CRN Awards Next Generation of Nutrition Scientists, Practitioners Access to Research Symposium on Women’s Health

CASP Award launched in June 2021; provides access to CRN’s signature symposium Science in Session; presented in partnership with the American Society for Nutrition Foundation

NOVEMBER 17, 2021


2022 UPDATE: To avoid duplication with another ASN initiative, the partnership with CRN has been renamed the CRN and ASNF Program for Scholars or "CAPS"


WASHINGTON—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, today announced it awarded the next generation of nutrition scientists and practitioners access to its research symposium on women’s health.

The CRN and American Society for Nutrition Foundation Scholars Program (CASP) Award, launched in June 2021, provides students access to CRN’s signature symposium Science in Session and is presented in partnership with the American Society for Nutrition Foundation (ASNF).

“CRN is helping create 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 equipped to provide it.” 

Part of CRN’s efforts to support the nutrition research community and enhance awareness of the role dietary supplements play in nutrition, CASP award winners are selected based on their academic record and commitment to research. Winners receive a complimentary registration for Science in Session, which features experts in nutrition and dietary supplement research. This year’s Science in Session symposium, held in October, focused on women's health and their unique nutritional needs across the lifespan.

The 2021 CASP awardees are: Jennifer Bapton, a Ph.D. candidate in health sciences at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois; Alexa Barad, a Ph.D. candidate in the nutritional sciences division at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; Inah Gu, a Ph.D. candidate in the food science department at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Sakhawot Hossain, an undergraduate student in the department of nutrition and food technology at Jashore University in Bangladesh; and Kingsley Kalu, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

CASP awardee Alexa Barad believes clear communication in nutrition practice is a critical component to make a positive difference in the health of patients and clients. “As a registered dietitian, I have witnessed first-hand how hard it is to debunk all the myths that get out to the public with no scientific backing,” said Ms. Barad. “We need to be able to communicate our findings that are based on sound science to the benefit of the public.”

CRN also provides ASNF with annual support for nutrition researchers through the Mary Swartz Rose Awards.

Hear directly from the 2021 CASP award recipients (video) at www.crnusa.org/CASP.