The Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences’ (IAFNS’) Annual Summer Science Symposium will take place June 24–25, 2026 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. Registration is open.

The event gathers leading scientific and regulatory experts from government, industry, and academia for dialogue around the most pressing science advancements and challenges in the food and nutrition space.

Scott Hutchins, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will present the Keynote alongside a panel of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Human Foods Program (HFP) officials including Robin McKinnon, Ph.D., M.P.A., Acting Director of the Nutrition Center of Excellence; Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Microbiological Food Safety; and Mark Hartman, M.A., M.P.A., Director of the Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation.

The Symposium will also feature sessions on:

• Science at the Interface of Consumers and Food Processing
• New Perspectives on Protein Across the Healthspan
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a Research and Discovery Tool in Nutrition and Food Safety Science
• Anatomy of a “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) Determination
• Trust and Communicating Uncertainty.

An evening reception will take place on June 24 at the National Press Club. The conference will also include award presentations by the winners of IAFNS’ 2026 Emerging Leaders Awards for Food Safety and Nutrition Science.