Scientific Councils

The ASN by-laws, approved by the membership in June 2005, established Scientific Councils. Scientific Councils are meant to encompass a broad spectrum of nutrition research and to serve as the basis for governance in ASN. Scientific Councils will integrate nutrition knowledge arising from various scientific disciplines, develop priorities for ASN, and initiate translational and policy activities, all of which support the mission and goals of ASN. Council activities will help to inform policy makers in universities, funding agencies, and local, state, and national governments. A key role for Councils in ASN will be in society governance through representation on the Executive Board, on society committees, including Public Policy, Scientific Programs, Long-range Planning, and Graduate and Professional Education. Such committees will be charged to develop and implement programmatic and outreach activities for ASN that are targeted to the interest areas represented by the Council membership. Councils will have an operating budget provided by ASN.

The American Society for Nutrition is not just for, or about, North Americans! Our rapidly growing and diverse international membership provides enormous opportunities for interactions from basic research to clinical applications. ASN’s Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting represents a wonderful ‘knowledge fest’ and the best way to keep up with the latest advances in our field.

–Andrew M. Prentice, PhD London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Past Chair ASN Membership Committee

Global Nutrition Council

The GNC serves members with basic and applied research interests in all aspects of human nutrition of relevance to both economically less-developed countries and to disadvantaged populations, and the translation of this knowledge into training, policies and programs. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: (1) undernutrition and deficiency diseases, (2) the nutrition transition and the emergence of obesity and diet-related chronic disease; (3) relationships between infection and nutrition, (4) nutrition interventions and their evaluation, and (5) the relationships between economic development policy and nutrition. These research efforts may include nutritional biochemistry, physiology, clinical nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, nutritional anthropology or other social and behavioral sciences, economics, and public health.

Current chair: Daniel Hoffman, PhD

Medical Nutrition Council

The MNC serves members who are interested in clinical, research, educational, and/or training aspects of nutrition and metabolism as related to optimal health and the prevention and treatment of human disease. The MNC provides an interface between advances made in laboratory science and advances in clinical practice, and bridging gaps in the translation of knowledge from the bench to the bedside and to the community. The MNC members disseminate clinical nutrition knowledge, promote policies to prevent and treat nutrition-related diseases, train health professionals, and monitor national dietary and disease trends. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to (1) nutrition-related disease in humans; (2) clinical nutrition practice; (3) complementary and alternative medical nutrition; (4) determinants and consequences of dietary and nutritional trends; (5) national nutrition intervention programs and policies; and, (6) nutrition training for health care professionals from undergraduate through sub-specialty training.

Current chair: Cora Best, PhD MHS RDN

How to Enroll

ALL ASN members are eligible for council membership and can enroll by contacting us at mem@nutrition.org.