Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences faculty members were recently recognized for their research contributions to the field with prestigious awards by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).
ASN is the premier society for professionals in the field of nutrition with the mission of advancing the science, education and practice of nutrition to help build a healthier world.
Alison Gernand, associate professor of nutritional sciences, was named a 2025 fellow of ASN’s FASN program for the ongoing achievements of her career. This prestigious fellowship recognizes leaders who have impacted the field through their research and/or by translating research into practice.
Gernand is the principal investigator of the Micronutrients and Pregnancy Lab, where she studies malnutrition during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum, focusing on micronutrient deficiencies and negative pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.
“I am honored to receive this mid-career award from the American Society for Nutrition,” Gernand said. “My lab has been diligently focused on examining relationships between maternal malnutrition and adverse pregnancy outcomes, as well as developing new tools for critical assessments of the placenta and plasma volume expansion needed in such research. It is momentous and encouraging to be recognized for this work.”
Muzi Na, associate professor of nutritional epidemiology, received the Mead Johnson Award, which recognizes an investigator each year for a single outstanding or series of studies on a single research subject within the last 10 years of their postgraduate training.
Na has been researching food insecurity and health equity in her lab, The Na Lab: Research on Nutrition and Health Disparity around the Globe, in addition to the nutrition and health disparities in vulnerable populations, such as low-income households.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Mead Johnson Award and want to sincerely thank the American Society for Nutrition and the award committee for this meaningful recognition,” Na said. “As I transition from early career to mid-career, this award holds special significance — it affirms the value of my work and encourages me to continue advancing research at the intersection of food insecurity and health equity.”
Vishal Singh, assistant professor of nutritional physiology and microbiome, received the E.L.R. Stokstad Award, which recognizes a scientist in the early stage of their career for their exceptional fundamental research in nutrition.
Singh is the primary investigator of the Nutrition and Microbiome – Singh Lab, where he and his team work to develop microbiome-informed dietary fiber interventions to improve chronic inflammatory disorders.
“I am truly honored to be a recipient of this award, and my sincere thanks go to the American Society for Nutrition and the award committee,” Singh said. “It highlights the impact and promise of our lab’s work within the nutrition community and acknowledges its role in advancing scientific understanding in the area of dietary fiber and the gut microbiome.”
Each of these faculty members received their awards at ASN’s annual conference, NUTRITION 2025, which was held May 31 through June 3 in Orlando, Florida. This meeting hosts researchers, academics and clinicians to learn about developments in the field and to provide networking opportunities for members.
Brooke Pier