In 2021, five recipients attended virtually—learn more about the honorees below.
Association welcomes scholars program awardees to 2021 Science in Session
The 2021 CAPS awardees are: Jennifer Bapton, a Ph.D. candidate in health sciences at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois; Alexa Barad, a Ph.D. candidate in the nutritional sciences division at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; Inah Gu, a Ph.D. candidate in the food science department at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Sakhawot Hossain, an undergraduate student in the department of nutrition and food technology at Jashore University in Bangladesh; and Kingsley Kalu, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
More about this year's scholars:
Jennifer Bapton, pursuing a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from Rush University, emphasized the value of Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, Ph.D.’s (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) presentation on women’s health, estrogen balance and chronic disease risk during Science in Session. “Specifically, sharing the effects of botanical estrogens like cranberry, ginger, milk thistle and soy on hormone-dependent cancers such as breast cancer. Through my research with Dr. Sandra Gomez-Perez I hope to incorporate Nutritional Genomics into my research design and this session was very inspiring,” she said.
Alexa Barad, a Ph.D. student at in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University noted of her Science in Session experience underscored that, “Our efforts as scientists and researchers in academia, industry or clinical settings don’t end with reporting our findings and sharing them with the scientific community. The key component of really making a difference in the health of our patients and clients is to be able to communicate our findings in a simple and understandable way.”
Inah Gu, a Ph.D. student in the Food Science department at University of Arkansas observed, “All women are not the same. We need proper nutrition and health care based on our life stages, activeness, and many other factors. The Science in Session experience helped me to think about how I should consider these many factors carefully when I design and conduct research in women’s health and nutrition.”
Sakhawot Hossain, an undergraduate student in the department of Nutrition and Food Technology at Jashore University in Bangladesh noted his Science in Session participation helped him “be up to date on changing nutritional knowledge for the betterment of people’s health.” Mr. Hossain is studying older peoples’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kingsley Kalu, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales, Australia, noted the Science in Session session that made the most impact on him was Billy R. Hammond, Ph.D.’s (University of Georgia) discussion of dietary behavior on women's eye and brain health, emphasizing eye-brain connection in relation to lutein and zeaxanthin. “Interestingly, in the last three years of my Ph.D., I have been researching these carotenoids.” He added that Howard D. Sesso, ScD, MPH’s (Brigham and Women's Hospital) session on clinical trials and precision nutrition was also exciting. “This session prepared me further for the clinical trials I will be conducting in December this year.”