ASN Nutrition Notes
Monthly Member
e-Newsletter
March 2020 Edition
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In This Issue:
(scroll down for details)
- Update on ASN’s Response to COVID-19
- ASN’s external engagement and contribution to COVID-19 response
- Staff safety, security and operational resilience
- Nutrition 2020
- 2020 ASN Board of Directors Election
- Health & Nutrition Policy Updates
- ASN Journal News & Updates
- Blog Post: Making Health and Nutrition a Priority During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
- Interview with Early Career Nutrition (ECN) Interest Group Chair
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Update on ASN’s Response to COVID-19
from Richard Mattes, MPH, PhD, RD, ASN President 2019-20
and John Courtney, PhD, ASN Chief Executive Officer
1. ASN’s external engagement and contribution to COVID-19 response
ASN continues to leverage our expertise in nutrition to make positive contributions to the public health response. ASN ensures that evidence-based information is being conveyed as inaccuracies related to the immune boosting powers of certain nutrients or supplements circulate. ASN recently published a
blog on nutrition.org
to highlight ways to prioritize nutrition and healthy living during the COVID-19 outbreak, a new nutrition and immune function collection for our journals is expected this April, and ASN has been highlighting the important role nutrition has in supporting the immune system and maintaining proper immune function, along with sharing other science-based information through our various communication vehicles,
resulting in nutrition.org being the current leader on Google for the search term “coronavirus nutrition”.
Articles from
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN)
,
Journal of Nutrition (JN)
, and
Advances in Nutrition (AN)
are included in a
collection of material provided by Oxford University Press (OUP)
in response to a call for published research by The World Health Organization (WHO), the US White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the Wellcome Trust to aid in scientific efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The papers are freely available in the PubMed Central and WHO databases, with no restrictions on reuse and text- and data mining. As new articles are published on the coronavirus, they will be added to this collection and made freely available to all with no restrictions.
ASN
called for
important nutrition provisions within the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and continues to be engaged in the public health dialogue for recent stimulus packages. ASN will continue to actively provide timely information from the federal agencies and other organizations to our members such as grant deadline extensions due to the outbreak.
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2
. Staff safety, security and operational resilience
I am very pleased to report that all ASN Staff are safe and healthy. ASN staff have been teleworking since Monday March 16 and will continue to do so through at least April 3. We are closely monitoring and following the recommendations from both federal and state health officials. The ASN offices have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected during this period of telework. I can’t express how pleased I am with the professionalism and productivity of the ASN staff. The technology investments made over the previous two years have worked perfectly in enabling staff to effectively work remotely. We have such a fantastic team! The important work of ASN is continuing uninterrupted. We are also looking at this period as an experiment to evaluate expanded remote working, the impact on productivity, group cohesion and innovation.
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3. Nutrition 2020
After careful deliberation, with the utmost concern for the health and safety of our community, the ASN Board of Directors has unanimously decided to cancel Nutrition 2020, May 30-June 2, 2020, in Seattle, Washington. Due to the impacts of COVID 19, it has become impossible to hold our flagship meeting in person as scheduled.
While circumstances prevent us from gathering in Seattle, we are committed to delivering virtually,
to the widest possible audience, some of the content and connection you have come to expect from the top event in nutrition –
brought to you this year,
at no charge
, by the ASN Foundation. Keep ASN on your calendar for May 30 – June 2 for the potential kick off of this ongoing virtual connection.
Where the Best in Science and Health Meet
is not limited by time or place
With your help, we will take a new look at the objectives of Nutrition 2020 to determine how we might still accomplish them from a distance. That includes facilitating the dissemination of research, making sure that students are able to present their science, helping health care providers incorporate evidence-based nutrition into patient care and providing forums for nutrition professionals in academia, industry, policy, patient care and science communication to share, collaborate, and advance nutrition science and practice. As a nimble and cutting-edge organization, ASN will embrace technology to provide knowledge and collaboration in innovative ways.
Certainly, this change in plans raises many questions. We do not yet have all the answers. We have provided responses to some anticipated questions
on our website
, which we will continue to update. In addition to this communication, we are reaching out directly to registrants, speakers, abstract presenters, award winners, collaborative partners, exhibitors, sponsors and our vendors. We remain committed to keeping you informed of additional details as they emerge. Please direct any questions or suggestions to
meetings@nutrition.org
.
This is an unprecedented time. ASN has a solid history of driving the advancement of science and supporting the passionate people who work so hard to improve health around the world. We salute ASN’s past leaders who created the vision of a nutrition-first, nutrition-focused meeting that has become our flagship. We recognize the passion, time, and effort invested by our entire community in preparing for Nutrition 2020, especially the excellent work of the Scientific Program Committee, Councils, Interest Sections, partners, sponsors, exhibitors, our team of convention industry vendors and our host city of Seattle. Out of crisis comes opportunity. As we approach our hundredth year, we will never cease in our pursuit of serving our members’ interests, no matter the circumstances, as we continue to be an innovative, flexible and creative organization.
We look forward to connecting with you virtually this year, and in person when it is safe to do so again. Stay tuned for an announcement about the dates and location for Nutrition 2021.
We appreciate your patience, understanding and support while we work out all the details and we will keep in touch. We wish you good health and spirits as you personally and professionally address issues related to COVID-19.
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Nutrition 2019 Sessions Now Available on Demand
Missed Nutrition 2019, or attended a session you
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2020 ASN Board of Directors Election
Check your email for the 2020 Election Ballot and submit by 11:59 PM (EDT) on Monday, April 6! Your vote is instrumental in determining the best leadership for the society. The 7 open positions and candidates are as follows:
Vice President-Elect
- Martha A. Belury, PhD, RDN, Ohio State University
- Heather J. Leidy, PhD, University of Texas at Austin
Director-At-Large, Food & Nutrition Policy
- Sheila Fleischhacker, PhD, JD, RDN, Georgetown University Law Center
- Amanda MacFarlane, PhD, Health Canada, University of Ottawa, Carleton University
Director-At-Large, Global Nutrition
- Christine P. Stewart, PhD, MPH, University of California Davis
- Keith West Jr., DrPH, MPH, RD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Director-At-Large, Medical Clinical Nutrition
- Caroline M. Apovian, MD, DABOM, FACN, FTOS, Boston University School of Medicine
- Nancy Krebs, MD, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Director-At-Large, Nutrition Science Mechanisms
- Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa, Ph.D., FTOS, FAHA, Texas Tech University
- Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD, Cornell University, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Director-At-Large, Nutrition Science Translation
- Michael Kelley, PhD, RD, Consultant in Nutrition Science
- Michael I. McBurney, PhD, University of Guelph; Tufts University; Consultant
Nominating Committee Member
- Dennis Bier, MD, Baylor College of Medicine
- Mary Ann Johnson, PhD, University of Nebraska Lincoln
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Health & Nutrition Policy Updates
Meet the 2020 Science Policy Fellows
ASN is pleased to announce the 2020 Science Policy Fellows, Matthew Landry, Ph.D., a
Research Scientist and dietetic intern at the University of Texas at Austin, and Lyndsey Ruiz, a
Doctoral Candidate in Nutritional Biology, at the University of California, Davis. Visit the
ASN Science Policy Fellowship page to get to know the Fellows! The Fellowship begins on April 1, 2020. We look forward to working with Matthew and Lyndsey over the next year!
ASN Submits Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations Testimony to Congress
ASN submitted written testimony to House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees for Agriculture and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to be included in the official record of appropriations hearings.
ASN requested additional funds
in Fiscal Year 2021 to support nutrition research and nutrition monitoring at the U.S Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ASN Sends Letter to Congressional Leaders Regarding Stimulus Packages
ASN sent a
letter to Congressional leaders urging that associations, non-profit organizations, and other tax-exempt organizations be included within any additional economic stimulus packages or supplemental appropriations measures related to COVID-19 soon after passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, as well as funding for Federal nutrition programs to help the many families and individuals suffering from food insecurity during this time. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which ASN is a member of, also sent a
letter to Congress seeking relief for nonprofits affected by COVID-19 prior to passage of the $8.3 billion Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act.
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News from ASN Journals
COVID-19 and ASN Journals
The World Health Organization (WHO), the US White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the Wellcome Trust have put out a call to research publishers for their aid in scientific efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have specifically asked that all relevant papers be made freely available in the PubMed Central and WHO databases, with no restrictions on reuse and text- and data-mining. ASN’s Publisher, Oxford University Press (OUP), had already responded to earlier requests for making content freely available, through
a collection of material on the OUP website
. OUP is in contact with the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) and is making arrangements for our content to be uploaded to PubMed Central as requested, with reuse restrictions waived. ASN content in this collection can be found below.
Additionally, if any paper on coronavirus is accepted by an OUP journal, they are expediting the production process by placing it at the top of each queue step.
Free Online Teaching Resources from Oxford University Press
To support faculty members, OUP is making freely available two online training programs, Teaching Online and Blended Learning. If you are tackling an unexpected or abrupt transition to digital course delivery, please
check them out.
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Meet the new AJCN Academic Editor: An Pan, PhD
This month’s featured
AJCN
Associate Editor is An Pan, PhD, of Wuhan, China. His work focuses on the epidemiology of chronic metabolic diseases, including but not limited to obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and healthy aging. Recently, he led or contributed to several systems epidemiology studies evaluating data from multi-omics (genomics, epigenetics, metabolomics and metagenomics) and risk of diabetes and diabetes complications.
Learn more about Dr. Pan.
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The AJCN
Editor-in-Chief, Christopher P. Duggan, MD, MPH, is pleased to welcome Mark Pereira, PhD, MPH as Associate Editor for
AJCN. Dr. Pereira is a Professor of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota who has a research interest in obesity, cardiovascular disease and physical activity. He has two current R01 grants and is an awarded mentor and advisor. He has published frequently in ASN journals (including the
AJCN) and has previously served on the editorial boards of
Journal of Obesity and the
British Journal of Nutrition.
AJCN editors welcome his expertise in cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obesity, carbo-hydrates, dietary fiber, glycemic index, whole grains, nutritional epidemiology, body composition, exercise, physical activity, and sedentary behavior.
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ASN Members
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, PhD, RD, FAND, Kaitlyn Eck, PhD, RD, and Jaclyn Maurer Abbot, PhD, RD, all from the Nutritional Sciences Department, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
contributed an article to nutrition.org
to promote healthy nutritional choices during the current global health crisis. Thanks to their contribution, ASN has reached over 27,000 people with accurate information promoting health and nutrition during this time, and Dr. Jaclyn Abbot further spread the information through
an interview with CNN New Day Weekend
.
Do you have an idea for an article on nutrition.org to reach the nutrition community or the public? Your submissions are welcome! Contact us at
media@nutrition.org
for ASN consideration.
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Interview with Sabrina Sales Martinez, Early Career Nutrition Interest Group Chair
Sabrina Sales Martinez, MS, PhD, RDN, Assistant Professor
Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, Florida International University
*Photo FIU RCMI
How did you become involved with ASN and what keeps you engaged with ASN?
I became very active in ASN after entering the PhD program at FIU. As a student member, I found many opportunities to make meaningful connections outside my university. I continued to serve as Chair of the ASN Student Interest Group and sat in the ASN Annual Meeting Transition Group. Through these opportunities, I advocated for career development for students and early career professionals during ASN’s transition from EB to its own flagship Nutrition meeting. Being able to learn and grow with other nutrition professionals has kept me engaged with ASN.
What is your educational and professional background? What keeps you going in your field? My background has always been in the field of nutrition and I am also a registered dietitian. My research has primarily been in the study of infectious diseases in marginalized populations and how nutrition might play a role in supporting health in these communities. In South Florida, where I spent my formative years, I observed a greater health disparity in marginalized populations and I found there is significant need for evidence-based research in nutrition. Specifically, I focused on patients with HIV, who have a greater risk of developing comorbid conditions and diseases,for whom nutrition may play an important role in helping them manage their health. This topic is important for me as I lost my uncle and godfather to HIV. I work in this area so that those who have HIV may have the opportunity to live with a greater quality of life.
What is your current role?
I
am currently working to better understand how lifestyle factors like diet or possible substance use may affect the gastrointestinal symptoms of a patient with HIV. I am also working on a training grant to receive training on the relationship between the microbiome and its relationship to measures of cognition as marginalized populations also face a higher risk of cognitive impairment. My goal is to use this information along with my training in nutrition to design a study in which we may learn how to successfully modulate the gut to improve the health and cognitive outcomes of patients with HIV.
Why did you choose nutrition?
I have always been interested in science and nutrition. When I was growing up, I always elected for science courses and took a hobby interest in science-related projects outside of school. On the other hand, I grew up in an environment where food was of high importance. Naturally, I found myself being drawn to nutrition, which is a combination of my two interests.
What are your top goals or aspirations?
I want to continue my research so that my work may have an impact in the lives of people who are underserved. In addition, I am grateful to have the opportunity to teach at a diverse institution. I hope for my students to take the information they learn and bring impact to where they will go in the future, whether that is domestically or internationally.
What are some lessons you have learned while pursuing your degree and what insights would you share with current students and other young professionals?
Learning to develop a strong work ethic is important in this field, especially to overcome obstacles. The time as a student is an important period to work hard in developing the organization, project planning, discernment and focus needed to be successful. Use the resources available to you – get involved with mentoring, networking and be creative looking for opportunities. These will build up and create additional opportunities as your network widens.
What are some things you enjoy or find meaningful outside of your professional life? Is there something you would like people to know about you?
I am fortunate to live close to my extended family, so I enjoy quality time with my immediate and extended family members. I love to stay active and feel energized and focused when training in sports. Specifically, I train in Muay Thai kickboxing and for half-marathons. Lastly, (I think many in this field may feel similar) I love to cook and explore different culinary ingredients and flavors and I feel relaxed when experimenting with new recipes.
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Open Call for Symposia for the 22
nd
International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)
September 14-19, 2021 |
Tokyo, Japan
The 22
nd
International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) will take place on September 14-19, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. The closing date for open Symposia applications has been extended until 31
st
March 2020. For more information on the criteria and cost, click
here
. This call for applications is limited to academic societies and public organizations.
The 2021 meeting will be organized jointly by the Japan Society of Nutrition and Food Science (JSNFS) and the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Dietetics (JSND).
Being a part of this conference will benefit not only from the great scientific achievements of the congress itself, but also from unique experiences of Japanese culture, history and various other entertainments. The secrets and appeal of the Japanese diet will of course be of interest to participants in the congress.
For more information on the upcoming conference please click on
IUNS-ICN22ND
To apply to be part of the symposia, click
here
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Nutrition 20
19
Highlights
Relive
Nutrition 2019 or see what you may have missed as 3,200 nutrition scientists, global health specialists and public policy experts gathered June 8-11 in Baltimore!
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Missed Nutrition 2019, or attended a session you’d like to see again? Content is available on
ASN on Demand for purchase
.
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Visit ASN NutriLink today
ASN NutriLink
is the ASN members-only community forum. Post discussions, browse resource files, and search for a mentor - all in one place! It is also
home for all RIS and Council communities
. ASN NutriLink is the official way for RIS leaders to communicate deadlines, plan events and share other information specific to the group. Use
this guide
to adjust your email frequency. Contact the
ASN NutriLink Community Administrator
with any questions.
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Subscribe to
Nutrition Today
Nutrition Today
is an ASN official partner publication, helping nutrition professionals clear a pathway through today’s maze of fad diets and cure-all claims by easy to read, authoritative reviews. The journal features solicited and submitted original articles, reviews of nutrition research findings, and summaries of symposia.
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The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
(AJCN)
March 2020, 111(3)
Editor's Choice Articles:
- Trends in alcohol consumption in relation to cause-specific and all-cause mortality in the United States: a report from the NHANES linked to the US mortality registry. Ricci C, Schutte AE, Schutte R, Smuts CM, Pieters M. Am J Clin Nutr 111(3), Mar 2020, pp. 580–9
- Population RBC folate concentrations can be accurately estimated from measured whole blood folate, measured hemoglobin, and predicted serum folate—cross-sectional data from the NHANES 1988–2010. Zhang M, Sternberg MR, Yeung LF, Pfeiffer CM. Am J Clin Nutr 111(3), Mar 2020, pp. 601–12
- Genetic risk, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, and type 2 diabetes risk among 550,000 Chinese adults: results from 2 independent Asian cohorts. Li H, Khor CC, Fan J, Lv J, Yu C, Guo Y, Bian Z, Yang L, Millwood IY, Walters RG, Chen Y, Yuan J-M, Yang Y, Hu C, Chen J, Chen Z, Koh WP, Huang T, Li L, on behalf of China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group. Am J Clin Nutr 111(3), Mar 2020, pp. 698–707.
- A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial of a decaffeinated energy drink shows no significant acute effect on mental energy. Garcia-Alvarez A, Cunningham CA, Mui B, Penn L, Spaulding EM, Oakes JM, Divers J, Dickinson SL, Xu X, Cheskin LJ. Am J Clin Nutr 111(3), Mar 2020, pp. 719–27.
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The Journal of Nutrition
(JN)
March 2020, 150(3)
Editor's Choice Articles:
- The Kidneys Are Quantitatively More Important than Pancreas and Gut as a Source of Guanidinoacetic Acid for Hepatic Creatine Synthesis in Sow-Reared Yucatan Miniature Piglets. Dinesh OC, Brunton JA, Bertolo RF. J Nutr 150(3), Mar 2020, pp. 443–9.
- Protein Intake to Maximize Whole-Body Anabolism during Postexercise Recovery in Resistance-Trained Men with High Habitual Intakes is Severalfold Greater than the Current Recommended Dietary Allowance. Mazzulla M, Sawan SA, Williamson E, Hannaian SJ, Volterman KA, West DWD, Moore DR. J Nutr 150(3), Mar 2020, pp. 505–11.
- Plant-Protein Diversity Is Critical to Ensuring the Nutritional Adequacy of Diets When Replacing Animal With Plant Protein: Observed and Modeled Diets of French Adults (INCA3). Salomé M, de Gavelle E, Dufour A, Dubuisson C, Volatier J-L, Fouillet H, Huneau J-F, Mariotti F. J Nutr 150(3), Mar 2020, pp. 536–45
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Advances in Nutrition
(AN)
March 2020, 11(3)
Featured Articles:
- Following a review of 29 relevant studies, Therese A. O'Sullivan et al. have concluded that “dietary recommendations to limit consumption of whole-fat dairy products in children are not supported by the existing, relatively limited evidence in the areas of adiposity or cardiometabolic disease.” Published March 2, 2020, this review has already leaped to the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric.
- Although the links between a Western-style high-fat diet and obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis are well documented, less is known about the effects of this diet on the GI tract. "Bringing together data from a vast array of studies," Michael W. Rohr et al. note, "it is clear that a high-fat diet negatively impacts intestinal health by disrupting the intestinal barrier system through a variety of mechanisms.
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Current Developments in Nutrition
(CDN)
March 2020, 5(3)
Featured Article:
- Pregnant women who are members of agricultural communities in low- and middle-income countries often face seasonal food insecurity and energy stress. Working with data obtained from 3,831 live births, Syed Imran Ahmed et al. investigated the effect of exposure during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy to different seasons on infant birth weight. This research was conducted in rural Bangladesh. The authors found that infants born in March during the post-aman harvest season had the highest birth weight. On the other hand, the lowest birth weights were registered in the month of July during the monsoon season. In conclusion, the authors noted, “policy makers may need to think about taking measures to address the issue of seasonal food insecurity, especially for the rural agrarian population.”
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Highlights from Other Journals
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Give Today - Support Tomorrow
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