American Society for Nutrition names Cristina Palacios Chair-elect of Nutrition Education and Behavioral Science Research Interest Section

Dr. Cristina Palacios has been named Chair-elect of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN)’s Nutrition Education and Behavioral Science Research Interest Section (RIS).

In her role, Palacios will lead education initiatives and research endeavors for the RIS.

“As this is the main society for Nutrition science, getting involved in leadership is very important. We have other members of our program at Stempel who have also been involved in ASN. In this leadership role, I will have the opportunity to connect with other members of the society and to learn about opportunities for our faculty members and students,” Palacios said. “This appointment allows me to form collaborations for new projects that will have a positive impact on the future of health and nutrition.”

Per the ASN’s website , the Nutrition Education and Behavioral Science RIS focuses on the communication of nutrition science information to the general public to help them understand the relationship between diet and health to food practices, and to individuals with specific dietary needs to change behaviors conducive to health and well-being. RIS activity includes research on nutrition information transfer, factors that affect eating patterns, effects of nutrition knowledge on behavioral change, behavior modification to improve health, and motivating factors for change. Includes the development and testing of effective and efficient nutrition education materials, programs, and activities for target subgroups of the population.

Palacios was recently recognized by the American Society of Nutrition as the 2019 Nutrition Education and Behavioral Sciences Research Interest Section Mid-Career Award.

In her work, Palacios’ goal is to improve pregnant women, infancy and adolescent’s health through nutritional interventions. She recently received a $2.8M grant from the effects of soluble corn fiber on bone mass among adolescents, a critical moment to build bone and prevent future osteoporosis.