Texas A&M's Patrick J. Stover to Present Webinar at World Health Organization

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Patrick J. Stover, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA), will present his lecture, "Enhancing the Purpose of Food," in a public webinar through the Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS) department at the World Health Organization (WHO) from noon-1 p.m. CET, Thursday, May 4, 2023.

Stover's lecture will identify opportunities to address some of the most pressing societal challenges through food systems, using the experiences of folic acid fortification as an illustrative example.

The presentation is part of a delegation from the IHA and the Agriculture, Food, & Nutrition Evidence Center at Texas A&M University (under the leadership of Director Amanda MacFarlane, Ph. D.) to Geneva for collaborative meetings and discussions on areas of mutual interest. Dr. Stover's webinar is open to the public, and attendees may join from anywhere in the world.

Stover and the IHA share the common mission of improving global health through the agri-food system.

"We believe agriculture is the solution to the major tests society faces today. Our ultimate grand challenge at the IHA is to improve human health and reduce chronic diseases by leveraging the potential of responsive agriculture," said Stover. "The research holds the key to mitigating the prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases while also considering the broader environmental and economic impacts of our food systems."

The first of its kind, the IHA brings together precision nutrition, responsive agriculture, and social and behavioral health to improve improve human health for all by leading science-driven solutions in agriculture, nutrition, and food systems. Stover and his colleagues recognize they must achieve this in a way that supports economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and community well-being for current and future generations through innovative research-based guidance, policies, programs, and practice. 

Stover was recently named the 2023 W.O. Atwater Memorial Lecturer in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nutrition research. The prestigious award recognizes scientists who have made exceptional efforts in improving the diet and nutrition of people around the globe, and represents the most recent acknowledgement of the IHA's valuable contributions toward advancing research in responsive agriculture and precision nutrition and promoting a healthy diet and lifestyles.