Julia Finkelstein, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has received the inaugural Henrik Dam Award for Scientific Discovery in Nutrition from the American Society for Nutrition Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The new award honors a mid-career professional who has made outstanding research contributions to the understanding of micronutrients, nutritional status, or metabolism. As the award recipient, Dr. Finkelstein will receive over $300,000 for research and lead a symposium at Cornell.
A globally recognized expert in vitamin B12 and one-carbon metabolism, Dr. Finkelstein has discovered a high global burden of vitamin B12 deficiency in women of reproductive age and the critical role of periconceptional vitamin B12 in maternal and child health. Her research has contributed to evidence-based interventions and policies aimed at improving the health of women and children. At Cornell, Dr. Finklestein is director of the Maternal and Child Nutrition Program and co-director of the Cornell Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health.
Dr. Finkelstein received her bachelor’s degree from McGill University in Montreal and her master of public health degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She holds a second master’s degree and a doctorate in epidemiology and nutrition from Harvard University.