OCTOBER 26, 2023
CAPS Award provides access to CRN’s signature symposium, Science in Session; presented in partnership with the American Society for Nutrition Foundation
WASHINGTON – The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, announced the winners of its graduate student award program that grants the next generation of nutrition scientists and practitioners access to its annual Science in Session symposium, that took place Tuesday, Oct. 3. Science in Session served as the opening event of CRN’s annual conference — Now, New, Next — held October 3-6 at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA.
In 2021, CRN joined with the American Society for Nutrition Foundation (ASNF) to create the CRN and ASNF Program for Scholars (CAPS). As part of CRN’s efforts to support the nutrition research community and enhance awareness of the role dietary supplements play in nutrition, CAPS award winners are selected from graduate student members of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) based on their academic record and commitment to research. Winners receive travel support and complimentary registration for Science in Session, which features experts in nutrition and dietary supplement research. This year’s symposium focused on the evolution of dietary supplement science through the decades as CRN celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“CRN is helping develop the next generation of nutrition scientists and practitioners,” said CRN Senior Vice President, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Andrea Wong, Ph.D. “Populations worldwide need accessible, science-backed guidance about health and wellness, and these students will be better equipped to provide it.”
The 2023 CAPS awardees are Inah Gu, a Ph.D. student in food science at the University of Arkansas; Joseph Arballo, a Ph.D. student in nutritional biology at the University of California, Davis; and Josephine Dudzik, who is seeking a Ph.D. in nutrition and dietetics from New York University.
“I really was excited to apply for it and to get selected,” said Gu. “...Attending the in-person meeting was very meaningful because I got to meet professionals in the nutrient and dietary supplement industry...And their passion for dietary supplements and their support in women in the nutrition space were inspirational.”
Arballo shared the significance of attending the conference. “If you're in academia, in nutritional sciences, and you’re curious about business, marketing, regulation, and industry research in the field, this is an excellent opportunity to introduce these perspectives to you, which will enhance your academic career,” he said. “And if you're interested in these industries post PhD, what's a better way to find out what it's like than to go to this conference and make these connections?”
Dudzik also offered her perspective on the Science in Session symposium she attended. “Not only were the topics wonderful, attendees were so interested in meeting students, in discussing your career and your aspirations and your current work as a doctoral student or young professional,” said Dudzik. “Overall, it was a fabulous opportunity.”
CRN also provides ASNF with support for mid- and senior-career nutrition researchers through the Mary Swartz Rose Awards.
Hear directly from the 2023 CAPS award recipients (video) at https://www.crnusa.org/Education-Outreach.
Pictured here are mentors Angela Mastaloudis, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Brassica Protection Products; Susan Hazels Mitmesser, Ph.D., Vice President, Science & Technology, Pharmavite; honorees Inah Gu, Josephine Dudzik, and Joseph Arballo; and mentor Eric Ciappio, Ph.D., R.D., Strategic Development Manager, Nutrition Science Balchem.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 200+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.