Department News

This month, we are celebrating World Breastfeeding Month by sharing one student's path from bench researcher to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

For many graduate students, doctoral training focuses on generating new knowledge through research. But at UC Davis, students interested in maternal and child health have an opportunity to go one step further by learning how to translate that research into meaningful support for families.

The UC Davis Department of Nutrition had a strong presence at Nutrition 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Throughout the conference, UC Davis faculty, researchers, and students presented findings across the nutrition science spectrum, including  maternal and child nutrition, global nutrition, cancer, nutrition education, healthy aging, micronutrients, and emerging technologies.

Benjamin Hurrell, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Immunology in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis, is the recipient of the 2026 UC Davis Early Career Faculty Award for Creativity and Innovation.

A bag of groceries can feed a family, but it may not always feel like home. New research led by the University of California, Davis, finds that labeling foods that are meaningful to different cultures can help local pantries better serve the communities they support.

Last month we welcomed over 400 community members to Meyer Hall to engage with our department and bring nutrition to life! Community members were able to learn about our degree programs, test their nutrition knowledge, measure their grip strength and explore ways to get involved.

Amy R. Nichols, PhD, MS, RDN is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis who is leading innovative research focused on how nutrition influences women’s health across major life stages.

The Department of Nutrition is hosting a virtual chat conversation with Ty Beal, Ph.D., Senior Technical Specialist and global nutrition scientist at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and alum of the University of California, Davis, and Ameer Taha, professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, on April 24 from 12–1 p.m. 

Each year, UC Davis Give Day brings our community together to invest in the people and programs shaping our future. 

This Give Day, the Department of Nutrition invites our community to support the Litov Research & Mentoring Excellence Fund, a fund that honors our commitment to transforming lives through nutrition discovery and education.

Packaged foods offer convenience for families and individuals, but they can be a major source of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, which when consumed in excess contribute to chronic disease. To help people build healthier diets, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a new front-of-package nutrition label in January 2025 that would inform consumers about the presence of these nutrients.

Congratulations to Dr. Reina Engle-Stone for being named a 2025-2026 Chancellor's Fellow! This recognition is given each year to early career academics doing exemplary work. We celebrate her leadership and lasting contributions to global nutrition and public health!

Reina Engle-Stone, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Associate Nutritionist in the Agricultural Experiment Station in the Department of Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Researchers with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition and the Western Human Nutrition Research Center on campus work together to advance long-term wellbeing in our communities. 

They conduct human clinical trials in areas like precision nutrition and metabolic research to better understand how foods, nutrients and other components affect our health and wellness. With funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health, this work delivers real benefits to everyday lives.

Take a look at some of our work in action.

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were published on January 7, 2026. These Guidelines are the latest version of dietary guidelines released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) every five years. The purpose of these guidelines is to outline updated federal recommendations that influence nutrition policy, public health programs, research, and education nationwide.

Before college, I knew very little about nutrition and its significance. Over time, I came to see nutrition as the foundation of health, more than just what we eat but a powerful factor influencing our well-being and the prevention of long-term disease. Food is deeply connected to holistic health, which is something I am passionate about.

As a fourth-year nutrition major at UC Davis, I often reflect on how much I’ve grown, both academically and personally since starting this program. My journey began by choosing the Clinical Nutrition major at UC Davis.

The holidays are full of flavorful dishes and family traditions. Whether it’s homemade stuffing or a cookie swap, all foods are meant to be enjoyed this time of year. Maintaining a healthy approach to eating during the holiday season may feel overwhelming, but Debbie Fetter, associate professor of teaching with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, has some helpful pointers to help everyone feel good about those once-a-year favorites (hello, pumpkin pie).