HNRCA Director

March 12, 2009

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Simin Nikbin Meydani as Director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), effective March 16, 2009.

Dr. Meydani is currently Associate Director of the HNRCA, as well as Senior Scientist and Director of the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory. She is a Professor at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, where she teaches "Nutritional Impact on the Immune System and Related Diseases," and is on the faculty of the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Meydani received a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tehran University, and went on to earn a master?s in nutrition at Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in nutrition at Iowa State. She started her Tufts career in 1984 as Assistant Professor at the School of Nutrition and Scientist II at the HNRCA. Her research focuses on the effect of nutrients on aging, immune system response, and infection, and has been funded by numerous grants from USDA and NIH.

The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University was created as a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture as one of six human nutrition research centers in the United States that are supported by the ARS. The USDA sponsors research on the relationships between nutrition and aging at the HNRCA and takes those scientific findings into account when shaping public policy. The Director of the HNRCA at Tufts reports directly to the provost and works closely with the vice provost, vice presidents, and deans of the schools.

Dr. Meydani has been a strong leader at the HNRCA. Since Rob Russell stepped down as Director in 2008, she has been essential in keeping the day-to-day operations of the center running smoothly. She understands the challenges facing the HNRCA, but also knows that the center?s greatest strength is the high caliber of its scientists. She maintains an impressive research program and has a high profile in the fields of nutrition and aging, serving as president of the American Aging Association in 2005-06. She received the Robert H. Herman Award in Clinical Nutrition from the American Society of Nutrition, the American Institute of Nutrition Lederle Award in Human Nutrition, and the Denham Harman Lifetime Research Achievement Award from the American Aging Association. Her appointment as director has the full support of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

I look forward to working with Dr. Meydani in this expanded leadership role. She is a model colleague and academic leader, having twice received recognition at Tufts for outstanding faculty achievement. She has taken an interest in university-wide initiatives like the Postdoctoral Taskforce and the Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine Symposium, and continuously works toward the benefit of not only the HNRCA, but Tufts University and the field of nutrition as a whole.

I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the search committee, who worked tirelessly to find the very best candidates to lead this distinguished institution. Vice Provost Peggy Newell chaired the committee and maintained communications with our partners at the USDA. The committee included Deans Eileen Kennedy and Michael Rosenblatt, Drs. Bess Dawson-Hughes and Jose Ordovas from the HNRCA, Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell, Vice President for University Relations Mary Jeka, and Dr. Lindsay Allen, director of the USDA-ARS Western Human Nutrition Center in Davis, California. I also appreciate the efforts and patience of the HNRCA staff in managing this transition.

President Bacow and I thank all the members of the HNRCA community for the outstanding research that has made the Center a nationally recognized center of excellence. We are grateful for Dr. Meydani?s willingness to serve. Please join us in welcoming her to this leadership post.

I invite you to attend a celebratory meeting on Monday, March 16 at 3 p.m. in the HNRCA Auditorium, followed by a reception.

Jamshed Bharucha
Provost and Senior Vice President

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	v Administrative appointments > Appointment of Dr. Harris A. Berman as Dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine > Appointment of Dean of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine > Interim Dean of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy > Tisch College Interim Dean > Tisch College Dean Search Committee > Friedman School Dean Announcement > Dental School Dean Search Committee > Tisch College Dean Announcement > Dental School Dean Announcement > New Dean of Arts and Sciences > Arts and Sciences Dean Search > Tufts University School of Medicine Dean Transition > HNRCA Director	Home » About » The Provost » Announcements and Remarks » Administrative appointments » HNRCA Director HNRCA Director March 12, 2009 I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Simin Nikbin Meydani as Director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), effective March 16, 2009. Dr. Meydani is currently Associate Director of the HNRCA, as well as Senior Scientist and Director of the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory. She is a Professor at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, where she teaches "Nutritional Impact on the Immune System and Related Diseases," and is on the faculty of the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Meydani received a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tehran University, and went on to earn a master?s in nutrition at Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in nutrition at Iowa State. She started her Tufts career in 1984 as Assistant Professor at the School of Nutrition and Scientist II at the HNRCA. Her research focuses on the effect of nutrients on aging, immune system response, and infection, and has been funded by numerous grants from USDA and NIH. The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University was created as a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture as one of six human nutrition research centers in the United States that are supported by the ARS. The USDA sponsors research on the relationships between nutrition and aging at the HNRCA and takes those scientific findings into account when shaping public policy. The Director of the HNRCA at Tufts reports directly to the provost and works closely with the vice provost, vice presidents, and deans of the schools. Dr. Meydani has been a strong leader at the HNRCA. Since Rob Russell stepped down as Director in 2008, she has been essential in keeping the day-to-day operations of the center running smoothly. She understands the challenges facing the HNRCA, but also knows that the center?s greatest strength is the high caliber of its scientists. She maintains an impressive research program and has a high profile in the fields of nutrition and aging, serving as president of the American Aging Association in 2005-06. She received the Robert H. Herman Award in Clinical Nutrition from the American Society of Nutrition, the American Institute of Nutrition Lederle Award in Human Nutrition, and the Denham Harman Lifetime Research Achievement Award from the American Aging Association. Her appointment as director has the full support of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). I look forward to working with Dr. Meydani in this expanded leadership role. She is a model colleague and academic leader, having twice received recognition at Tufts for outstanding faculty achievement. She has taken an interest in university-wide initiatives like the Postdoctoral Taskforce and the Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine Symposium, and continuously works toward the benefit of not only the HNRCA, but Tufts University and the field of nutrition as a whole. I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the search committee, who worked tirelessly to find the very best candidates to lead this distinguished institution. Vice Provost Peggy Newell chaired the committee and maintained communications with our partners at the USDA. The committee included Deans Eileen Kennedy and Michael Rosenblatt, Drs. Bess Dawson-Hughes and Jose Ordovas from the HNRCA, Executive Vice President Patricia Campbell, Vice President for University Relations Mary Jeka, and Dr. Lindsay Allen, director of the USDA-ARS Western Human Nutrition Center in Davis, California. I also appreciate the efforts and patience of the HNRCA staff in managing this transition. President Bacow and I thank all the members of the HNRCA community for the outstanding research that has made the Center a nationally recognized center of excellence. We are grateful for Dr. Meydani?s willingness to serve. Please join us in welcoming her to this leadership post. I invite you to attend a celebratory meeting on Monday, March 16 at 3 p.m. in the HNRCA Auditorium, followed by a reception. Jamshed Bharucha Provost and Senior Vice President
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