Lauren O’Connor, Ph.D., MPH, Nutrition and Health Program lead with the Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, has received the 2026 Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences, IAFNS, Emerging Leader Award, recognizing her contributions in the field of nutrition science.
Lauren O’Connor, Ph.D., MPH, has received the 2026 Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences, IAFNS, Emerging Leader Award. (Texas A&M AgriLife)
The award promotes excellence in nutrition sciences as evidenced by research, leadership, initiative, collaboration and communication. O’Connor will receive the award and present her research at the IAFNS annual Summer Science Symposium, June 24-25, in Washington, D.C.
At the Evidence Center, O’Connor works with multidisciplinary teams to evaluate and synthesize bodies of research to help answer complex public health and nutrition questions.
“Nutrition guidance affects public health, policy and consumer trust, so ensuring evidence is evaluated rigorously is critical,” she said. “This award means a great deal to me and pushes me to continue pursuing my passion for elevating the quality of nutrition research that will hopefully make a significant impact on public health policies, programs and regulations in the U.S. and around the globe.”
Helping decision-makers answer complex food and nutrition questions
O’Connor’s efforts to evaluate and synthesize existing research help to describe the state of the science informing an understanding of the relationships between agriculture, food systems, food and nutrition, and human, environmental and economic health outcomes.
Her expertise is extensive, with experience in the design and conduct of randomized controlled feeding trials, dietary assessment methods, national nutrition surveillance and U.S. dietary databases, in addition to systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Before joining AgriLife Research, O’Connor conducted research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institutes of Health, focusing on red meat and ultra-processed food intake for chronic disease prevention, including cardiometabolic disease and cancer. She also contributed as a member of the federal support staff to the systematic reviews for the Dietary Reference Intakes for fat and carbohydrates and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
At the Evidence Center, she leads a team of nutrition scientists and epidemiologists who conduct evidence synthesis projects that inform and strengthen the scientific foundation behind food and nutrition policies, programs and practices.
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