Award recognizes more than 25 years of scientific leadership, collaboration, and responsible innovation in dietary supplements
CARLSBAD, California — The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and Radicle Science today announced Andrew Shao, Ph.D., senior vice president, global scientific and regulatory affairs at Niagen Bioscience, as the 2026 CRN/Radicle Science Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award honoree. The award recognizes leaders whose innovation, advocacy, mentorship, and vision have helped move the dietary supplement and functional food industry forward.
Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Dr. Shao has helped shape science-based standards for nutrients and bioactive ingredients, advance healthy-aging and NAD+ research, and strengthen collaboration among industry, academia, regulators, and the broader scientific community. He has contributed to more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters and has held scientific and leadership roles across the dietary supplement and nutrition field.
Radicle Science Co-founder and CEO Jeff Chen with Andrew Shao, SVP, Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Niagen Bioscience, Radicle Science Co-founder and Executive Chair Pelin Thorogood, and CRN President & CEO Steve Mister.
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At Niagen Bioscience, Dr. Shao leads global scientific and regulatory affairs and has helped expand the evidence base and quality standards supporting nicotinamide riboside (or NR, which the company patents as its flagship ingredient Niagen) and the broader NAD+ category. His work reflects the combination of scientific rigor, strategic leadership, and industry collaboration that the Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award was created to recognize.
“This award is incredibly special to me because I have had the privilege of working alongside Annette for many years, and that experience has had a lasting impact both on me personally and my career,” said Dr. Shao. “Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with talented scientists, regulators, colleagues, and industry leaders who share a commitment to rigorous science and responsible innovation. I am grateful for this recognition and for the opportunity to continue contributing to an industry that has such potential to improve health and well-being.”
“Dr. Shao’s career reflects the kind of leadership Annette Dickinson embodied: the ability and willingness to do the hard work of building stronger science, stronger standards, and stronger connections across the industry,” said Gretchen Powers, CRN vice president, marketing and member experience. “His influence reaches well beyond any one role or organization, and CRN is proud to recognize the lasting contribution he has made to our community and to the field.”
“Dr. Shao has spent his career pushing the boundaries of what is possible in evidence-based wellness, bringing scientific rigor, curiosity, and a spirit of collaboration to everything he does,” said Pelin Thorogood, co-founder and executive chair of Radicle Science. “He understands that rigorous science isn't a barrier to innovation—it's what makes meaningful innovation possible. His leadership has helped advance our industry and bring us closer to a future where wellness is not just promising, but proven. That is the spirit of a true trailblazer.”
Dr. Shao was selected by the CRN member community from five finalists for the 2026 CRN / Radicle Science Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award shortlisted from a field of community nominations. The award honors the legacy of Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., CRN’s founding staff member and former president, whose leadership helped shape the responsible dietary supplement industry and whose career was defined by science, advocacy, and service.
Further information about the Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award is available at crnusa.org/trailblazer.
About CRN: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973 and based in Washington, D.C., is the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry. Bringing together manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and service providers, CRN unites its member companies around a shared commitment to science, transparency, and responsible business practices—advancing a strong, credible marketplace that supports consumer health and industry growth.
In an increasingly complex regulatory and media environment, CRN serves as the industry’s front line—shaping science-based policy, defending market access, and countering misinformation. Through strategic advocacy, self-regulatory leadership, voluntary guidelines, and evidence-based communications, CRN ensures that responsible companies are recognized, protected, and positioned to innovate and compete. Learn more at crnusa.org and follow @CRN_Supplements on X and LinkedIn.
About Radicle Science: Named a “World Changing Idea” by Fast Company, Radicle Science is a healthtech company pioneering a new standard of proven, precision wellness. Through its patented Reflexive Trial platform—combining AI, consumer science and large-scale decentralized trials—Radicle delivers clinical-grade evidence and consumer insights with unprecedented speed and scale, at a fraction of the cost. Since its launching in 2021, Radicle Science has conducted placebo-controlled trials with nearly 100,000 Americans, more than the total enrolled in all FDA drug approval trials during the same period. Learn more at www.RadicleScience.com.