UC Davis Nutrition Shines at ASN 2026

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.

The conference was also an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the UC Davis nutrition community, with faculty receiving national honors, early-career researchers and graduate students recognized through competitive programs, and participants sharing their research on a national stage.

UC Davis Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Nutrition

Several UC Davis faculty members were recognized for their contributions to nutrition science, research, and professional service.

Amy R. Nichols, PhD, MS, RDN, received the Outstanding Early Career I Professional Award, recognizing her contributions to the nutrition profession through community service, teaching, innovation, and advancements in science.

Reina Engle-Stone, PhD, received the Nevin Scrimshaw Mid-Career Award in Global Nutrition for her contributions to advancing global nutrition through research, mentoring and training.

Dr. Engle-Stone was also named an Excellence in Nutrition Fellow by the ASN Foundation, alongside UC Davis colleagues, Lauren E. Au, PhD, RDN and Department Chair, Gerardo G. Mackenzie, PhD. Read more about the Excellence in Nutrition Fellow recognition.

Sean Adams, MS, PhD was inducted into ASN’s 2026 Class of Distinguished Fellows. The Distinguished Fellow designation is the highest honor bestowed by ASN and recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions and achieved outstanding accomplishments in nutrition.

Together, these honors highlight the breadth of expertise, leadership and impact of the UC Davis nutrition community.

Early-Career Researchers and Students Earn Recognition

UC Davis trainees and early-career researchers were recognized through several competitive programs at Nutrition 2026.

Andrew Oliver, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher, received the Early Career Research Award for his research examining the relationship between early gut microbes and future weight in breastfed infants.

Debritu Nane Satato, PhD, was one of three winners in the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition for her research examining vitamin B12 intake and status and their relationship with blood health and glucose metabolism among non-pregnant women in Ethiopia.

Katherine Y. Kwon, MS, RDN, IBCLC, a postdoctoral researcher, was recognized through the 2026 Robert Suskind and Leslie Lewinter-Suskind Pediatric Nutrition Student Awards.

Additional UC Davis student researchers were recognized as finalists in national competitions:

• Briana Arquilevich, BS, was a finalist in the Clinical Emerging Leaders Award Competition for her research on the pilot validation of the Nutrition Integrated With Fermented Dairy (NIFTY) Needs Assessment Survey for WIC-eligible women.
• Davrina Rianda, PhD, was named one of six finalists in the ASN Student Interest Group Three-Minute Thesis Competition, where she presented research examining anemia, growth trajectories and early-life developmental outcomes using eye-tracking assessments.
• Genesis G. Guerra-Gaitan, MS, was a finalist in the Diversity in Nutrition Oral Competition for Early Career Investigators for her research examining zinc absorption from common beans with different levels of phytic acid and polyphenols in young adult women.

These accomplishments reflect the strong mentorship, collaboration, and research opportunities available to students and trainees within the UC Davis nutrition community.

Beyond the award competitions, UC Davis researchers shared dozens of presentations throughout Nutrition 2026, highlighting the department’s broad research portfolio.

Oral Session Presenters and Chairs

• Amy R. Nichols, PhD, MS, RDN: Prenatal Nutrition: Diet Quality, Biomarkers, and Early-Life Outcomes 
• Debbie S. Fetter, PhD: Nutrition AI for Dietary Assessment & Real-Time Feedback: State of the Science, Accuracy, and Ethics and Nutrition Education and Behavioral Science (NEBS) GEM Forum & Advancing Nutrition Education and Behavior Change: Evidence From Across the Lifespan 
• Gerardo G. Mackenzie, PhD: Diet & Cancer: Omega 3 Fatty Acids Mitigate Early, but Not Late, High-Fat Diet-Driven Pancreatic Carcinogenesis in Mice by Modulating the Gut Barrier and the Adipose-Pancreas Axis
• Hussain Chharawalla, Doctoral Student: Nutrition Policy in Action: Food Access, Safety Nets, and Population Level Impact: Impacts of California’s WIC Modernization Efforts on Participant Enrollment and Benefit Redemption: A Staggered Difference-in-Differences Design
• Katherine Y. Kwon, PhD, RDN, IBCLC: Associations of Exclusive and Predominant Breastfeeding With Social-Emotional Development at 9-11 Years of Age: A Longitudinal Analysis of Ghanaian Children
• Melissa J. Teuber, BS: Advancing Nutrition Education and Behavior Change: Evidence From Across the Lifespan: Investigating the Impact of a University Online Food Literacy Program
• Sean Adams, PhD: An Inconvenient Truth? Limited Impact of Diet on Human Gut Microbiota Communities
• Yasmine Y. Bouzid, PhD, RD: Dietary Bioactives: Linking Intake, Metabolism, and Health Across the Lifespan: Five-A-Day Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendation Does Not Result in Flavanol Intake Levels Associated With Cardiovascular Benefits
• Yuyi Chen, MSPH, RD: Vitamins and Minerals: Folic Acid Supplementation Attenuates Serum Zinc Concentration and Its Association With Dietary Zinc Intake: NHANES 2011–2016

Theater Flash Sessions

• Andrew Oliver, PhD: Biological and Early-Life Determinants of Nutrition and Health in Global Contexts: Early Gut Microbes Are Important Predictors of Future Weight in Breastfed Infants
• Debritu Nane Satato, PhD: Biological and Early-Life Determinants of Nutrition and Health in Global Contexts: Factors Associated With Vitamin B12 Status and Its Associations With Glucose Metabolism and Hematological Indices Among Non-Pregnant Adult Females in Oromia, Ethiopia
• Davrina Rianda, PhD: Biological and Early-Life Determinants of Nutrition and Health in Global Contexts:  Associations of Anemia and Iron Status on Early Learning and Memory: Evidence From Eye-Tracking Assessments
• Demsina Babazadeh, PhD, MPH, RDN, FAND: GLP-1RAs, Appetite, and Metabolism: Changes in Food Cravings, Dietary Intake, and Body Composition During GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Titration in Adults With Obesity
• Daniela Hampel, PhD: Infant Milk Feeding, Nutrition, and Early Life Health: B-vitamin and Choline Concentrations in Colostrum: Results From the Multi-site E-MILQ Study
• Laurie A. Nommsen-Rivers, PhD, RDN, IBCLC:  Infant Milk Feeding, Nutrition, and Early Life Health: Milk Adipokines as Predictors of Maternal Milk Production Rate
• Qianyue Sun, MS. RD: Nutrition for Brain and Body: Advancing Healthy Aging Through Diet and Lifestyle: NMR-Derived Lipoprotein Remodeling and Macular Pigment Response in Older Adults at Risk for AMD: Interim Analysis of Goji Berry Trial
• Roberta Holt, PhD: Dietary Lipids as Bioactive Modulators of Health and Disease: Urolithin A Production After Daily Walnut Intake Is Associated with Increased Esterified ALA-Derived Oxylipins and Lower LDL-Cholesterol Levels

Poster Presentations:

• Abigail M. Galyon, RDN: Understanding the Biological & Social Determinants of the Human Milk Metabolome 
• Alana M. Chaney, PhD: Is Neighborhood Deprivation Associated Among Mothers With Overweight or Obesity?
• Amara Benn, B.S.: Maternal Intake of Opuntia ficus-indica (Nopal) During Late Gestation and Lactation Modulates Offspring Serum and Liver Metabolomes
• Amy R. Nichols, PhD, MS, RDN: Dietary Supplements Improve Vitamin D Adequacy, but Disparities Persist Among US Women Aged 40–60 Years
• Amy Parkhurst, M.S.: Polystyrene Nanoplastic Administration Alters Metabolic and Lipid Profiles in Peripheral Insulin-Sensitive Tissues
• Andrew G. Hall, PhD: Zinc Bioavailability Profiling of Lean Beef in Comparison With Plant-based Substitutes
• Annika R. Nelson, B.S.: Kimchi and Gut Health – Study Protocol for a Randomized Trial Assessing Effects on the Human Gut Microbiome and Metrics of GI and Cardiometabolic Function
• Bess L. Caswell, PhD: Effects of Two Servings of Yogurt per Day on Dietary Intake and Gastrointestinal Health of Healthy, Older US Adults
• Bess L. Caswell, PhD: Estimating the Monosaccharide Content of Mixed Dishes Using the Novel Mixed Dish Estimation Tool
• Briana Arquilevich, BS: Pilot Validation of the Nutrition Integrated With Fermented Dairy (NIFTY) Needs Assessment Survey for WIC-Eligible Women
• Bruce A. Watkins, PhD: Setting the Bar for Trust and Nutrition Validation in Biomedical Research With AI-Assisted ChatGPT
• Carmen Arrington, PhD: Genetic Risk for Human Milk Volume and B-Vitamin Concentrations in the MILQ Study
• Carolyn Sui, BS, MS: Investigating the Impact of Liver-Specific Src Homology Phosphatase 2 Disruption in Lipid Metabolism in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease and Acetaminophen Overdose
• Christabel A. Domfe, MS: Leveraging AI for Dietary Assessment – Development and Validation of the PlantVillage Food App for U.S. College Students
• Debritu Nane Satato, PhD: Factors Associated With Discretionary Salt Intake Among Non-pregnant Adult Females in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Community-Based Trial Data
• Demsina Babazadeh, PhD, MPH, RDN, FAND: Nearly Half of U.S. Perimenopausal Women Meet Eligibility for GLP-1–Based Anti-Obesity Medications: NHANES 2013–2023
• Davrina Rianda, PhD: Growth Trajectories and Cognitive Outcomes in Childhood: A Comparative Study of Malawi and the USA
• Emmanuel Gyimah, MPH: Maternal Supplementation Effects on Human Milk Micronutrients: Exploratory Applications of Reference Values from the Mothers, Infants and Lactation Quality (MILQ) Study
• Emmanuel Gyimah, MPH: Effect of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes on Fecal Resistomes of Children in Northern Ghana: A Metagenomic Study Nested in a Randomized Controlled Trial
• Genesis G. Guerra-Gaitan, MS: Zinc Absorption From Common Beans with Contrasting Phytic Acid and Polyphenol Content: A Randomized Crossover Study in Young Adult Women
• Hareem P. Zahid, MS: The Role of Beef in Adolescent Zinc Adequacy by Main Protein Source: A Gap Analysis of US and Pakistani Diets
• Iris V. Lee, M.S. Nutritional Biology: The Effects of a Dietary Pulse Intervention on Markers of Gut Integrity and Health
• Jules A. Larke, PhD: Identification of Pulse-Enriched Glycans Associated With Metabolic Health in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2023
• Javier Sandoval, Jr., RDN: Associations Between Perceived Barriers and Self-Efficacy for Health-Related Behavior Change Among College Students
• Kathryn G. Dewey, PhD: Effects of Prenatal Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements on Birth Size: Does Quantity Matter?
• Naomi Becks, B.S : Assessment of Systematic Health Properties of Pecan Nut Consumption: Study Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Trial
• Nicholas F. Russell, BS: Food Group Contributions and Differences in Nutrient Intake Among U.S. Toddlers (13-36 months) Participating in WIC
• Nithya Krishnakumar, BS: Two Servings of Yogurt per Day Increase Lactic Acid Bacteria With No Change to Antimicrobial Resistance in the Gut Microbiome in Healthy Older Adults
• Nithya Krishnakumar, BS: Higher Saturated Fat Intake Associated With Increased Binding of sIgA to Pro-inflammatory Gut Bacteria in Healthy Adults
• Sarah E. Blecksmith, BS:  Effect of a High Arabinose Diet on Markers of Microbial Mucin Degradation in Healthy Adults
• Sarah E. Blecksmith, BS: The FEEDMe Study: A High Arabinose Diet Lowers a Marker of Gut Inflammation
• Shannon Trinh, MS, RD: Impact of California Grape Polyphenols on Cardiometabolic Markers and Vascular Function in Adults With Overweight or Obesity
• Shawna M. Wyatt, MS: A 6-Week Dietary Intervention Improves Diet Quality and Shows Anti-Inflammatory Potential in Adults With Psoriasis
• Shuangyu Zhao: Predictors of Change in Hemoglobin and Anemia Among Children Aged 2–5 Years Receiving a Multiple-Micronutrient Intervention in Northern Ghana
• Zachary P. Gersten: Protocol for Development and Validation of the Fermented Foods Intake Assessment Tool for Estimating 7-Day Intakes of Live Microbe-Containing Fermented Foods in US Adults