Cristina Palacios, an FIU researcher, chair and professor of dietetics and nutrition, has been elected to the Excellence in Nutrition Fellows of American Society for Nutrition (FASN) program.
The inaugural program honors nutrition professionals for their ongoing contributions to nutrition science and practice, as well as their engagement in the nutrition community. Palacios is among 55 professionals chosen from academic and research institutions nationwide.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the American Society for Nutrition for this new program among other mid-career fellows,” says Palacios. “It’s a rewarding feeling to be recognized for one’s work.”
For more than two decades, Palacios has explored the impact of diet on obesity and weight gain in infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women. She has also conducted multiple trials in adolescents and adults to determine the effects of dietary supplements and functional foods on bone and body composition.
“One of my biggest motivators is helping people,” she says. “I'm always looking for ways to help people improve what they eat so that they can be the healthiest they can be.”
Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her expertise earned her a place on the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group convened by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Palacios joined FIU in 2017 as an associate professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. After five years, she was elected chair of the department and was appointed full professor.