Movers and Shakers
American Society for Nutrition Welcomes New Awardees
The American Society for Nutrition's first annual meeting was held in San Francisco in early April. This year, the Centrum Nutrition Science Award went to Dr Mark Levine of the National Institutes of Health for his work in vitamin C. Dr Irwin Rosenberg, Dean Emeritus of Tufts Freidman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, received the Elvehjem Award for Public Service, sponsored by Kraft Foods, for his distinguished career in international nutrition and his work with nutrient requirements. Dr Hei Sook Sul of the Department of Nutritional Science and Technology at the University of California at Berkley received the Osborne and Mendel Award donated by ILSI North America for her work in lypogenesis and adipogenesis. Dr Janos Zempleni of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, received the Mead Johnson Award for Research in Nutrition for his work on the effects of biotin on histones. The Dannon Institute Mentorship Award went to Dr R. Lee Baldwin of the University of California at Davis. Dr Xinfu Guan of Baylor College of Medicine received the Peter Reeds Memorial Award for his work on macronutrient metabolism. The ELR Stokstad Award for outstanding fundamental research in nutrition went to Dr Kevin Schalinske from Iowa State University for his work on carotinoids.
The first recipient of the Vernon Young Award sponsored by Ajinomoto Co was given to Dr Douglas Padden-Jones of the University of Texas at Galveston for his work on muscular protein synthesis and breakdown. Dr Vernon Young was a member of Nutrition Today's Editorial Advisory Board, and he is sorely missed by all of us. Dr Kathy Rasmussen of Cornell University received the Excellence in Teaching Award, sponsored by the Wadsworth-Thompson Corporation, for her work as an outstanding teacher. Dr Virginia Stallings received the EV McCollum Award for her clinical nutrition research on children with chronic disease. Virginia is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania and is a member of our Editorial Advisory Board. Dr Alice Lichtenstein of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy received the Robert H. Herman Memorial Award for her contributions to the field of cardiovascular nutritional health. Dr Sharon Donovan of Perdue University won the Norman Kretchmer Memorial Award for her work in public health. Dr W. Allan Walker of Harvard Medical School received the Roland L. Weinsier Award for Excellence in Medicine and Dentistry. And last but not the least, Nanci Hellmich of USA Today received the Nutrition Science Journalism Award. Congratulations to all!
American Society for Nutrition Announces 2006 Fellows
Congratulations are in order for the 2006 American Society for Nutrition Fellows who were honored at a special luncheon in San Francisco. This year's roster includes the following:
* Dr Gary Beecher (retired), Research Chemist, Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, ARS/USDA, Beltsville, Md. Dr Beecher has contributed as a researcher, a leader, and a mentor. As a researcher, he is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of phytonutrients.
* Dr Donald Beitz, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture; Professor, Departments of Animal Science, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University. Achievements in Dr Beitz' scientific research include the areas of fat deposition in meat animals, the etiology of the porcine stress syndrome, vitamin D3 and meat tenderness, fatty liver and ketosis, animal products and human health, mitochondrial genetics and animal productivity, prevention and etiology of milk fever, unique technology to decrease cholesterol, the role of ghrelin in animal growth and human obesity, and the variation of fatty acid composition in beef and milk.
* Dr Andrew Clifford, Professor and Nutritionist, Agricultural Experiment Station (AES), Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, for his state-of-the-art contributions to nutritional science. His research on vitamin A, folic acid, and beta carotene seeks to determine the nutritional status of these nutrients in humans.
* Dr Barbara Harland, Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Howard University. Dr Harland has been a highly regarded member of the nutrition community for more than 30 years. Her work on phytate is well regarded, and her methods have been the standards used to compare any new or modified methods regarding quantitative analyses.
* Dr Joel Kopple, Chief, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, Calif. He continues a distinguished career in the fields of nephrology and clinical nutrition and is widely recognized as the foremost expert in renal nutrition in the world.
* Dr Orville Levander, Research Chemist, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, Md. During his career, he has been affiliated with the University of Wisconsin, Columbia University, Harvard University School of Public Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. But his seminal work, now over several decades, has been at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service as a Research Chemist.
* Dr Harry Mersmann, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex. Dr Mersmann has produced a continuum of highly recognized innovative research on the nutritional and physiological regulation of adipocyte lipid metabolism, which has contributed significantly to the current understanding of the dynamics of adipose tissue deposition in the pig and other food animals and in humans.
* Dr Charlotte Neumann, Professor, Public Health and Pediatrics, UCLA Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Los Angeles, Calif. The underlying theme of Dr Neumann's research has been the relationship of nutrition to child health and pregnancy outcomes, child growth and infection, and immune status.
* Dr Gretel Pelto, Professor, Division of Nutrition Sciences, Cornell University. Dr Pelto has well earned a national and international reputation as a scholar because of her contributions to teaching and research in maternal and child nutrition. She is best known for her empirical research on the roles of social/cultural factors in breast feeding and complementary feeding.
* Dr Robert Rucker, Professor, Nutrition and Internal Medicine; Vice Chair, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California. Bob is currently the senior associate editor of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and was recognized for his work in bone metabolism.
Congratulations to all!
Dr Roger I. Glass Is New Fogarty International Center Director
Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD, will be the new director of the Fogarty International Center and Associate Director of NIH for international programs. The Fogarty International Center promotes and supports scientific research and training internationally to reduce disparities in global health. Fogarty International Center has assumed a leadership role in formulating and implementing biomedical research and policy.
In Memoriam
Cynthia Burton Tillotson
Cynthia Burton Tillotson, the wife of our Business and Nutrition columnist, James Tillotson, died in late March. She is survived by her husband, her daughter Pamela Desrosiers, and a brother. Her daughter Kimberly predeceased her. All of the Nutrition Today family extends condolences.
Elizabeth Van Huysen Mayer
We mourn the passing of Elizabeth "Betty" Mayer, wife of Dr Jean Mayer, the former President of Tufts University and a beloved figure at Tufts in her own right. Mrs Mayer, who died in April, was a long-time advocate of UNICEF and other good causes.
Calendar
American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition
September 16-19, 2006
Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
For more information, log on to http://www.eatright.org/Public/ConferencesAndEvents/.
World Grains Summit: Foods and Beverages
September 17-20, 2006
San Francisco, Calif
For more information, log on to http://www.wgsummit.org.
30th US National Nutrient Databank Conference
September 19-20, 2006
Honolulu, Hawaii For more information, log on to http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/conf/call2006.html.
4th European Federation of Lipids Congress
October 1-4, 2006
Madrid, Spain
For more information, log on to: http://www.eurofedlipid.org/meetings/madrid/index.htm
Books and Media Received
Molecular Interventions in Lifestyle Related Diseases. Midori Hiramatsu, Toshikazu Yoshikawas, and Lester Packer (Eds.). CRC Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-8247-29587.
Nutrition and Diabetes, Pathophysiology and Management. Emmanuel Opara (Ed.). CRC Press, 2006. ISBN: 0-8493-2307.
Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook. Cybele Pascal. Vital Health Books, 2006. ISBN: 1-890612-45-6; US$18.95.
Nutritional Genomics: Discovering the Path to Personalized Nutrition. Jim Kaput and Raymond L. Rodrigues (Eds.). Wiley, 2006. ISBN: 0-471-68319-1, $89.95.