By Naima Moustaid-Moussa, PhD, DFASN, FTOS, FAHA, FNAI
ASN President, 2025–2026

It has been an honor to serve as the 2025-2026 President of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Over the past year, I have had the privilege of working alongside an extraordinary community of scientists, clinicians, educators, students, and staff dedicated to advancing nutrition science. ASN is a vibrant and diverse scientific society spanning basic and clinical research, translational and community-based research, policy, and practice. Our Society is strong because of the commitment of our members, leaders, and staff who work together to uphold scientific rigor and advance nutrition.

It has been a privilege to work alongside many of you during a time when nutrition has become a national and global focal point, bringing both significant progress and challenges for our field. My presidency concluded with NUTRITION 2026, where our community came together to celebrate scientific progress, strengthen collaborations, and look ahead to the future. 

It was an immense pleasure to welcome the nearly 3,000 scientists, clinicians, educators, students, early career scientists, and other professionals from 57 countries, including the United States and U.S. minor outlying islands to share discoveries, exchange ideas, challenge existing ideas, build collaborations, mentor emerging scientists, and help shape the future of nutrition science.

My sincere thanks to everyone who attended NUTRITION 2026. The amazing science presented throughout the meeting reflected the hard work, dedication, and innovation of our members and attendees. For those who were unable to join us, I encourage you to take time to view the recorded main lectures and award sessions when they become available in the coming months.

NUTRITION 2026 began with a pre-conference workshop on AI and Precision Nutrition, highlighting NIH’s Nutrition for Precision Health initiative powered by the All of Us Research Program. Scientific sessions throughout the meeting addressed a broad range of topics, including ultra-processed foods, Food is Medicine, infant nutrition, and sustainable food systems. Equally important were the conversations that fostered new ideas, strengthened collaborations, and created opportunities to learn from and mentor the next generation of nutrition scientists.

As I shared during the Opening Session, nutrition science made significant advances in discovery and innovation over the past year while also facing significant challenges. Many members of our community navigated uncertainty surrounding research funding, training opportunities, and scientific careers, along with growing concerns about scientific rigor and integrity, misinformation, and transparency. Protecting the foundations of science, including rigorous peer review, collaboration, open exchange of ideas, and sustained investment in research and workforce development remains essential to future discovery. ASN has consistently championed evidence-based nutrition and will continue to advocate for rigorous, transparent, and trusted science.

During NUTRITION 2026, we also celebrated the people who make our Society exceptional. We remembered members of our community who passed away during the past year, whose scientific achievements, mentorship, and dedication have helped shape our field and will continue to influence future generations. We recognized the second cohort of 69 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows for their outstanding professional achievements and significant contributions to nutrition science, education, and practice. Together with ASN Foundation Chair Paul Coates, I also had the privilege of recognizing the 21 members of the Class of 2026 Distinguished Fellows, who were formally inducted during the Fellows Lunch. Distinguished Fellow is ASN’s highest honor, recognizing members with more than 30 years of dedicated service to the Society whose careers have demonstrated sustained excellence and made enduring contributions to nutrition science. We also celebrated our members with more than 50 years of membership and our past presidents, whose leadership, scholarship, and commitment have helped strengthen our Society, our community, and nutrition science.

Despite the challenges we face, I remain optimistic about the future of our field. Through our continued innovation, creativity, persistence, and dedication to evidence-based nutrition science, we will continue advancing knowledge and discovery, mentoring emerging scientists, improving patient care, and moving nutrition science forward to impact public health.

That commitment to excellence is also reflected in ASN’s four journals, all of which achieved increases in their Impact Factors this year: Advances in Nutrition, The Journal of Nutrition, Current Developments in Nutrition, and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. These achievements are more than performance metrics. They reflect the strength of peer review and the trust placed in scientific rigor, which are essential to improving human nutrition and health and informing policy. Continued progress is only achieved through trust and collaboration. Our field is too complex and multidisciplinary for any one researcher, institution, discipline, or sector to address alone.

Partnerships and collaborations remain central to ASN’s mission, and NUTRITION 2026 demonstrated the value of bringing people together to share ideas, learn from one another, build connections, and support the next generation of nutrition scientists and educators. I am so grateful to the Scientific Program Committee, led by Cristina Palacios, PhD, FASN, and Raz Shaikh, PhD, FASN, and to all of the committee members for developing a first-class scientific program that featured more than 2,000 scientific presentations spanning basic, clinical, translational, and population science over four days.

A great way to start the meeting was the Opening Session, “Dietary Guidance at a Crossroads: Science, Practice, and Innovation,” chaired by Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, DFASN, a pioneer and one of the most respected voices in our field, as well as a Distinguished Fellow, past ASN President, and member of the National Academy of Medicine. The session explored the science that informs dietary guidance, the processes and challenges of translating recommendations into practice, and opportunities to strengthen dietary guidance moving forward. Speakers included members of previous Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committees, Sarah Booth, PhD, Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD, LDN, DFASN, and Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA, who engaged with questions and perspectives from the audience as well as questions submitted in advance of the meeting. The discussion reflected the shared commitment of the panel and audience to advance dietary guidance and emphasized the importance of transparent and constructive dialogue in strengthening both the science and the process of developing dietary guidance.

Other highlights included my Presidential Symposium, “Connect with the Fed” sessions, award lectures, flash talks and poster sessions, professional development activities, networking events for students and early career professionals, and daily ASN event summaries featuring video messages from leaders in academia, government, and organizations across the United States and around the world. The spirit of scientific rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, workforce development, and mentorship was evident throughout the program.

For the first time at an ASN NUTRITION meeting, the Presidential Symposium focused on “One Health in a Global Context: At the Crossroads of Food Systems, Nutrition, and Human Health.” The session gathered global leaders in One Health, food systems, and community impact. Keynote speakers Ismahane Elouafi, PhD, Executive Managing Director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and Tahmeed Hamed, PhD, Executive Director of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), both recognized among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025, shared perspectives on how climate-resilient agriculture, diversified food systems, and locally driven solutions can improve diets and health outcomes, particularly for women and children living in climate-stressed and food-insecure settings.

The NUTRITION 2026 program was comprehensive and transdisciplinary, showcasing rigorous and energizing science across a broad range of topics. The breadth and complexity of the science presented reminded us that meaningful progress requires collaboration, creativity, and a willingness to learn from one another while mentoring the next generation of nutrition scientists. Some of the most meaningful connections happen beyond the formal sessions – through poster presentations, hallway discussions, and informal exchanges. I am so grateful for ASN’s annual meetings because they have opened doors to collaborations that have shaped and catalyzed my own scientific journey. These connections and learning experiences are what make the NUTRITION meetings so special. It is the gathering of the nutrition community to build collaborations, share knowledge, and mentor one another that is ultimately what advances nutrition science and improves health.

2025-2026 Presidential Report

Presidential Vision

My presidential vision was to expand and strengthen ASN’s reach and impact through global partnerships and a One Health approach that connects nutrition with food systems, agriculture, and health.

My priorities were to:

  1. Expand ASN’s leadership role in advocacy, policy, and education in the United States and globally to support its members.
  2. Broaden the scope of nutrition through the transdisciplinary lens of One Health.
  3. Advance ASN’s global connections and partnerships.
  4. Organize regional conferences and workshops on specific topics related to basic and translational nutrition.

Goal 1. Expand ASN’s leadership role in advocacy, policy, and education

ASN membership reached a record-breaking number of over 9,000 members. This growth was supported in part through partnerships with the Academic Nutrition Departments and Programs (ANDP) and American Society for Nutrition Foundation (ASNF) Presidential Student Scholarships, as well as global partnerships.

At the policy level, ASN proactively responded to various proposed federal policies, shared ASN’s expertise with federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and led the Friends of ONR coalition in advocating for a historic increase in funding for the NIH Office of Nutrition Research (ONR) in Fiscal Year 2026.

Goal 2. Broaden the scope of nutrition through the transdisciplinary lens of One Health

I worked to advance One Health as a framework for connecting nutrition with food systems, agriculture, environmental health, and human health.

Key activities included:

  • Co-editing a special issue on “Advancing One Health” for The Journal of Nutrition with Ismahane Elouafi, PhD, and Ron L. Cook, DO, MBA.
  • Presenting on One Health, Food Systems, and Nutrition at international and regional meetings including the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS)-International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) in Paris; the Moroccan Society for Nutrition, Health and Environment meeting; and the Asian American Nutrition & Health Summit 2026, organized by the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Member Interest Group within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
  • Highlighting Global One Health, Food Systems, and Nutrition during the NUTRITION 2026 Presidential Symposium, with additional abstracts addressing One Health.
  • Exploring opportunities for ASN to partner with the North America One Health University Network through my role on its steering committee.

Goal 3. Advance ASN’s global connections and partnerships

A major focus of my presidency was strengthening ASN’s global presence and developing partnerships that support nutrition science, evidence-based nutrition, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and opportunities for early career professionals and student members. Progress included:

  • Established a partnership with the Moroccan Society for Nutrition, Health and Environment (SMNSE) with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in December 2025.
  • Advanced an MOU with the Emirates Nutrition Association (ENA) to discuss co-sponsorship of leadership workshops and scientific conferences.
  • Formalized a strategic alliance with The Obesity Society (TOS) in June 2026.
  • Initiated discussions about additional partnerships with the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB), the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), and the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL).
  • Developed a strategic alliance with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture (FNA) Program Area, which held special sessions during NUTRITION 2026 to update ASN members and attendees on recent restructuring and priorities.
  • Expanded engagement with global organizations through meetings, conferences, and discussions about potential partnerships, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), CGIAR, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS), Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA), and North American Chinese Association for Nutrition (NACAN).

These partnership activities expanded ASN’s visibility and created opportunities to advance nutrition science, evidence-based nutrition, mentoring, education, and professional development.

Goal 4. Organize regional conferences and workshops

A key goal was to re-engage more basic and translational scientists in ASN and expand membership and collaboration through topical conferences and workshops.

ASN engaged with the ANDP community for co-sponsored regional conferences, including co-sponsoring the 22nd Annual Russell Klein Nutrition Research Symposium, held at The Ohio State University on March 31, 2026.

Additional discussions are underway with partner organizations, including SMNSE, ENA, and TOS, to develop regional and global conferences and scientific sessions or workshops focused on topics of shared interest.

Other Important ASN-supported Initiatives

In addition to these presidential priorities, several other important initiatives advanced during the year. These included the LANTERN (Laboratory Animal Nutrition Taskforce for an Education and Research Network) proposed action plan focused on rigor in the design of animal diets, continued partnership and collaboration with ASNF planning for the ASN Centennial in 2028, and record-breaking engagement among Sustaining Partners.

We also celebrated important advances in clinical nutrition including:

Together, these accomplishments strengthen the role of ASN and its affiliated organizations in advancing clinical nutrition and create new opportunities to engage physicians in nutrition science and ASN.

Listening to Our Members

ASN’s 2026 member survey provided valuable insight into the needs and priorities of our community. Members identified nutrition meetings, ASN journals, networking, and opportunities to contribute to the field among the most valued aspects of membership.

Members also identified challenges, including research funding, publishing costs, misinformation, policy and regulatory barriers. Early career members highlighted additional needs, including finding mentors, building professional networks, identifying collaborators, and job hunting.

Overall, satisfaction with the ASN membership experience remained high, although needs and perceived benefits varied across different career stages. Based on this feedback, ASN staff are developing strategies to strengthen engagement with current members, recruit new members, and address concerns and priorities identified through the survey.

A Final Note

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as ASN President and for the dedication of our members, volunteer leaders, and staff throughout the past year. Together, we have strengthened ASN’s reach and impact, built new global partnerships, advanced One Health, and supported our growing community. I am confident that ASN will build on this progress to advance nutrition science and improve health in the years ahead.


I would like to add special thanks to John Courtney, Ph.D., ASN’s Chief Executive Officer for his leadership and support and his collaborative work with ASN leaders, staff, partners and members. No presidential vision would be achieved without John and our highly dedicated staff who in fact are the ones realizing presidential visions time after time and serve the nutrition community to advance science and impact public health.


I am very grateful to thank my family for their unconditional support, and especially my husband for being a great entertainer and first man! Many thanks to Sophia Pena, for her amazing support throughout my presidency and in my regular job! And I am very thankful for Texas Tech University & Texas Tech Health Sciences for their flexibility and great support and to my NIOR lab members for their dedication, patience, and understanding during my presidential year.

ASN Staff