Klimis-Zacas receives national recognition for research on health benefits of wild blueberries
University of Maine professor of clinical nutrition Dorothy Klimis-Zacas received the 2024 American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Industry Recognition award, which honors significant contributions to the field of nutrition science.
Klimis-Zacas has focused her research on the health benefits of wild blueberries and their bioactive compounds, specifically on cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Her wide range of work paved the way for clinical studies and provided additional evidence on how wild blueberries protect blood vessels, with implications for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. She has also documented the anti-inflammatory role of wild blueberry-enriched diets.
Her recent work examines the potential of wild blueberry extracts on stimulating cell migration along the lining of blood vessels, as well as the formation of blood vessels from existing ones, in relation to diabetes, oxygenation of organs and wound healing.
Klimis-Zacas will be recognized during ASN’s flagship meeting, NUTRITION 2024, June 29-July 2 in Chicago, featuring scientific symposia, research presentations, professional development opportunities and other events that bring together the nutrition community. The awards ceremony is set for 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at which Klimis-Zacas will receive a plaque.
The award is supported by the ASN’s Sustaining Partner Roundtable.