Member Spotlight: Stephen R. Hennigar, 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 Stephen R. Hennigar, PhD, Associate Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, longtime ASN member, and dedicated volunteer. Dr. Hennigar’s research focuses on generating evidence to inform dietary guidelines and public health policies related to micronutrient intake, with an emphasis on preventing and treating iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in vulnerable populations.

From his first presentation at the ASN annual meeting in 2008 to his current role on the Scientific Program Committee (SPC) for NUTRITION 2026, Dr. Hennigar’s ASN involvement reflects a sustained commitment to scientific exchange and community. Now mentoring trainees of his own, he continues to champion the value of presenting, connecting, and building professional networks at NUTRITION.

In a conversation with ASN’s Member Engagement Coordinator, Sara Genell, Dr. Hennigar shares his nutrition journey, practical advice for submitting abstracts, and a sneak peek at what to expect from the NUTRITION 2026 program.

Sara Genell: Thank you so much, Dr. Hennigar, for taking the time to participate in this spotlight. For those who haven’t met you, can you briefly introduce yourself?

Dr. Stephen R. Hennigar:  I grew up in rural Maine, and those early experiences really shaped my interest in nutrition science and eventually a career in academia. In the early 70’s, my grandparents moved from New York City to Maine and started a small, self-sufficient farm, where they produced much of their own food and ran a summer yarn and art shop using wool from their sheep. My grandmother was especially passionate about good nutrition, and that stuck with me. My parents also influenced what I do today in different ways. My mom was an incredible teacher, and seeing the impact she had on her students early on sparked my interest in education. My dad was a very successful civil engineer and project manager and watching him lead complex projects is similar in many ways to managing a lab and research studies.  

Genell: What sparked your interest in nutrition science, particularly micronutrient metabolism? 

Dr. Hennigar: As an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire, I got involved in research and later completed a summer internship at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) in James McClung’s lab, where I developed an interest in micronutrient metabolism. That interest ultimately led me to Penn State to join Shannon Kelleher’s lab for my graduate training, where I studied zinc metabolism. After that, I returned to USARIEM for a postdoctoral fellowship that focused on iron metabolism. 

Now, I am an Associate Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. My research program focuses on generating evidence to inform dietary guidelines and public health policies related to micronutrient intake. Our work primarily focuses on strategies to prevent and treat iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in vulnerable populations. On-going studies include a study designed to establish dietary iron requirements in a diverse sample of US adults, studies designed to optimize iron recommendations in lipid-based nutrient supplements for children with undernutrition, a study investigating hepcidin as a regulator of decreased iron absorption with physical activity, and a study that continues our work to evaluate alternative iron sources in infection-prone settings. 

Genell: At what point in your career did you get involved with ASN and how has your career evolved through your membership? 

Dr. Hennigar: I first got involved with ASN as an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire when my advisor, Tony Tagliaferro, encouraged me to present my research at the annual meeting in San Diego in 2008. At the time, ASN was part of the Experimental Biology meeting, and as a nutrition science student who wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do, that experience was a turning point. I’ve been an ASN member ever since and have attended the annual meeting regularly since 2010. Over time, my involvement has grown alongside my career, from serving as a student representative and postdoctoral representative to taking on leadership roles within ASN GEMs and contributing to scientific programming for recent NUTRITION meetings.  

Now more than ever, ASN’s emphasis on rigorous, high-quality nutrition science; evidence-based action and policy; and core values of respect, integrity, diversity, and inclusion is what makes it such a valuable professional home for students and scientists at all stages.  

Genell: You are currently serving a position on the Scientific Program Committee (SPC) for NUTRITION 2026 – can you tell us a little bit about your role?  

Dr. Hennigar: I think it’s helpful for ASN members, especially students and early-career members, to understand how the meeting program comes together. The SPC is primarily responsible for guiding the selection of featured sessions, which include about 12 scientific symposia this year. These are just one part of the meeting and don’t include the many other sessions, such as the oral and poster abstract presentations, award lectures, career and professional development sessions, and GEM forums.  

Each fall, ASN invites members to submit ideas for featured sessions. The submission process is pretty straightforward, and the ideas don’t need to be fully developed, so I’d really encourage people to submit ideas in the future. ASN staff compile all the submissions, and the SPC discusses and votes on them. This year, we received 155 sessions ideas and are working now to narrow those down to the final 12.  

Genell: What are you most excited about in the NUTRITION 2026 program – can you give us a sneak peek?  

Dr. Hennigar: I’m really excited about what we have so far for NUTRITION 2026. The featured sessions span a wide range of topics from AI and dietary assessment to emerging in vitro and in silico methods in nutrition research. There’s a good mix of basic and applied science and I think something for everyone. That said, I’m always most excited about the abstract talks and posters. These presentations often turn into papers that we ultimately end up reading in ASN journals, like The Journal of Nutrition and American Journal of Clinician Nutrition.  

Genell: How does abstract quality influence how research is showcased at the NUTRITION meeting, and what makes an abstract stand out? 

Dr. Hennigar: Abstract quality directly influences how research is showcased at the NUTRITION meeting. Abstracts that receive the highest scores are typically selected for oral presentations, while others are programmed as posters. 

One challenge is that, as scientists, we’re often deep in the weeds on a specific protein, pathway, or nutrient and can forget that not everyone, even those within nutrition, is as familiar with our topic as we are. Abstracts are scored by volunteer reviewers who may or may not be experts in your specific area, using a scale from 1 to 10. Because of that, clarity really matters. Strong abstracts clearly communicate the question, the approach, and why the findings matter to a broad nutrition audience. 

Genell: What practical advice would you offer to researchers who want to submit a standout abstract? 

Dr. Hennigar: My biggest pieces of advice are to carefully follow the abstract formatting instructions and to write as clearly and simply as possible so that someone with broad nutrition knowledge can understand both the science and its implications.  

More generally, the strength of the program depends on members submitting ideas and abstracts. Nutrition is an incredibly broad field, so not every topic can be featured in symposia each year, but that shouldn’t discourage anyone from attending or submitting their work. At last year’s meeting alone, more than 1,500 abstracts were presented. If you’d like to see more content in a specific area, encourage colleagues to submit their work as well. A critical mass of high-quality abstracts is often what allows a topic area to grow into a mini-symposium or featured session in future meetings. 

Genell: How has sharing your work with the ASN community influenced your research or career? 

Dr. Hennigar: Three experiences really shaped my career in nutrition science. First was meeting, and continually trying to keep up with, my wife, Claire Berryman, who is also an Associate Professor at Pennington and ASN member. Second was attending the Dannon Nutrition Leadership Institute (which ran from 1998-2017), and the third has been my involvement with ASN. My first oral presentation at the annual meeting was in 2010, when I was a first-year PhD student presenting at an oral session on zinc. I still remember my first question coming from one of the world’s leading experts on zinc metabolism. I completely blacked out, but I also couldn’t believe that someone whose papers I read so closely would take the time to ask a question about my work. That moment really captures what I value about ASN. You see many of the same people year after year, and there’s a genuine willingness, especially from senior scientists, to support and engage with trainees. Sharing my work at ASN has not only shaped my confidence as a scientist, but also helped me build lasting professional relationships that have influenced my career in meaningful ways.  

Genell: How have ASN NUTRITION meetings benefited your trainees, and how do you encourage their involvement? 

Dr. Hennigar: It’s always a proud moment to watch trainees present their work at the NUTRITION meeting and start building their professional career and networks. I’ve seen firsthand how these experiences benefit students over time. One example is David Barney, a former PhD student in my lab, who is the incoming Chair of the Vitamins & Minerals GEM. Seeing trainees grow into leadership roles like that is incredibly rewarding as a mentor. 

Mentoring trainees is the most rewarding part of my job, and I really try to encourage my trainees to take advantage of the opportunities ASN offers. I think about how much ASN has shaped my own career and try to pay that forward by helping students get involved early, whether that’s attending the annual meeting, participating in ASN activities, or getting involved in ASN GEMs. 

Genell: What advice would you give students and early-career members about getting involved and choosing what’s right for them? 

Dr. Hennigar: My advice is to start by getting involved in a GEM that aligns with your interests. For me, the Global Nutrition Council aligns closely with my research and values. Over the past year, cuts to foreign aid have had serious consequences for global nutrition, particularly for vulnerable populations. These cuts threaten progress in preventing undernutrition, controlling infectious diseases, and supporting long-term economic stability. Being involved with the Global Nutrition Council allows me to help advocate for global nutrition research at a time when it’s needed more than ever.  

GEMs are also great way to meet like-minded people and peers at a similar career stage. They help build leadership skills and contribute to the society in a meaningful way. More broadly, I think it’s important to stay engaged with professional societies like ASN throughout your career. ASN has been a constant presence throughout my training and career, providing opportunities for mentorship, leadership, and professional growth. 

ASN Staff