The UCLA Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA Health celebrated its 30th anniversary on Saturday, April 13, to recognize the center’s achievements in nutrition research and clinical care.
UCLA Health leaders, colleagues, and supporters assembled at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Center to commemorate and pay tribute to the center's co-founders: Dr. David Heber, MD, former chief of clinical nutrition, director of nutritional medicine and obesity professor, and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Dr. Vay Liang Go, MD, former executive chair and distinguished professor of the department of medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.
Keynote speakers included Dr. Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD, center director and chief of the clinical nutrition division and professor of medicine at UCLA.
"This ceremony represents a significant milestone for the Center for Human Nutrition," Dr. Li said. "In addition to honoring our dedicated faculty and staff for their leadership in nutrition research and care, this event symbolizes the culmination of numerous achievements, including advancements in innovation and leadership within our field. We owe our success to our collaborators and supporters for making it possible. Our team is committed to furthering our understanding of personalized nutrition impact on each individual, and we take pride in our ongoing success in this endeavor through cutting-edge research and clinical care to achieve our mission of Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."
A virtual course on Personalized Nutrition in Primary Care, "The Future of Nutrition in Primary Care: Food as Medicine," was presented along with guest speakers. Guest speakers included Johnese Spisso, UCLA Health CEO and President, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Dean Steven Dubinett, and Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.
Other faculty speakers included:
- David Heber, MD, PhD, Co-founder, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Public Health
- Vijaya Surampudi, MD, MS, Clinical Chief of UCLA Health Clinical Nutrition and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
- Keith Norris, MD, PhD Distinguished Professor of Medicine
- Janet P. Pregler, MD, Iris Cantor Endowed Chair in Women’s Health, and Director of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center
- Wendelin Slusser, MD, MS, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Public Health and Associate Vice Provost at the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA
- Karol Watson, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Barbra Streisand-UCLA Women’s Heart Health Program
The ceremony occurred on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Renee Luskin Conference Center at UCLA.
