis in HepG2 cells. J. Nutr., 147: 499-505.
Chon, J., Stover, P.J., and Field, M.S. (2017) Targeting Nuclear Thymidylate Biosynthesis. Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 53: 48-56.
Stover, P.J., Berry, R.J., and Field, M.S. (2016) Time to think about nutrient needs in chronic disease. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176: 1451-1452
Field, M.S., Stover, P.J., and Kisliuk, R. (2016) Thymidylate Synthesis. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0001397.pub3
Field, M.S., Kamynina E., Watkins, D., Rosenblatt, D.S., Stover, P.J. (2016) MTHFD1 regulates nuclear de novo thymidylate biosynthesis and genome stability. Biochimie, 126: 27-30.
Field, M.S., Kamynina E., Watkins, D., Rosenblatt, D.S., Stover, P.J. (2015) New insights into the metabolic and nutritional determinants of severe combined immunodeficiency. Rare Diseases, 3: 1, e1112479.
MacFarlane, A.J., Behan, N.A., Field, M.S., Williams, A., Stover, P.J., and Yauk, C.L. (2015) Dietary folic acid protects against genotoxicity in the red blood cells of mice. Mutat. Res., 779: 105-111.
Stover, P.J., MacFarlane, A.J., and Field, M.S. (2015) Bringing clarity to the role of MTHFR variants in neural tube defect prevention. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 101: 111-2.
Martiniova, L, Field, M.S., Finkelstein, J.L., Perry, C.A. and Stover, P.J. (2015) Maternal dietary uridine causes, and deoxyuridine prevents, neural tube closure defects in a mouse model of folate-responsive neural tube defects. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 101: 860-9.
Field, M .S., Kamynina E., Watkins, D., Rosenblatt, D.S., Stover, P.J. (2015) Human Mutations in Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase 1 Impair Nuclear de novo Thymidylate Biosynthesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 112: 400-405.
Field, M .S., Kamynina E., Agunloye, O.C., Liebenthal, R.P., Lamarre, S.G.,Brosnan, M.E., Brosnan, J.T., and Stover, P.J. (2014) Nuclear enrichment of folate cofactors and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1) protect de novo thymidylate biosynthesis during folate deficiency. J. Biol. Chem. 289: 29642-50.

Professional Activities

Mentor for ASN Early Career Nutrition (ECN) pilot mentoring program, 2021
Member of NASEM Committee on Evaluating the Process to Develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025), 2021-2022
President of American Society for Nutrition Vitamin and Minerals Research Interest Group, 2021-present
NIH Early Career Reviewer, POMD study section, February 2021
Member of NASEM Committee on Scanning for New Evidence on Riboflavin to Support a Dietary Reference Intake Review, 2020-2021

Public Engagement Activities

I served as a member of the writing group for a committee from the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) in producing a report on best practices to facilitate collaboration between academia, industry, and government that ensures rigorous research conduct and transparency between all parties and the public. This report was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2019. In addition, I served as a member of ASN's Committee on Advocacy and Science Policy from 2018-2021, and continued to engage with this group in developing conflict of interest standards for the ASN. I am currently the chair of ASN's "Vitamins and Minerals" research interest group.