CRN Unveils Agenda for "The Workshop"

Source: the Council for Responsible Nutrition

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) will present a top-tier line-up of scientific experts who will provide insight and perspective on critical aspects of dietary supplement research at the one-day scientific symposium, The Workshop: CRN’s Day of Science, which will be held Wednesday, Oct. 3 at the Montage Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Michael McBurney, Ph.D., head of scientific affairs, DSM Nutrition, and chair, CRN Senior Scientific Advisory Committee, will open the scientific symposium by identifying scientific challenges associated with nutrition research.Following Dr. McBurney’s opening address, the day will be divided into four themed sessions, each of which dissects various research methods used to examine the benefits and safety of dietary supplements.

The first session, “The Contribution of Mechanistic and Animal Studies to the Totality of Evidence,” will feature presentations from: Chung-Yen (Oliver) Chen, Ph.D., scientist, Antioxidants Research Lab, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, on mechanistic studies and their contribution to nutrition science; and Diane Birt, Ph.D., professor, Department of Food Science and human nutrition director, Center for Research on Botanical Dietary Supplements, Iowa State University, on animal studies and their contribution to nutrition science.

The second session, which will focus on “The Contribution of Epidemiology to the Totality of Evidence,” will feature insights from Kevin Maki, Ph.D., chief science officer, Biofortis-Provident Clinical Research, who will present on observational studies and their contribution to nutrition science.

The third session will focus on “The Contributions of Randomized Controlled Trials to the Totality of Evidence,” during which Robert Heaney, M.D., professor of medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Creighton University, will explore the topic of randomized controlled trials and their application when studying dietary supplements.

The final session, “Synthesis: The Nutrition Researcher Community: Adapting to Research Challenges,” will feature presentations from:Dominik Alexander, Ph.D., MSPH, senior managing epidemiologist, Exponent, Inc., Health Sciences, who will explore evidence reviews by examining a multivitamin case study;andGene L Bowman, N.D., MPH, assistant professor of neurology, Oregon Health Science University, who will present on nutrient biomarkers and surrogate end points in clinical trials.

CRN’s Day of Science will be held in tandem with The Conference: CRN’s Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry.  The scientific symposium ends the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 3 with a joint networking reception for the opening of The Conference,whichruns through Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. There are flexible registration options available for those who want to attend both events, a shorter combination of both events, or The Workshop or The Conference individually. Online registration and other information are available on CRN’s website at  http://www.crnusa.org/2012events/.