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Cellular and Physiological Nutrition/Metabolism

Clinical and Translational Nutrition
Session Type: Award Lecture

Micronutrients and Metabolism as Architects of Skeletal Muscle Physiology: Extending Dam's Legacy - The 2026 ASN Foundation-Novo Nordisk Foundation Henrik Dam Award Lecture

Sunday, July 26, 2026
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM ET
Location:Maryland Ballroom B

Presented by the ASN Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation
Recorded Session

    Chair(s)

  • Paul Coates, PhD, DFASN

    Chair, Board of Trustees
    ASN Foundation
    Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Speaker(s)

  • Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD

    Associate Professor
    Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology
    The University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Birmingham, Alabama, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  • Kristine Faerch, MSc, PhD, MBA (she/her/hers)

    Senior Scientific Manager
    Novo Nordisk Foundation
    Hellerup, Hovedstaden, Denmark

    Disclosure(s): ChemoMetec A/S: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
    Novo Nordisk AS: Employee (Ongoing); Stock Shareholder (excluding mutual funds) (Ongoing)

    • Moderator(s)

  • PS

    Patrick Stover, PhD

    Director
    Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health (ICON-Health)
    Florida State University

    Disclosure information not submitted.

The American Society for Nutrition Foundation (ASNF) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF), two philanthropic 501(c)(3) organizations, have partnered to establish this award recognizing excellence in nutrition science and supporting researchers at pivotal stages of their careers.

This prestigious award honors a mid-career professional (10-25 years post-terminal degree) for outstanding research contributions to the understanding of micronutrients, nutritional status, and/or metabolism. Named after Henrik Dam, the 1943 Nobel laureate who discovered vitamin K, the award celebrates the spirit of scientific discovery and its transformative impact on global health.

Now in its second year, this award reflects ASNF and NNF's shared commitment to advancing rigorous, innovative research and strengthening the pipeline of scientific leadership in nutrition.

Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD, a leading nutrition scientist, has been selected as this year's recipient of the Henrik Dam Award for Scientific Discovery in Nutrition. Dr. Thalacker-Mercer's award lecture is titled Extending Dam's Legacy - Micronutrients and Metabolism as Architects of Skeletal Muscle Physiology.

Presentations:

  • 5:45 PM - 5:48 PM ET
    Welcome and Opening Remarks - The 2026 ASN Foundation-Novo Nordisk Foundation Henrik Dam Award Lecture

    Chair: Paul M. Coates, PhD, DFASN – ASN Foundation

  • 5:48 PM - 5:50 PM ET
    Nutrition Matters: Celebrating Discovery and Innovation

    Chair: Paul M. Coates, PhD, DFASN – ASN Foundation

  • 5:50 PM - 5:55 PM ET
    Welcome from the Novo Nordisk Foundation

    Speaker: Kristine Faerch, MSc, PhD, MBA (she/her/hers) – Novo Nordisk Foundation

  • 5:55 PM - 6:00 PM ET
    Introduction to the 2026 ASN Foundation-Novo Nordisk Foundation Henrik Dam Award Lecture

    Chair: Paul M. Coates, PhD, DFASN – ASN Foundation

  • 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM ET
    Micronutrients and Metabolism as Architects of Skeletal Muscle Physiology: Extending Dam's Legacy - The 2026 ASN Foundation-Novo Nordisk Foundation Henrik Dam Award Lecture

    Speaker: Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD – The University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • 6:30 PM - 6:45 PM ET
    Conversation and Audience Q&A with Dr. Thalacker-Mercer

    Moderator: Patrick Stover, PhD – Florida State University

    Speaker: Anna Thalacker-Mercer, PhD – The University of Alabama at Birmingham