Academy names Mandana Arabi Founding Director of The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science

The New York Academy of Sciences is pleased to announce that Mandana Arabi will be joining the Academy as the Founding Director of The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science in Fall 2011.

Dr. Arabi, a highly accomplished nutrition scientist with UNICEF, holds a PhD in Nutrition from Cornell University and an MD from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Upon joining the Academy, Dr. Arabi will also hold a faculty appointment in Nutrition Science with Cornell University. She is an expert in international nutrition, and her research and programmatic work has addressed infant and child nutrition in developing countries, as well as the impacts of globalization and broader social and economic factors affecting nutrition and health in vulnerable populations.

As Founding Director of the Sackler Institute she will lead a global initiative to develop and implement a prioritized agenda for nutrition science research and build a public-private partnership of academic institutions, non-profit organizations, government bodies, and corporations to work together to implement the research outcomes in the field.

"Dr. Arabi brings a wealth of experience in the field of nutrition science that will be a perfect complement to the Academy's proven strengths in convening and mobilizing scientific communities to respond to actionable goals. The Academy established the Sackler Institute to build bridges between researchers working at the laboratory bench and people suffering from malnutrition. Dr. Arabi has worked effectively across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries to actively advance nutrition science and we are confident that her expertise and enthusiasm will augment the resources of the Academy and the powerful partnerships the Institute has built to impact the future of nutrition science research," said Ellis Rubinstein, President & CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences.

"I am thrilled to be joining an exciting new initiative which aims at bringing together multiple partners to address malnutrition in its broader definition. Despite all the progress in the past few decades, still one child in nine dies before reaching the age of five; and we know that at least one third of these deaths can be prevented though nutrition interventions. The Sackler Institute will be creating a strategic agenda to coordinate research towards identifying and building consensus regarding the most effective interventions, as well as fostering innovations which can ensure these interventions can best reach those most in need," said Dr. Arabi.

The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science was created with a founding gift from The Mortimer D. Sackler Foundation, Inc. to spearhead a global effort to systematically and comprehensively address the critical global crisis in malnutrition. The Sackler Institute is dedicated to advancing nutrition science research, mobilizing communities, and integrating scientific evidence into field work. The Institute is generating a coordinated network across sectors, disciplines, and geographies that promotes open communication; encourages exchange of information and resources; nurtures the next generation of scientists; and drives community intervention design and public policy changes. In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Sackler Institute has launched a global initiative to formulate a prioritized agenda for nutrition science research. The Institute houses a public-private partnership of academic institutions, non-profit organizations, government bodies, and corporations that work together to galvanize action on the nutrition science research agenda and implement outcomes in the field. In addition, the Institute stimulates research by framing challenges through the Scientists Without Borders platform and issuing prizes to a worldwide network of researchers who will generate innovative solutions to critical nutrition issues.

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The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide since 1817. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, NYAS is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. NYAS' core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. For more information, please visit www.nyas.org.