Presidential priorities include increasing retention of mid-career scientists in the field and forging partnerships to effectively address important gaps in nutrition research.
Rockville, MD – July 8, 2024 – The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) welcomes Sarah L. Booth, PhD, as President for the 2024-2025 year, as well as new members of the ASN Board of Directors. Dr. Booth’s term began July 3, 2024. She succeeds Kevin Schalinske, PhD who continues to serve on the Board of Directors as Past President.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Booth as our President for the upcoming year,” said John Courtney, PhD, ASN’s Chief Executive Officer. “She has demonstrated exceptional leadership at ASN and in the nutrition field. Her dedication and proactive approach will ensure that ASN continues to evolve to support our growing membership and the field of nutrition.”
Dr. Booth is the Director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (HNRCA), Senior Scientist at the HNRCA, and a professor in the Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is also Chair of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. She earned her PhD from McGill University in Canada. An international leader in Vitamin K research, Dr. Booth has devoted her career to establishing new methods and paradigms to advance knowledge of vitamin K requirements and metabolism, in addition to the association of low vitamin K and D levels and risk of dementia related diseases. Dr. Booth has been a member of ASN since 1996 and has served as Treasurer, member of various committees and task forces, Deputy Editor of Current Developments in Nutrition and Associate Editor of Advances in Nutrition. She was awarded the 2018 ASN E.V. McCollum Award and the 2016 ASN Volunteer of the Year Award in addition to other honors in the broader nutrition community.
“It is such an honor for me to step into the role of President and I would like to give my enthusiastic thanks to Kevin Schalinske for his outstanding leadership,” said Sarah Booth. “His dedication to pedagogy and in engaging with student and early career professionals is so important to the future of our field, not to mention his work to elevate our journal portfolio which positions ASN well for the future. I look forward to building on what he has established and am elated that Kevin will continue on the ASN Board in his capacity as Past President.”
Dr. Booth discussed her presidential priorities with members during ASN’s annual business meeting held this past week at NUTRITION 2024 in Chicago. Her agenda focuses on promoting professional success and retention of mid-career scientists in the field of nutrition, and stimulating engagement among federal agencies, the private sector, and researchers to more effectively address important knowledge gaps in nutrition. These plans will further progress on the society’s strategic plan for its 100-year anniversary in 2028 and its mission to advance the science, education, and practice of nutrition.
2024 Leadership Transition
President
Sarah L. Booth, PhD, Tufts University
Past President
Kevin Schalinske, PhD, Iowa State University
Vice President
Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa, PhD, FTOS, FAHA, Texas Tech University
Vice President-Elect
Keith West, DrPH, MPH, Johns Hopkins University
Secretary
Laura Murray-Kolb, PhD, Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University
Treasurer-Elect
Robert Bertolo, PhD, University of Newfoundland
Director-At-Large for Food & Nutrition Policy
Alison Brown, PhD, RDN, National Institutes of Health
Director-At-Large for Science Translation
Angela Odoms-Young, PhD, Cornell University
Director-At-Large, Nutrition Science Mechanisms
Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD, University of Alabama
ASN elects new leadership positions every year. Candidates include the most highly respected professors, researchers, and clinicians, with rich backgrounds in generating new nutrition knowledge, community engagement, public policy advocacy, and academic leadership across a broad spectrum of nutritional science areas.
