The Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Emerging Leaders Award, recognizing excellence in food safety and nutrition sciences.

The recognition includes travel expenses to Washington D.C. for the IAFNS Annual Summer Science Symposium, which will be held June 24–25, 2026. The winners will have a speaking slot at the symposium to share their research and will be awarded commemorative plaques.

Applicants were systematically judged on their research, communication, leadership, and collaboration skills and accomplishments by the IAFNS Award Committee.

Food Safety

The IAFNS Emerging Leader Award for food safety is being presented to Carla Schwan, Ph.D., M.Sc., Assistant Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist at the University of Georgia and Director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Her research and outreach focus on safe home food preservation methods, including canning, fermenting, pickling, curing, and freeze-drying foods. In this work she focuses on microbial validation, pathogen behavior, and consumer food safety topics. Dr. Schwan brings extensive international experience and leads training and outreach programs that support Extension professionals, other scientists, and the public in applying optimal science-based food safety practices.

"Receiving the IAFNS Emerging Leader Award is truly humbling, as it recognizes work that brings research and Extension together to address real-world food safety challenges,” said Dr. Schwan. Our program focuses on home food preservation and microbial validation to better understand how risks occur in practice and to turn that science into guidance people can rely on. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce foodborne illness by helping people make safer choices when preparing and preserving food."

Nutrition

The IAFNS Emerging Leader Award for nutrition is being presented to Lauren O’Connor, Ph.D., M.P.H., Nutrition and Health Program Lead at the Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Evidence Center of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Her expertise spans randomized controlled feeding trials, dietary assessment methods, national nutrition surveillance, and evidence synthesis. In her current role, she leads evidence synthesis projects to inform public health initiatives such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) efforts to reduce childhood exposure to contaminants from foods and infant formula; the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s)/FDA's guidance on seafood intake during pregnancy, lactation, and childhood; and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the management of obesity in children. In her previous roles at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Dr. O’Connor contributed to systematic reviews for the Dietary Reference Intakes, served on the 2020–25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans data analysis team, contributed to advancements to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) dietary assessment tools, and improved methods of assessing red meat and ultra-processed food intake.

“I am honored to receive the IAFNS Emerging Leader in Nutritional Sciences Award,” said Dr. O’Connor. This recognition motivates me to continue advancing rigorous, standardized, and transparent scientific practices that elevate the quality of nutrition research used to inform decision-makers of policies, programs, and regulations in the U.S. and globally.”