Promising mid-career researchers preselected for their pioneering and collaborative approach on Alimentation.

The Prize Committee of the 2 nd Edition of the Danone International Prize for Alimentation (DIPA) has selected 10 promising mid-career Researchers for their innovative approach on Alimentation, the umbrella term for sustainable eating and drinking practices that contribute to the health of individuals. The laureate will be announced after the Jury decision in April 2021.

Promising mid-career researchers are the finalists of the 2nd Edition of DIPA

After an international call for application opened from June to October 2020, the Prize Committee of the 2 nd edition of DIPA chaired by Prof. Olivier Goulet, MD, PhD (Head of the Pediatric GastroenterologyHepatology-Nutrition Department at Necker – Sick Children Hospital, Paris Descartes University, France) met in January for the hard task to deeply analyze the thirty four high-level applications, received from all over the world. The finalists were selected for their innovative and collaborative approach on the Alimentation topic.

The preselected researches mainly focused on the impact of food choices or eating behaviors on health and non-communicable diseases; sustainable healthy food choices determinants; family diet or mother-child feeding interactions; sensory properties and intake behaviors or food choices and purchases determinants. All pre-selected applications have in common the willing to build strong collaborative research, to disseminate the knowledge for useful and concrete local implementation and to act for the communities. They represent cutting edge and multidisciplinary scientific research programs from prestigious universities around the world.

The finalists (by alphabetical order):

• Prof Jerica BERGE (Minnesota University, USA)

• Prof Vicky DRAPEAU (Laval University, Canada)

• Prof Ciàran FORDE (Singapore University, Singapore)

• Prof Jennifer HAINES (Guelph University, Canada)

• Prof Charlotte HARDMAN (Liverpool University, UK)

• Prof Kathleen KELLER (Pennsylvania University, USA)

• Prof Sean LUCAN (Albert Einstein Medicine College, USA)

• Prof Julia LUMENG (Michigan University, USA)

• Prof Nicola McKEOWN (Tufts University, USA)

“The Prize Committee had a difficult task in selecting the finalists among almost forty applications. We will now let the Jury decide but I think that the Jury members will have a hard work as the preselected candidates and researches are of outstanding level and the selection of the Laureate shall be tough. The big challenge in selecting the finalists is the proof of the DIPA impact within the scientific community and the importance of the Alimentation topic worldwide.”

Prof. Olivier Goulet (Necker-Sick Children Hospital, Paris Descartes University, France), president of the 2020 DIPA Prize Committee and President of the Danone Institute International.

A rising interest within the scientific community for the Alimentation topic worldwide

This 2nd edition of DIPA attracted almost 40 high standard applications, an increase of more than 60% compared with the 1st edition in 2018, reaching 10 new countries. This highlights the growing scientific interest for the Alimentation topic as the junction of multiple scientific disciplines – nutrition, behavioral science, sociology, psychology, environmental science, economics, cultural studies... And it is a clear demonstration of the DIPA impact within the scientific community.

About the Danone International Prize for Alimentation, DIPA

The Danone International Prize for Alimentation, DIPA, is awarded every two years in collaboration with the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, FRM, and is open to mid-career researchers, rewarding pioneering research that spans multiple disciplines and represents an innovative and collaborative approach that take into account of the diverse influences on people’s food choices and eating habits, including economic, social, psychological and cultural factors, collectively known as “Alimentation”.

The selection process of DIPA is based on a two-step process with an initial international call for application closed in October 2020 and concluded by a sharp preselection of about 10 short-listed applicants who are now invited to submit a full proposal for consideration by the Jury chaired by a leading international expert in the field of Alimentation.

For further details about the DIPA and a short presentation of the finalists, please visit: www.danoneinstitute.org or contact the DIPA Prize secretary (dipaprize2020@gmail.com)

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* The Danone Institute International (DII) is a not-for-profit organization aiming to promote human health through developing and disseminating knowledge about the links between food and health, and to highlight the importance of nutrition in health.

* The French “Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale” (FRM) aims to contribute to the development of pioneering and innovative medical research, leading to medical advances for all. It is an independent organization that operates through the generosity of its donors