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News — Washington D.C. – The established IAFNS Emerging Leaders Awards promote excellence in the food safety and nutritional sciences as evidenced by research, leadership, initiative, collaboration and communication.

The two awards—one for food safety and one for nutritional science—are geared towards those whose primary role is as a researcher from academia, industry or government.

The recognition includes travel expenses to Washington DC for the IAFNS to be held June 10-11, 2025. The winners will have a speaking slot at the symposium to share their research and receive commemorative plaques recognizing this accomplishment.

Applicants were judged on their research, communication, leadership and collaboration skills and accomplishments by the IAFNS Award Committee through an evaluation criteria and rating system. We received a strong pool of applicants reflective of the depth of talent and leadership shaping the future of the food and beverage ecosystem. The selection process was highly competitive, making the judges’ decisions challenging.

2025 Award Winners

IAFNS is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 IAFNS Emerging Leaders Awards:

In recognition of contributions in the field of Nutrition Science, the IAFNS Emerging Leader Award goes to:

Dr. Laura Chiavaroli – Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada; Affiliate Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital at Unity Health Toronto.

“It is a great honor to have my work recognized by the IAFNS Emerging Leader Award, as I drive a research program that demonstrates the use of digital technology and interdisciplinary collaborations to translate and implement effectively our guidelines-based dietary patterns. Our goal is to reduce the burden of non-communicable chronic diseases in communities at greatest risk,” according to Dr. Chiavaroli.

In recognition of contributions to the field of Food Safety, the IAFNS Emerging Leader Award goes to:

Dr. Byron Chaves, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Chaves is an Associate Professor and Food Safety Extension Specialist.

"I see this award as a door that opens—an opportunity to expand my network, build new collaborations, and continue the work with renewed energy. Receiving the 2025 IAFNS Emerging Leaders Award in Food Safety is a meaningful recognition of the hard work and dedication of #ChavesLabUNL. It brings visibility to applied food safety research and outreach and affirms the relevance of the job we are doing. Personally, it fills me with joy, pride, and a sense of responsibility to keep pursuing solution-driven work that is impactful and actionable in protecting public health," according to Dr. Chaves.

IAFNS congratulates both recipients on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to their talks at the June Annual Summer Science Symposium in Washington DC.

About the University of Toronto (U of T)

Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canada’s leading institution of learning, discovery and knowledge. U of T is one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities and ranked Canada’s most innovative university. We’re a global leader in transforming innovative ideas into products, services, companies and jobs.

About the Temerty Faculty of Medicine

The at the University of Toronto is at the centre of one of North America’s largest biomedical research, education and clinical care networks. With nine fully affiliated research-intensive hospitals — and dozens of community and clinical care sites — Temerty Medicine offers unparalleled learning opportunities in Canada’s most dynamic city. Powered by $995 million in annual funding, Temerty Medicine and our hospital partners are Canadian leaders in research and publish more academic papers than any other Canadian medical school. In 2024, U.S. Â鶹´«Ã½ & World Report ranked U of T third globally in clinical medicine, driven in part by highly cited papers from Temerty Medicine researchers in top-tier journals.

About the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the state’s land-grant university and holds the Carnegie R1 designation signifying the highest level of research activity. UNL's total research expenditures have increased 53% over the past decade, with UNL, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska system’s Office of the President achieving a combined total of $617 million in research expenditures in FY 2023. UNL is a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Academic Alliance.

About the Institute for the Advancement of Food & Nutrition Sciences

IAFNS is committed to leading positive change across the food and beverage ecosystem. IAFNS is a 501(c)(3) science-focused nonprofit uniquely positioned to mobilize government, industry and academia to drive, fund and lead actionable research.