2025 Award Honorees

The ASNF-NNF Henrik Dam Award for Scientific Discovery in Nutrition 

Supported by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. 

Julia Finklestein, ScD, MPH
Cornell University

ASN Foundation Mentorship Award 

The ASN Foundation seeks funding partner(s) to support this award. 

Juan Loor, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

The E. V. McCollum Award 

The ASN Foundation seeks funding partner(s) to support this award. 

Leanne Redman, PhD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center  

The Excellence in Nutrition Education Award 

The ASN Foundation seeks funding partner(s) to support this award. 

Lindsey Smith Taillie, PhD, MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition Innovation Award 

This award is endowed by the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. 

Lauren Au, PhD, RDN, University of California, Davis 

Haleon Consumer Healthcare Nutritional Science Award 

This award is supported by Haleon. 

Kyla Shea, PhD, Tufts University USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging 

Korean Nutrition Society (KNS) Award  

The ASN Foundation seeks funding partner(s) to support this award. 

Sungeun Choi, PhD, RDN, Queens College, The City University of New York 

Nutrition Society of Taiwan Award 

The ASN Foundation seeks funding partner(s) to support this award. 

Mei Chung, PhD, MPH, Tufts University 

The Journal of Nutrition’s Milton L. Sunde Award  

This award is endowed by the Sunde Family.   

In-Ovo Glutamine Administration Enhances Intestinal Development and Functions in Broiler Chickens: Insights from Enteroid Models

First Author: Liang-En Yu, PhD, University of Delaware 

Corresponding Author: Yihang Li, PhD, University of Delaware 

The Journal of Nutrition’s Malden Nesheim Nutrition Landscape Award 

This award is sponsored by Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. 

A History of the Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in the Americas: A Dramatic Achievement and Lessons Learned

First Author: Eduardo A. Pretell, MD, Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University, Lima, Peru 

Corresponding Author: Elizabeth N. Pearce, MD, MSc, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine 

Gerber Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship 

This award is endowed by The Gerber Foundation. 

Joelle Sfeir, BS, Texas A&M University 

Haleon Predoctoral Fellowship  

This award is supported by Haleon Consumer Healthcare. 

Sylvia Lee, MS, Colorado State University 

ASNF Undergraduate Diversity Research Fellowship   

This award is supported by the ASN Foundation and its generous donors.  

2025-2026 Class of Undergraduate Diversity Research Fellows will be announced at NUTRITION 2025. 

Hushyar Azari, MD, Texas Tech University

Combined Effects of Fish Oil Supplementation and High-Intensity Interval Training on Lipid Profiles in Individuals With Overweight or Obesity: Preliminary Results

Tori Holthaus, BS, RD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Feasibility of a MIND Diet Protocol with Remote Meal Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Ian En Kai Mak, BS, National University of Singapore

The Influence of Different Types of Higher Protein Intakes With a Healthy Dietary Pattern on Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites in Older Adults: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Samuel Attu, MPHIL, BS, University of Arkansas

Protein and/or Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Reduces Inflammation and Improves Lipid Profiles in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Karla Guzman, University of California, Davis

Nutrition Supplement Use Among Lactating Mothers in the MOM2CHild Cohort

Nour Hammad, MS, RDN, Harvard University

Weight Bias Internalization, Weight Controllability Beliefs, and Probable Eating Disorder Associations Among Medical Students at a Private University

Everson Nunes, PhD, McMaster University

Comparative Effects of Lacto-Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Muscle Protein Synthesis and Plasma Metabolomics in Healthy Older Adults at and Above the RDA

Shannon Conrey, PhD, MS, Case Western Reserve University

Human Milk Lead Levels in a Cohort of Midwestern Infants: Preliminary Results From the MOM2CHild Study

Samaneh Farsijani, PhD, RD, University of Pittsburgh

Association of Eating Window With Mortality Among US Adults: Insights From a Nationally Representative Study

Sika Kumordzie, PhD, University of California, Davis

Household Use of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes Increased Iron Status Among Children 2–5 Y of Age in Northern Ghana: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Aging and Chronic Disease

Samuel Attu, MPHIL, BS, University of Arkansas

Protein and/or Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Reduces Inflammation and Improves Lipid Profiles in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hye Won Han, Texas A&M University

Intermittent Fasting Improves Aging Immunity by Reprogramming Systemic Myeloid Lineage and Tissue Inflammation

Da-Yeon Lee, Oklahoma State University

Deletion of Cannabinoid 1 Receptor Promotes Healthy Aging by Reducing Hepatic Steatosis in Aged Mice

Gahyun (Josie) Lim, BS, MS, Emory University

Sex- and Diet- Dependent Effects of Microbiome-Derived Metabolite δ-Valerobetaine on Aging

Md Abu Bakkar Siddik, PhD, Texas Tech University

Safety Assessment of a Potential Anti-diabetic Agent in a Pre-clinical Model

Carotenoids and Retinoids

Indraja Gaddam, MS, University of Connecticut

Xanthophylls and Carotenes Differentially Influence Regulatory T Cell Differentiation

Megumi Seese, PhD, RD, Baylor College of Medicine

Total Serum Carotenoid Concentrations Increase Across Pregnancy in Healthy Participants From Houston, TX, USA

Climate, Food Systems, Diet, Nutrition and Health

Nilendra Nair, PhD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Metabolomic Profiles of a Planetary Health Diet and Associations With Cardiometabolic Risk: The Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study

Amy Parkhurst, MS, University of California, Davis

Adverse Effects of Nanoplastics Administration on the Metabolic Profile and Glucose Control in Mice

Clinical Nutrition

David Alvarado, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Effects of Soluble Corn Fiber Consumption on Cognitive Function and Gastrointestinal Microbiota

Bruna de Vargas, South Dakota State University

A DGA-Style Diet Featuring Pulses as the Primary Protein Improves Iron Storage, Reduces Inflammation and Body Weight: A Randomized Controlled Feeding Trial

Morganne Smith, MS, Illinois Tech

Effects of Chronic Intake of Black Beans and Chickpeas on Metabolic and Inflammatory Markers in Adults With Pre-diabetes

Chien Hsien Wu, MD, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare

MTHFR C677T Polymorphism and Red Blood Cell Folate Concentrations Modifying the Risks of Hepatic Steatosis: A Taiwan Case-Control Study

Community and Public Health Nutrition

Janaki Dave, BS, The Ohio State University

Maternal Substance Use Is Associated With Child Food Security Status Among Homeless Young Mothers and Their Children

Danielle Gartner, MPH, Tulane University School of Public Health

Assessing the Moderating Effects of Unmet Social Needs on the Relationship between Cooking Frequency and Self-Rated Diet Quality

Nour Hammad, MS, RDN, Harvard University

Weight Bias Internalization, Weight Controllability Beliefs, and Probable Eating Disorder Associations Among Medical Students at a Private University

Jazmine Mensah, University of Illinois Chicago

Greenlining: Developing a Partnership for Community-Based Participatory Research to Promote Healthy Eating on the South Side of Chicago

Prince Osei, MS, University of Georgia

Potential of Automatic Ingestion Monitor (AIM-2) for Dietary Assessment in Rural and Urban Children in Ghana

Tianli Wang, University of Georgia

The Interactive Effect of Prenatal Vitamin D Status and Maternal Obesity on Birth Outcomes among US Black Women

Diet and Cancer

Yan Ning Li, BS, RD, University of Texas at Austin

Ultra-High Dose Oral ω3 Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) or Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Block Tumorigenesis in a MYCN-Driven Neuroblastoma Model

Zhongyao Li, RD, Tufts University

Impact of Medically Tailored Meal Plus Nutrition Counseling on Diet Quality and Weight in Vulnerable Lung Cancer Patients: Results From NutriCare Randomized Controlled Trial

Dietary Bioactive Components

Warda Elamad, BS, Georgia State University

Effects of Blueberry Supplementation on Markers of Cognitive Function and Behavior in UM-HET3 Mice Fed a High-Fat, High-Sucrose, High-Salt Diet

Truc Le, BS, University at Buffalo

Influence of Dietary Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplementation During Obese Pregnancies on Maternal Postpartum Metabolic Health

Imani Muhammad, BS, University of California, Davis

BDNF Homeostasis Upon Consumption of a High Fat Meal: Modulation by Anthocyanins

Rami Najjar, PhD, Georgia State University

A Plant-Based Diet Reversed Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction (CMD) via Both Endothelial-Dependent and Endothelial-Independent Mechanisms

Najjuwah Walden, MSW, Washington University in St. Louis

Epidemiological Model Investigating the Role of Anti-neuroinflammatory Food Intake on Perinatal Depression Severity

Fenglei Wang, PhD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Multi-layered Investigation of Dietary Phytosterol Intake in Relation to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Stephanie Wilson, PhD, Texas A&M IHA; Montana State University

Association Between Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Polyphenol-Utilizing Bacteria in Healthy Adults

Haihan Zeng, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University

Effects of EPA/DHA on Atherosclerosis, Immune Cells, and Inflammation in Female Mice: 12/15-Lipoxygenase-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

Energy and Macronutrient Metabolism

Kaja Falkenhain, PhD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

The Effect of Leptin Phenotypes on Weight Change and Energy Expenditure Responses to Acute and Prolonged Positive or Negative Energy Balance

Matthew Gorton, BS, Oklahoma State University

The Impact of Insulinogenic and Branched-Chain Amino Acids Depletion on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in HepG2 Cells

Everson Nunes, PhD, McMaster University

Comparative Effects of Lacto-Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Muscle Protein Synthesis and Plasma Metabolomics in Healthy Older Adults at and Above the RDA

Nadine Veasley, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Fiber’s Utilization for Energy and Life (FUEL): A Randomized, Controlled Feeding Trial Assessing Metabolizable Energy of the Diet With and Without High Fiber Cereal

Experimental/Companion Animal Nutrition

Connor Buchanan, MS, University of Guelph

n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Exposure Influences Notch 3 Protein Expression in Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells

Global Nutrition

Leila Harrison, MPH, Emory University

Evaluation of Maternal Hemoglobin Cutoffs During Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: BRINDA Project

Davrina Rianda, University of California, Davis

Identification of Growth Trajectories in Early Life: A Comparative Study of Malawi and the United States

Selin Sergin, BS, Emory University

Impact of Fortified Milk​ on Diet, Nutritional Status, and Functional Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Maternal, Perinatal and Pediatric Nutrition

Irma Castro-Navarro, PhD, University of Idaho

Association of Maternal Cannabis Use With the Macronutrient Composition of Human Milk

Hussain Chharawalla, PhD, University of California, Davis

Metabolic Health, Food Security Status, and Healthy Eating Index-2020 Scores of Pregnant U.S. Women in NHANES 2009-2023

Karla Guzman, University of California, Davis

Nutrition Supplement Use Among Lactating Mothers in the MOM2CHild Cohort

Synneva Hagen-Lillevik, PhD, MS, RD, University of Denver

A Higher Complex Carbohydrate Diet in Gestational Diabetes Lowers Daytime Glucose and Associates With Reduced Neonatal Adiposity

Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan, MPH, University of South Carolina

Maternal Hemoglobin Concentrations and Their Associations With Obstetric and Nutritional Factors During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Findings From Uttar Pradesh, India

Elisabeth Larson, MS, Cornell University

Novel Insights Into Choline and Methyl Donor Nutrients: Mitigating Inflammation During Pregnancy

Preciosa Martinez-Motta, PhD, MS, RD/LDN, RN, Florida International University

The Relationship Between Changes in Measures of Body Adiposity and Changes in Blood Lipid Parameters in Children and Adolescents Enrolled in the MetA-Bone Trial

Summer Messer, BS, University of Texas

Breast Milk Saturated Fatty Acids Are Directly Influenced by Dietary Intake: A Test of Beef Versus Coconut Oil-Based Substitute Beef

Hannah Petry, BS, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fetal Liver Weight Is Negatively Associated With Maternal Plasma Lipid Metabolites in a Mouse Model of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Choline Supplementation

Mercy Sosanya, PhD, University at Buffalo

Impact of the BabyThrive Gaming App on Maternal Infant and Young Child Feeding Attitudes and Practices and Child (0 – 2 Years) Anthropometrics

Penias Tembo, MD, MPH, University of South Carolina

Longitudinal Association Between Perceived Racial Discrimination and Diet-Associated Inflammation in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study

Busayo Oladun, BS, MS, Arizona State University

Hypothalamic JMJD3-Mediated Epigenetic Regulation of Leptin Signaling Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity

Merina Dahal, Arizona State University

Direct Injection of Mirabegron Into Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue for Combating Obesity in Overweight and Obese Mice

Judy Kim, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Impact of Weight Cycling on Metabolic Adaptation, GLP-1 Regulation and Epigenetic Modifications

Nithya Krishnakumar, BS, University of California, Davis

Diet Quality, Gut Microbiota, and Inflammation as Predictors of Fecal sIgA in Adults

Carmen Arrington, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Genetic Risk, Diet, and Lifestyle: Differential Contributions to DXA Body Composition Phenotypes in a Nutritional Cohort

Mariola Grez-Capdeville, PhD, Indiana University Indianapolis

GOS Regulates Bone Mineralization and Ossification Pathways in Intestinal Myeloid Cells: Novel Insights Into the Gut-Bone Axis in Estrogen Deficiency

Jaeeun Lee, PhD, University of Connecticut

Adipocyte-Specific Deletion of Histon Deacetylase 9 Reduces Adiposity but Triggers Glucose Intolerance, Hyperglycemia, and Hyperlipidemia in Male Obese Mice

Karolline May, PhD, University of Washington

Combined Prebiotic Dietary Inulin and VSL#3 Probiotics Modulate Gut Metabolites to Improve Energy Balance and Glucose Metabolism in Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Lisa Merrill, ScD, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Development and Validation of Culturally Adapted Inflammation Scores in Puerto Rican Adults

Summer Messer, BS, University of Texas

Breast Milk Saturated Fatty Acids Are Directly Influenced by Dietary Intake: A Test of Beef Versus Coconut Oil-Based Substitute Beef

Elina Dawoodani, MS, Purdue University

Encapsulated Ferrous Fumarate Double Fortified Salt Improves Iron Status and Reduces Iron Deficiency Anemia in Women of Reproductive Age in Madhya Pradesh, India

Leila Humphreys, Virginia Commonwealth University

Mortality and Heart Failure Exacerbations With Incretin-Mimetic Drugs for Weight Loss in Patients With Obesity-Related Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan, MPH, University of South Carolina

Maternal Hemoglobin Concentrations and Their Associations With Obstetric and Nutritional Factors During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Findings From Uttar Pradesh, India