WASHINGTON, D.C., April 20, 2009 — Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D., and Susan Talcott, Ph.D., were yesterday honored with the Mary Swartz Rose Senior Investigator Award and the Mary Swartz Rose Young Investigator Award respectively, at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting held in conjunction with Experimental Biology 2009 in New Orleans, La.
The awards, jointly presented by the ASN and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), are given with the intent to recognize outstanding research on the safety and efficacy of bioactive compounds for human health. 

“Sound scientific research is absolutely essential to the growth of the supplement and functional foods industries,” said Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN. “It is a privilege for CRN to collaborate with ASN, the preeminent nutrition research society in the world, in providing grants to honor nutrition researchers for their work. We look forward to expanding our on-going commitment to supporting scientific research and scientific researchers in the field of nutrition and health.”

Dr. Farnsworth, director of the National Institutes of Health Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, currently focuses his research on the study of botanical dietary supplements such as Valerian, Black Cohosh, Dong Quai, and Red Clover, and the potential roles they play in the overall health of consumers.  His past research included extensive work on the isolation and structure elucidation of biologically active principles from natural sources, making him a pioneer in his field. He serves in a number of additional capacities including as editor-in-chief of the Natural Products Alert database.

Dr. Talcott is currently the assistant research scientist, Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Texas A&M University.  Her research focuses on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cancer preventive properties of plant derived bioactive compounds.  She has helped elucidate the health benefits of many “superfruits,” such as pomegranate and acai as well as bioactive compounds such as ellagic acid and quercetin that are found in foods that have a long history of use.  Dr. Talcott is also the current secretary/treasurer of the Bioactive Compounds Research Interest Section of ASN. 

These awards are named in honor of the late Mary Swartz Rose (1874–1941), a founder and president of the American Institute of Nutrition (now known as ASN). The Mary Swartz Rose Senior Investigator Award is given to an investigator with ten years or more of postgraduate training, for outstanding preclinical and/or clinical research on the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements as well as essential nutrients and other biologically active food components that might be distributed as supplements or components in functional foods.  The Mary Swartz Rose Young Investigator Award is based on the same research qualifications, but is given to an investigator with ten or less years of postgraduate training. 

Made possible by a $50,000 grant from CRN to fund the awards annually over five consecutive years, this is the second year the award was given out.  The 2008 winners for the Senior Investigator and Young Investigator awards were Bruce N. Ames, Ph.D., and Mary Gamble, Ph.D., respectively.  For more information about The Mary Swartz Rose awards, visit http://www.nutrition.org/about-asn/awards/.

About ASN: The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians around the world. ASN is dedicated to bringing together the top nutrition researchers, medical practitioners, policy makers and industry leaders to advance our knowledge and application of nutrition.  Founded in 1928, ASN publishes The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) and the Journal of Nutrition (JN). Visit ASN online at www.nutrition.org.

About CRN: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. CRN members agree to adhere to voluntary guidelines for manufacturing, labeling and marketing and CRN’s Code of Ethics.  Visit www.crnusa.org.