Dr. Robert Chapkin, Allen Endowed Professor of Nutrition and Chronic Disease Prevention in the Department of Nutrition in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, has been appointed a Fellow of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN).
Chapkin is one of 15 individuals to be elected to the ASN Fellows Class of 2024. Election to the Society’s Fellows is the highest honor bestowed by the ASN and recognizes significant contributions and lifetime of distinguished achievement in the field of nutrition.
“Dr. Chapkin’s scholarly contributions to the field of nutrition throughout his career at Texas A&M make his election to the ASN Fellow a worthy one,” said Dr. David Threadgill, chair of the Department of Nutrition.
Research in the Chapkin lab focuses on diet and microbial modulation for the prevention of cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Chapkin’s research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for the past 35 years.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with some incredible colleagues and students over the years,” said Chapkin. “Receiving recognition from the ASN allows me to look back on the many new discoveries we’ve made over the last 30 years, and I’d like to thank all of the mentors who have helped me in my quest to create new knowledge.”
Award honors Chapkin’s contributions to nutrition science
The 2024 Fellows will be recognized at a ceremony on June 30th at ASN’s annual flagship conference, NUTRITION 2024, in Chicago.
“These men and women have dedicated themselves to advancing our discipline and improving global health,” said ASN President Kevin Szalinski, PhD. “Their work has paved the way for future generations of scientists, clinicians and scholars.”
Fellows are selected by the ASN and the American Academy of Nutrition Foundation.
“The ASN Foundation offers heartfelt congratulations to the ASN 2024 Fellows and expresses deep gratitude for their unwavering commitment to advancing our scientific field and society,” said Dr. Catherine Woteke, Chair of the ASN Foundation Board of Trustees.
“Dr. Chapkin’s scholarly contributions to the field of nutrition throughout his career at Texas A&M University make his election to the ASN Fellow category very deserving.”
Dr. David Threadgill
Dean of the Nutrition Department
Award-winning researcher and teacher
Chapkin, who holds research positions in both the Biochemistry and Biophysics departments, was also honored at last year’s ASN annual meeting when she received the Mary Schwartz Rose Senior Investigator Award.
The award, named in honor of the late Mary Schwartz Rose, founder and president of the organization formerly known as the American Academy of Nutrition, recognizes researchers whose scientific contributions have advanced the understanding of healthy eating patterns.
Chapkin was selected for his outstanding research into the safety and efficacy of bioactive compounds on human health.
Chapkin has received numerous awards and honors for his research, including being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2018 in recognition of his scientific and societal excellence in advancing science and its applications.
He is a National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award recipient and a recipient of the National Nutrition Program Faculty Scholar Award from the PEW Foundation. Other awards bestowed upon Chapkin by the ASN include the Osborn and Mendel Award and the BioServe Award in Laboratory Animal Nutrition. Additionally, he has been author or co-author on over 300 scientific research publications.
“These prestigious awards, and the long-term support that comes with them from the National Institutes of Health, have allowed me to take bigger risks, go into more adventurous areas of research, and conduct some very novel scientific research,” Chapkin said. “I am honored to be elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Nutrition.”
