One year in, ICON-Health is creating a new framework for nutrition study
By Audrey Post FSU College of Medicine
Florida State University’ s Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health, colloquially known as ICON-Health, continues to set the stage as an emerging national leader in connecting nutrition science and chronic disease prevention and management— just one year after its creation.
Led by Professors Regan Bailey, Ph. D., MPH, R. D., FASN, of the College of Medicine’ s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, and Patrick Stover, Ph. D., of the college’ s Department of Biomedical Sciences, ICON-Health has pulled together and expanded Florida State University’ s already impressive nutrition research“ silos.” The institute has launched the ICON-Health Eminent Scholar Seminar Series, with other FSU units as co-sponsors for the first two seminars.
The semi-annual speaker series“ will bring leading scholars whose work reshapes how we understand health in complex, real-world systems,” Bailey and Stover wrote in announcing it.
“ These visits will feature a university-wide research seminar, as well as a public-facing evening lecture that will be accessible to students, faculty, staff, local clinicians, public health professionals, and policymakers across Florida,” they said.
On Dec. 2 and 3, eminent scholar Bruce Y. Lee, M. D., MBA, professor of Health Policy and Management and executive director of the Center for Advanced Technology and Communication in Health( CATCH) at the City University of New York( CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, will visit.
Alongside his celebrated Forbes column covering health, medicine, AI and science, Lee has built an acclaimed career as an academic and researcher— most prominently winning the American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2020 Article of the Year for his team’ s work on COVID-19 vaccination.
“ His scholarship has been instrumental in demonstrating how computational tools and communication technologies can inform more effective health decisions and policies— precisely the kind of innovative thinking that aligns with ICON-Health’ s vision,” Stover said.
Lee’ s eminent scholar visit is co-sponsored by the FSU College of Communication & Information.
The Eminent Scholar Speaker Series will kick off Sept. 21 and 22 with Herman Pontzer, Ph. D., professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Global Health at Duke University and the Duke Global Health Institute. His research on human energetics and evolution has transformed scientists’ understanding of metabolism, physical activity, and long-term health, with implications that span anthropology, nutrition and global health practice.
“ His ability to integrate evolutionary theory with advanced stable isotope methodologies, and apply to findings to contemporary health challenges, will offer our campus and community a unique and thought-provoking lens on the determinants of health across the life span,” Stover said.
In addition to his scientific writing, Pontzer is a New York Times best-selling author. His eminent scholar
26 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF MEDICINE