In this special episode of Supplement Source, host Jeff Ventura sits down with Andrew Shao of Niagen Bioscience, a nominee for the 2026 Annette Dickinson Trailblazer Award, to reflect on a career spent at the intersection of science, policy and the dietary supplement industry.
Shao shares how Annette Dickinson helped launch his career at CRN, where he worked alongside industry leaders including John Hathcock to advance science-based approaches for establishing safe upper intake levels for vitamins, minerals and other bioactives. He also discusses how those efforts influenced global regulatory thinking and helped shape resources such as the Vitamin and Mineral Safety Handbook.
The conversation turns to how the supplement industry has evolved, including greater investment in science, manufacturing standards and post-market surveillance, as well as the ongoing challenge posed by less responsible actors. Looking ahead, Shao explains why he believes NAD could follow a trajectory similar to vitamin D, with growing research and awareness potentially elevating healthy aging into a broader public health conversation.
It’s a conversation about scientific progress, regulatory evolution and what it means to blaze a trail in the responsible nutrition industry.