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. Paul Coates, the current Chair of the ASN Foundation Board of Trustees and a prominent leader within the Society and the broader field of nutrition. Dr. Coates has a longstanding history of service and achievement, including receiving the prestigious Conrad A. Elvehjem Award for Public Service in Nutrition in 2011 and being elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition in 2013. His contributions to ASN are extensive, having served as Associate Editor for The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition from 2008 to 2018, as well as holding multiple roles on the ASN Board of Directors since 2013, including Treasurer (2015–2018) and President (2021–2022).
In this conversation with ASN’s Member Engagement Coordinator, Sara Genell, Dr. Coates shares his goals for the Foundation and discusses how it is “Creating the Future of Nutrition.”
Sara Genell: Hello Dr. Coates, thank you for participating in this Member Spotlight Interview. For those who have not yet had the pleasure of meeting you, please introduce yourself.
Dr. Paul Coates: I’m Paul Coates, currently Adjunct Professor of Applied Health Science at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. I retired as Director of the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) in 2018 after 19 years in that role. Prior to my time at the NIH, I was a Research Professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry/Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. My research addressed genetic disorders of human lipid metabolism, specifically lipoprotein turnover and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.
Genell: What drew you to the field of nutrition science, research, and practice? At what point in your career did you join ASN?
Dr. Coates: I went to the NIH in 1993 to learn how extramural funding worked at the largest funder of biomedical science in the world. I loved it there and gradually moved from diabetes research program administration in NIDDK to nutrition research and policy work in the then-Division of Nutrition Research Coordination, and finally to directing the ODS. I became a member of ASN in 1997 because of my work in nutrition science and policy. And I’ve never left.
Genell: You’ve achieved many accomplishments within ASN, most notably, President 2021-2022, Distinguished Fellow Class of 2013, and presently, the Chair of the ASN Foundation Board of Trustees. What has motivated you to remain involved in ASN through your career and what has been one of your highlights?
Dr. Coates: Even though my career started out quite differently, I have been welcomed by the nutrition community – and by ASN in particular; I want to return the favor.
I have been involved in one level of leadership or another at ASN since 2013, when I joined the ASN Board of Directors as liaison to the FASEB Board. I have held various Board positions since then, becoming President in 2021. During my term as President, I helped to reinvigorate the ASN Foundation, working with its leadership team to develop a strategic plan and operating principles. I think that leadership team, with Cathie Woteki as its Chair, has created a wonderful opportunity for the Foundation to be a champion for nutrition science. They created the tagline “Creating the Future of Nutrition”, which I think perfectly captures what the Foundation should be aiming for.
Genell: What are your top priorities as the Chair of the Foundation Board of Trustees and how does the Foundation Board plan to achieve these goals? What ongoing or new initiatives led by the Foundation are you most passionate about?
Dr. Coates: The ASN Foundation Strategic Plan has three main pillars: 1) support innovative science to improve health; 2) trigger evidence-based changes to food and health systems; and 3) enhance operational effectiveness and visibility of the Foundation goals and activities, generating funding for the resources needed to implement those goals. If you are interested in learning more about the ASN Foundation’s strategic plan, please visit our website.
As the current Chair, I see the Foundation continuing to thrive as the home for ASN individual awards and the Fellows program, something it has done for years. We’ve already made strides in modernizing and elevating the awards program, working with ASN staff to enhance the opportunities for recognition of our members at all career stages. This has been especially true at the mid-career level, where we, along with the ASN Membership Committee, created the Excellence in Nutrition Fellow Recognition Program. In addition, this week we announced two new awards in collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation to celebrate ASN member achievements in both basic and clinical nutrition science.
I would like the Foundation to become increasingly engaged in identifying and raising funds for innovative projects in nutrition science that will advance the public health. I am also very excited about how the Foundation can play a role in career development of ASN members at all stages. We have begun to think about some approaches, such as a leadership institute, as well as ways to enhance opportunities for scientists from under-represented groups in our community. We welcome your input on mechanisms to advance these ideas.
Genell: How does the ASN Foundation support all of ASN’s members from different geographical, educational, financial, and professional backgrounds?
Dr. Coates: We support ASN members through awards and fellowships and by developing research programs with other organizations. We want to expand the reach of the Foundation with novel ideas for enhancing research, leadership, and communication skills of all members, in the US and around the world.
Genell: Lastly, what advice would you give to someone looking to get more involved with ASN and the Foundation?
Dr. Coates: There are so many opportunities for members to become engaged in ASN and, by extension, ASNF activities, beginning as students and working through all career stages. I recommend identifying activities that you would like to be involved in (Student Interest Group; Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access or IDEA; Groups Engaging Members or GEMS) and approach their leadership to offer your talents. Take a chance! You will learn a lot, develop and sustain collaborations with others, and enhance your leadership skills. Meet up with ASN and ASNF leadership at meetings and talk with them about your plans. You will always find a willing ear. I certainly look forward to meeting you.
Funding for all of these activities will be crucial to their success. We urge you to consider donating to the Foundation, especially during this Season of Giving.
