Member Spotlight: Cristina Palacios, PhD

The nutrition community is made up of individuals with diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas. This diversity is the fundamental strength of our professional society. Through this member spotlight series, we celebrate our diversity and the vast achievements made by our members in the field.

Meet Dr. Cristina Palacios, currently professor and chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work at Florida International University. In a conversation with ASN’s Member Engagement Coordinator, Sara Genell, learn more about Dr. Palacios’s longstanding involvement with ASN’s meeting for the past 25+ years leading to her current service on ASN’s Scientific Program Committee for NUTRITION 2025, as well as the importance of a health equity lens while serving on the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Sara Genell: Thank you, Dr. Palacios, for participating in this Member Spotlight Interview! For those who haven’t met you, can you briefly introduce yourself and feel free to share what sparked your interest in nutrition science?

Dr. Cristina Palacios: Thank you, Sara, for having me. I am a professor and the chair of the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work at Florida International University. My interest in nutrition science started in my sophomore year of high school when I did a research project on how diet impacts fecal habits as part of a science class.

Genell: I’m curious when and how you became involved in ASN. Can you share a little about your journey within ASN?

Dr. Palacios: I got involved with ASN when I was completing my master’s at Purdue University in 1997; I’ve been a member ever since. I began as a student member, transitioned to post-doc, early career, and then mid-career member. I have attended all annual NUTRITION conferences – though I may have missed two or three since 1997. I’ve used the conferences to present my most recent work.

Genell: You serve on our Scientific Program Committee for NUTRITION 2025. Can you touch a little bit on your role on this committee? What are you most excited or passionate about being included in the meeting?

Dr. Palacios: I am thrilled to contribute to shaping this year’s conference as part of the committee. I look forward to aligning key topics for the main symposia with the submitted abstracts, ensuring they complement insights from experts with the latest research. One theme I’m particularly excited to see featured is “Dietary Patterns” and “Obesity.” In our work with the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, we identified key dietary patterns—such as skipped breakfasts in children and late-night snacking in adults—that are associated with obesity. I’m also keen to see more research on the intake of ultra-processed foods and snacks, and their impact on both diet quality and obesity. Moreover, our committee’s findings emphasize that most Americans are far from achieving a healthy diet. This makes me especially interested in the theme of “Nutrition Education and Behavioral Science,” as it presents an opportunity to explore novel interventions that can improve diet quality and help prevent the growing public health issue of obesity.

Genell: How do you empower your students to get involved in ASN? How have your students benefited from participating in NUTRITION, ASN’s annual flagship meeting?

Dr. Palacios: All my students submit their work yearly to ASN. This is actually a requirement for being in my group. Also, our department pays for the abstract fees of all PhD students, and our college pays for their posters. We also have several travel scholarships to support their involvement.

Genell: I am so glad to hear about all the resources and opportunities your department provides for the students! Switching gears a bit, you’ve worked for many years in developing nutritional guidelines for infants and pregnant women. What research gaps did you uncover when serving on the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee regarding the nutrition evidence for pregnant women and infant feeding?

Dr. Palacios: There were several important research gaps found as part of this work, but one that stands out was the lack of studies examining how the types and timing of complementary foods impact weight gain or obesity in infants. Another critical gap is the persistent disconnect between dietary recommendations and actual intake. Despite the guidance of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most Americans are not meeting these recommendations, highlighting the need for more research on effective behavioral and implementation strategies to improve diet quality. One promising approach we explored in our work was “Culturally tailored dietary interventions.” We discovered several innovative interventions being implemented across the U.S., and we’re excited to share some of these insights in a session at NUTRITION 2025.

Genell: Your work in nutrition and public health has had an emphasis on Hispanic/Latino populations. How will the focus of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on health equity allow the guidance to be better received by Hispanic and Latino populations?

Dr. Palacios: By applying a health equity lens throughout the report, we believe it will provide valuable guidance not only for Hispanic and Latino populations but also for other minority groups. However, it is important to note that there were instances where sufficient research on minority populations was lacking, highlighting the need for further studies to better include these groups in future DGAC reports.

ASN Staff