Julia Finkelstein, associate professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, has shown there is a global deficiency in B12 among women of reproductive age.
The American Society for Nutrition Foundation (ASNF) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) has awarded Julia Finkelstein, associate professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, director of the Maternal and Child Nutrition Program, and co-director of the Cornell Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health, with the inaugural ASN-NNF Henrik Dam Award for Scientific Discovery in Nutrition.
The award, named in honor of Henrik Dam, a Nobel Prize winner and trailblazing Danish researcher, includes over $300,000 for research and a symposium at Cornell University, and aims to spark innovation and support the next generation of leaders in nutrition. It honors a mid-career professional who has made outstanding research contributions to our understanding of micronutrients, nutritional status and/or metabolism.
"This prestigious award is well deserved and well timed, as this year we celebrate 100 years of innovation in nutrition research at the College of Human Ecology,"
“This prestigious award is well deserved and well timed, as this year we celebrate 100 years of innovation in nutrition research at the College of Human Ecology,” said Rachel Dunifon, Rebecca Q. and James C. Morgan Dean. “Julia follows in the footsteps of our trailblazing founders, Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose, who provided critical nutritional guidance during times of scarcity, like the Depression and World War II, and foundational figures like Flemmie Kittrell, a pioneer who sought to eradicate ‘hidden hunger’ across the globe. Julia’s work in maternal and child health is central to our college’s mission of improving lives.”
A globally recognized expert in vitamin B12 and one-carbon metabolism, Finkelstein has found a high global burden of vitamin B12 deficiency in women of reproductive age and identified a critical role of periconceptional vitamin B12 in maternal and child health. Through population-based biomarker surveillance, longitudinal cohort studies, and randomized clinical trials, this work has informed evidence-based interventions and policy to improve the health of women and children.
“This award is a recognition of the remarkable work that Julia has been doing since she arrived at Cornell,” said Sander Kersten, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences. “What makes this award particularly special is that Julia is the inaugural recipient, and that it comes with a substantial award.”
Finkelstein will deliver a plenary lecture at NUTRITION 2025, the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition May 31-June 3, where she will receive this award.
Finkelstein’s work has influenced clinical guidelines and nutrition policy globally, including through collaborations with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. In addition to her scientific achievements, Finkelstein has a deep commitment to mentorship and training the next generation of leaders in the field of nutrition and maternal and child health, including NIH training programs in nutrition and maternal and child health, and the development of Cochrane and nutrition research methods courses that have equipped hundreds of health professionals in low- and middle-income settings with critical research skills.
“Eighty-two years after Henrik Dam received the Nobel prize for his work on Vitamin K, Dr. Finkelstein receives the inaugural ASNF-NNF Henrik Dam Award for her pioneering work on B12, hence demonstrating the continued importance of micronutrient research,” said Arne Astrup, professor, M.D., D.M.Sc., and senior vice president of obesity and nutrition science at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. “Nutrition is fundamental to our overall health, and prioritizing research in this field will impact health globally.”