Pennington Biomedical Sets the Standard in Nutrition Research

September 8, 2025 · Baton Rouge, LA

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Sept. 14 is National Food is Medicine Day; Pennington Biomedical experts are available to speak on all aspects of nutrition and Food is Medicine

When "Doc" Pennington pledged $125 million to establish the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, his ambitious vision was unequivocal: “This should be the biggest and best nutrition research center in the country.” Four decades later, that bold aspiration has not only been realized – it has been surpassed on a global scale. Pennington Biomedical now stands as one of the world's most influential and scientifically productive nutrition research institutions.

As the nation observes National Food is Medicine Day on September 14, the pioneering work of Pennington Biomedical researchers takes on heightened significance. Their investigations into the critical role of nutrition in preventing and managing chronic diseases, while promoting optimal health across populations, have fundamentally advanced our understanding of food as therapeutic intervention.

Throughout its distinguished history, Pennington Biomedical has spearheaded transformative research that has redefined global perspectives on the intricate relationships between nutrition, chronic disease, metabolism, obesity and healthy aging. From foundational studies establishing principles of human energy balance to current participation in the largest precision nutrition study ever undertaken, the Center has consistently pioneered discoveries that illuminate how dietary choices profoundly influence health outcomes.

“Our mission centers on identifying the fundamental triggers of disease and translating those discoveries into evidence-based programs that enhance health throughout the human lifespan,” said Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical. “Whether in our laboratories, clinical settings, or community-based initiatives, our research creates measurable impact across local, national, and international populations.”

The Center's scientific contributions span landmark achievements – from co-developing the DASH Diet, universally acclaimed as the premier evidence-based cardiovascular nutrition protocol, to elucidating the brain's sophisticated nutrient-sensing mechanisms through FGF21 research. These discoveries position Pennington Biomedical at the vanguard of the Food is Medicine Movement, where rigorous science meets practical health solutions.

The following are some of the researchers and experts at Pennington Biomedical who are available to speak on various aspects of nutrition and related topics:

• Tim Allerton, PhD, Vascular Metabolism Laboratory
  Expertise: Nutrition; Exercise; Cardiovascular disease

• John W. Apolzan, PhD, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Laboratory
  Expertise: Nutrition science; Clinical nutrition; Obesity; Nutrition app development
  
  
• Claire Berryman, PhD, Nutritional Physiology Lab
  Expertise: Nutritional and environmental interventions; Low oxygen environments; Time restricted eating

• Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, PhD, Neurobiology and Nutrition Laboratory
  Expertise: Nutrition intake; Obesity; Anorexia; Gastrointestinal and liver physiology; Gut-brain interactions; Taste physiology

• Katelyn Bailey, RD, Dietary Assessment and Nutrition Counseling
  Expertise: Dietary counseling; Dietary intake assessment; Clinical nutrition

• Kate Blumberg, RD, Dietary Assessment and Nutrition Counseling
  Expertise: Dietary counseling; Dietary intake assessment; Clinical nutrition

• Catherine Carmichael, MS, RDN, Team Nutrition/Louisiana Fit Kids
  Expertise: School meal programs; Student wellness, Dietetics, Fruit and vegetable social marketing

• Catherine M. Champagne, PhD, RDN, Dietary Assessment and Nutrition Counseling
  Expertise: Dietary counseling; Dietary intake assessment; Nutrient database; Nutritional epidemiology; DASH diet

• Frank L. Greenway, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Trials Unit
  Expertise: Obesity treatments, including diets, herbal supplements, medical foods, devices, and obesity surgery; Obesity drug development; Pharmaceuticals

• Stephen R. Hennigar, PhD, Micronutrient Metabolism Lab
  Expertise: Micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) nutrition; iron deficiency; anemia

• Steven B. Heymsfield, MD, Metabolism and Body Composition Lab
  Expertise: Obesity; Methods of evaluating body composition; Weight loss treatments; Wearable devices for studying human metabolism; GLP-1s

• Gang Hu, PhD, MD, MPH, FAHA, Chronic Disease Epidemiology Lab
  Expertise: Lifestyle interventions for adults and children; Obesity, lifestyle factors, biomarkers, genomics, and epigenomics; Chronic diseases including gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer

• Claudia T. Kappen, Dr. rer. nat., Developmental Biology Lab
  Expertise: Maternal nutrition; Nutrition during pregnancy; Nutrition effect on embryos

• Peter T. Katzmarzyk, PhD, Physical Activity & Obesity Epidemiology Lab
  Expertise: Physical activity and obesity; Pediatrics; Clinical interventions for obesity; Global health

• John P. Kirwan, MSc, PhD, FACSM, George A. Bray, Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition, Executive Director, Integrated Physiology and Molecular Medicine Lab
  Expertise: Obesity; Insulin resistance as a cause of chronic disease

• Corby K. Martin, PhD, FTOS, Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management & Health Promotion Lab
  Expertise: Health behavior change; Weight loss; Diet and dietary adherence assessment; Mobile health; Calorie restriction; Food waste

• Melissa Martin, MBA, RDN, LDN Greaux Healthy Director
  Expertise: Nutrition counseling; Community health program development; Population healthy strategies and business administration

• Jacob Mey, PhD, RD, Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization Lab
  Expertise: Precision nutrition; Ketogenic diet; Carnivore; Food as medicine; Medical nutrition therapy; Asthma

• Christopher D. Morrison, PhD, Neurosignaling Lab
  Expertise: Neuroendocrinology and physiology; Neuronal regulation of growth, metabolism and feeding behavior; Dietary protein content

• Candice A. Myers, PhD, Population and Public Health Sciences
  Expertise: Sociology; Geography; Food insecurity; Chronic disease  

• Heike Muenzberg-Gruening, PhD, Central Leptin Signaling Laboratory
  Expertise: Brain regulation of feeding and metabolism

• Robert Noland, PhD, John S. McIlhenny Skeletal Muscle Physiology Laboratory
  Expertise: Nutrient metabolism in skeletal muscle

• Stefan M. Pasiakos, PhD, FASN, FACSM, Human Performance Optimization
  Expertise: Physiology, nutrition, neuroscience, and technology to enhance human performance in U.S. military personnel, astronauts, and elite athletes training and operating in extreme environments under harsh conditions

• Eric Ravussin, PhD, Human Translational Physiology Lab & Metabolic Chambers Laboratory
  Expertise: Obesity; Type 2 diabetes; Energy expenditure; Body composition; Energy Balance; Carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity; Biomarkers of aging

• Candida Rebello, PhD, RD, LDN, Nutrition and Chronic Disease Program
  Expertise: Obesity; Insulin resistance; Sustainable lifestyle for obesity treatment; Age-related functional decline

• Leanne M. Redman, MS, PhD, Reproductive Endocrinology & Women’s Health and Nutrition Obesity Research Center
  Expertise: Obesity; Obesity and women’s health - pregnancy, lactation, menopause, PCOS, gestational diabetes; Weight loss; Metabolic adaptation; Healthy aging

• Jennifer C. Rood, PhD, Clinical Chemistry Core and Center for Military Performance and Resilience
  Expertise: Measuring energy expenditure during weight gain/loss and during periods of intense exercise; Using stable isotopes to measure protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism; Military/warfighter nutrition and performance

• Philip R. Schauer, MD, Metabolic Surgery, Metamor Institute
  Expertise: Obesity; Diabetes; Metabolic surgery; Outcomes of metabolic surgery

• Krisztian Stadler, PhD, Oxidative Stress and Disease Laboratory
  Expertise: Nutrient metabolism, oxidative stress, and kidney disease

• Renee Stelzer, RD, Metabolic Kitchen
  Expertise: Nutritional research, Nutritional analysis, Meal planning and preparation, Food intake data collection, Plate waste

• Yun Shen, MD, Chronic Disease Epidemiology
  Expertise: Diabetes; Obesity and metabolic disorders; Biological markers for diabetes; Metabolic monitoring technologies; Intervention programs

• Amanda E. Staiano, PhD, Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Lab
  Expertise: Family-based healthy lifestyle programs in clinical and community settings; Technology to decrease pediatric obesity; Technology to promote physical activity; Exergaming; Children’s physical activity