Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD, and Director of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), was recently appointed as the Chair of GenoVive’s newly formed Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). GenoVive, a private corporation founded in 2008, employs a pioneer approach to weight loss and sustained healthy eating. GenoVive’s geneticists and food scientists have developed customized, all-natural meal and exercise programs, featuring ideal combinations of macronutrients based on individual DNA.
The new Scientific Advisory Board at GenoVive will be comprised of prominent, multi-disciplinary experts in the fields of health and weight management, nutrigenomics, genetics, biochemistry, clinical psychology, and food science. The board will guide research activities and provide critical scientific input to GenoVive as the company leverages recent research breakthroughs to deliver personalized weight management solutions based on genetic science.
As Chair of this board, Dr. Zeisel, an expert in the field of individualized nutrition, will lead the board in lending strategic insight to GenoVive. The board’s purpose is to guide the company’s research activities, seeking out the most innovative and promising research projects in the emerging field of nutrigenomics, helping GenoVive explore the role certain genes play in weight gain. The board will also guide the translation of published science into actionable solutions and explore ways to expand its research efforts to accelerate the development of new innovative products.
Beyond NRI Director, Dr. Steven Zeisel is also the Kenan Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as chair of the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1990-2005. He is currently a member of the American Society for Nutrition, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, the American College of Nutrition and the Society for Pediatric Research, among others.
In addition to Dr. Zeisel, the initial key SAB appointments include:
David Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP: Dr. David Katz is the founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. Known internationally for expertise in nutrition, weight management, and chronic disease prevention, Dr. Katz is active in patient care, research, teaching, and public health practice. He has consulted several organizations on obesity control and chronic disease prevention, including the World Health Organization, The National Cancer Institute, and the FDA.
Daniel Pomp, MS, PhD: Dr. Daniel Pomp is a Professor of Genetics, Nutrition, & Cell and Molecular Physiology in the School of Medicine and the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Pomp studies genetic architecture, with an emphasis on obesity and body weight regulation.
“We are privileged to have these three respected and prominent experts who will help guide our research and lend their specific expertise that will enable us to delve deeper in to the emerging advances of nutritional science and personalized health to bring the best possible weight management solutions to the millions of Americans who are overweight,” said Vic Castellon, founder and CEO, GenoVive LLC.
Dr. Zeisel shares that he is honored to partner with GenoVive, and to lead the board of distinguished experts. He looks forward to the opportunity to further integrate the science of nutrition into industry processes. “Though we once thought that everyone was metabolically the same, we now are learning that there is a great deal of variation in metabolism, much of which is explained by misspellings in our genetic code,” said Dr. Zeisel. “As the director of a major academic research center that focuses on this specific research, this new science makes it possible to individualize our approach to nutrition. GenoVive is one of the first companies to use this science to improve our treatment of overweight and obesity.”
Industry, and particularly corporate research and development, is more than ever before turning to science and research findings for advice and consultation to support new product development. Due to this increasing partnership, the NRI is playing a significant role, not only by leading the scientific community with its cutting edge research, but also in the marketplace, helping industry to make fact-based decisions with the consumer’s optimal nutrition in mind.
By using his expertise to positively influence private industry, Dr. Zeisel’s service as GenoVive Scientific Advisory Board Chair is one more example of how the NRI contributes to the health of future generations.
