News & Events

Guodong Zhang, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Nutrition and a Nutritionist in Agricultural and Environmental Science at UC Davis. He earned his Ph.D. in Food Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison, before completing three years of postdoctoral research at UC Davis where he began his extensive work in the field of fatty acid metabolism. After working as a professor for either years at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and almost two years at the National University of Singapore, he returned to Davis in 2023 to teach and conduct research in his lab.

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.

Fawaz Haj, D.Phil. is a Professor in the Department of Nutrition with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine at UC Davis. He earned his D.Phil. in Physiology from Oxford University, and later spent 7 years as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. Since joining UC Davis as faculty in 2007, Dr. Haj has continued to lead research and teach students.

As research continues to reinforce the connections between nutrition, metabolism, and disease, diet emerges as a promising tool in cancer prevention and treatment. Dr. Gerardo Mackenzie, Professor and Chair of the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, is leading innovative research that explores how dietary factors influence cancer development, progression, and response to therapy; particularly with pancreatic cancer. By studying the interactions among diet, metabolism, and the immune system, this work aims to better understand how nutrition can support more effective cancer treatments.

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.

Three faculty members with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition are being recognized as 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows by American Society for Nutrition (ASN). Associate Professors Lauren Au and Reina Engle-Stone and Department Chair Gerardo Mackenzie are being honored for their contributions to nutrition research, education and practice.

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 a proud supporter of undergraduate student research. This year at the Undergraduate Research Conference, held April 24–25, fifteen students associated with the Department showcased their work. Their research experiences are made possible by dedicated faculty mentors who sponsor undergraduates in their lab, fostering scientific curiosity and creating meaningful opportunities for both academic and professional growth.

Dr. Carl Keen was a remarkable scientist and member of the Department of Nutrition for 40 years. He passed away on March 18th, 2026 due to complications with Parkinson's.

Carl joined the Department in 1981 and served as Chair from 1993 to 2006. During his tenure, his research focused on two areas; the investigation of the influence of maternal diet on the risk for pregnancy complications (maternal, conceptus, and fetal) and the influence of diet on the risk for age-related chronic diseases.

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.

From the classroom to the broader community, Debbie Fetter, Ph.D., makes nutrition science approachable, inclusive and practical. In recognition of this impact earned, the UC Davis associate professor of teaching has been awarded a "Let’s Eat Healthy Leadership Award" from Dairy Council of California.

March is National Nutrition Month®, a campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to highlight the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. This year, we’re celebrating by spotlighting the incredible faculty members in our department who hold the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential. Their expertise spans clinical care, community nutrition, research, and education to advance evidence-based practice while mentoring the next generation of nutrition professionals.