Read Dr. Pasiakos’ latest message on the ODS Director's Page.
Stefan M. Pasiakos, Ph.D., was named Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health in July 2023. In the months that followed, Dr. Pasiakos led efforts to develop a new strategic vision that builds upon the office’s successful history and positions ODS as the premier organization, authority, and convening body for advancing the study of dietary supplements across the federal government. His vision emphasizes objectivity, scientific curiosity, and innovation. It prioritizes collaboration and coordination across NIH while maintaining the office’s long-standing partnerships with other federal agencies, research institutions, and dietary supplement trade organizations. Dr. Pasiakos' commitment to the American public is to lead and maintain the office as the honest broker for advancing dietary supplement science and fostering public health knowledge to optimize health across the lifespan.
Dr. Pasiakos’ research interests and expertise include nutrition and dietary supplements, muscle physiology, human performance, and bioenergetics of exercise metabolism. His research has spanned multiple disciplines, including basic sciences, population level analyses, randomized controlled trials, and military field studies in austere environments.
Before joining ODS, Dr. Pasiakos held multiple positions at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) from 2008 to 2023. Most recently, Dr. Pasiakos served as the Chief of the Military Performance Division, where he led a multidisciplinary research program and scientific team to develop evidence-based solutions to limit musculoskeletal injuries and optimize physical and cognitive performance in military training and operational environments. From 2012 to 2021, Dr. Pasiakos was a Research Physiologist in the Military Nutrition Division (MND).
The author of more than 150 scientific publications, journal articles, and book chapters, Dr. Pasiakos’ work to refine dietary and supplemental protein recommendations for soldiers is internationally recognized. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to military medicine and was awarded the Vernon R. Young International Award for Amino Acid Research from the American Society for Nutrition. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. His research highlighting the fundamental relationship between energy balance and essential amino acid utilization for the protection of skeletal muscle mass during strenuous military operations has informed nutrition policy for the Department of Defense and the development of next generation combat ration products.
Dr. Pasiakos received his Ph.D. in nutritional science in 2008 from the University of Connecticut. He also holds an M.A and B.S. in exercise physiology from Adelphi University and Southern Connecticut State University, respectively. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the MND at the USARIEM in 2012 as a United States Army Medical Service Corps officer.