I am pleased to announce the selection of Stefan M. Pasiakos, Ph.D., FACSM, as director of NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). Dr. Pasiakos is currently a Research Physiologist and Chief of the Military Performance Division at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), where he leads a diverse research program and scientific team to develop evidence-based solutions to limit musculoskeletal injuries, accelerate return to duty, and optimize physical and behavioral performance in military training and operational environments. He will begin his new role as the ODS Director on July 16, 2023.
Dr. Pasiakos will help lead NIH efforts in expanding the scientific knowledge base on dietary supplements, enhancing the dietary supplement research workforce, foster the development and dissemination of research resources and tools, and translating dietary supplement research findings into useful information for consumers, health professionals, researchers, and policymakers.
Dr. Pasiakos received his Ph.D. in Nutritional Science in 2008 from the University of Connecticut and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Military Nutrition Division (MND) at USARIEM in 2012 as a United States Army Medical Service Corps officer. From 2012 to 2021, Dr. Pasiakos led an interdisciplinary research program in the MND to refine dietary protein requirements for soldiers and develop targeted dietary strategies that sustain muscle mass during strenuous operations, fields for which he is internationally recognized. His academic interests include diet and supplemental nutrition, muscle physiology, human performance, and bioenergetics of exercise metabolism, and has published more than 150 articles in these scientific domains. Dr. Pasiakos is a member of the American Society for Nutrition, Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and Associate Editor for Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the flagship journal for the ACSM.
The mission of the ODS, a part of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) in the NIH Office of the Director, is to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-417) authorized the establishment of ODS at NIH. For further information about ODS, please see https://ods.od.nih.gov/.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Pasiakos. I want to thank Dr. David M. Murray for his service as Acting Director of ODS from January to July 2023.
Best regards,
Robert W. Eisinger, Ph.D.
Acting NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination,
Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Acting Director, Division of Program Coordination, Planning,
and Strategic Initiatives