Movers and Shakers
Dennis Bier, MD, Selected as New Editor of AJCN
The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) announced the appointment of Dennis M. Bier, MD, as the new editor of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN). A past president of the ASN and a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the National Academies of Sciences, he currently serves as Associate Editor of the Annual Review of Nutrition and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Research. The author of more than 240 scientific publications, Dr Bier has received numerous research awards, including the McCollum Award from the ASN, the General Clinical Research Centers Award for Excellence in Clinical Research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Distinguished Service Award from Washington University School of Medicine. In addition to his research credentials, Dr Bier is a member of numerous national boards and advisory committees. He is Chairman of the Board of the International Life Sciences Institute Research Foundation and a member of the Food and Drug Administration's Pediatric Advisory Committee. He has served as Chairman of the NIH Nutrition Study Section, Chairman of the NIH General Clinical Research Centers Committee, and President of the International Pediatric Research Foundation. In 1995 he was a member of the Health and Human Services/US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
Dr Bier is a Professor of Pediatrics, Director of the USDA/Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Children's Nutrition Research Center, and Program Director of the NIH General Clinical Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. He is a fellow of the ASN and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is Chair of the IOM Food and Nutrition Board. Congratulations, Dennie!
New ILSI Trustees
International Life Sciences Institute, North America (ILSI NA) has added several new experts to its board of directors. Stephanie Atkinson, PhD, is a public member of the ILSI board. She is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics, with joint appointments in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in Canada. She directs an internationally recognized research program in pediatrics and nutrition, especially bone metabolism of premature infants and children with bone disorders secondary to pediatric diseases or drugs therapy. She is currently president of the American Society of Nutrition. Among the other public trustees who were reelected for a second term to the ILSI are the following: Dr Mike Doyle of the University of Georgia, Dr Joanne R Lupton (Texas A&M University), Dr Robert Steele (The Pennsylvania State University), and Dr Connie M. Weaver (Purdue University).
Among the ILSI industry trustees who were reelected were Dr Mark Empie (Archer-Daniels Midland Company), Dr Zdenak Kratky (Nestle), and Dr M. Elizabeth Westring (General Mills). Dr James Astwood is a new industry trustee who heads the department of nutrition, scientific, and regulatory affairs at Conagra. Jim previously headed a program in food and feed safety policy at Monsanto. Dr Doris Tancredi is Vice President, Scientific Services, Cadbury Schweppes America. She also brings experience from Warner-Lambert, Pfizer, and Kraft foods to her position. The following were also elected to the ILSI worldwide Board of Directors: Dr Fergus Clydesdale (University of Massachusetts), Dr Carol Knight (Wrigley), and Dr Catherine Woteki (Mars) as well as Dr Roy Fuchs (Monsanto).
Future Leaders Park and Bertolo Named
Two future leaders were named at the ILSI annual meeting to recognize their outstanding potential and already considerable accomplishments. Robert Bertolo, PhD, of the Memorial University of Newfoundland, will use his future leader award to study on partitioning of nutrients in early life, using the neonatal pig. His work with the award will be on early nutrition and adult diseases. Dr Yeonhwa Park of the University of Massachusetts will receive her future leader award to study controlling obesity with conjugated fatty acids.
Welcome New EAB Member, Dr Altwaijri
Nutrition Today is pleased to announce that Yasmin Ahmed Almubarak Altwaijri, PhD, MS, has joined the Editorial Advisory Board. Dr Altwaijri is currently a scientist/epidemiologist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Saudi Arabia. She also is an adjunct assistant professor of epidemiology at the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.
Dr Altwaijri received her MSc and PhD in Human Nutrition/Epidemiology from Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in 1996 and 2002, respectively. She received her BSc in Community Health-Nutrition from King Saud University in 1992.
Her current research interests deal mainly with determining the prevalence of risk factors for chronic diseases within the Saudi population in general and among children and adolescents in particular. She has been a vocal advocate for policy changes and initiatives aiming at creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyles for the community to reduce or reverse the growing obesity epidemic. She is currently involved in the Riyadh Puberty Study, which assesses the relationship between pubertal hormones and serum lipids in children and adolescents.
Dr Altwaijri is also actively involved in many initiatives aiming at Saudi women's empowerment and creating avenues for their contribution to sustainable socioeconomic development. As chair of the Saudi Women in Science committee, she is involved in creating a national network of Saudi women who are involved in the field of science and technology. Welcome Yasmin!
Mary Reed Leads ANSA
The Association for Nutrition Services Agencies (ANSA) is thrilled to announce that Mary Reed has officially joined the staff as Deputy Executive Director, Global Programs. ANSA's mission is to enhance the quality of life of people living with HIV and AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses by strengthening the capability of community-based nutrition support programs. Mary brings a combination of intelligence, experience, compassion, and commitment. She plans on working to develop the ANSA International Program and continue to help all the other programs rise up to keep pace.
Expert Report on Cancer Due in November
In November the World Cancer Research Foundation/American Institute of Cancer Research will publish the second expert report on food, nutrition, and physical activity and the prevention of cancer. It will present and assess the evidence for the relation of these factors to cancer risk and offer evidence-based recommendations for preventing the disease. Stay tuned.
In Memoriam
Sue Helfe, PhD
Nutrition Today and her many friends and colleagues mourn the loss last year of Susan "Sue" Helfe, PhD. She was an associate professor in Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a codirector of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program, and an author or coauthor of more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, including Nutrition Today. In addition, she held 2 patents for analytical methods for aflatoxin. She served on numerous editorial boards and as a journal and grant reviewer.
Sue was active in a number of professional societies for food science, analytical chemistry, allergy, and immunology. She was named a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in 2004 and a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in 2003. In 2000, she received the IFT Samuel Cate Prescott Award-an award given to honor outstanding researchers. The assistance she provided to the candy and confectionery industry was acknowledged in 1999 when she was given the Marie Kelso Speaker Award. In light of Sue's research, the University of Nebraska awarded her the 1999 Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dinsdale Family Faculty Award. We will all miss her.
Calendar
American Dietetic Association's 2007 Public Policy Workshop
April 23-25
Washington, DC
For more information, go to http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/events.html.
Bio-It World Conference and Expo
April 30-May 2, 2007
Boston, MA
For more information, go to http://www.bio-itworldexpo.com.
Experimental Biology Annual Meeting
April 28-May 2, 2007
Washington, DC
For more information, go to http://www.eb2007.org/.
Diet and Optimum Health
May 16-19, 2007
Linus Pauling Institute, Hilton Hotel, Portland, OR
For more information, contact [email protected].
Books and Media Received
Self-help Approaches for Obesity and Eating Disorders. Research and Practice. Edited by Janet D. Latner, PhD, and G. Terence Wilson, PhD, Guilford Hall Press, April 2007: ISBN-13: 978-1-59385-442-3, $38.00.