FDA deputy commissioner to keynote at Council for Responsible Nutrition’s CONVERGENCE ‘24

In a recent press release, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.) announced the opening keynote speaker for its CONVERGENCE ’24 conference, taking place October 9–11, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Grand America Hotel. On October 10, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, Jim Jones will be presenting on dietary supplement oversight and the agency’s new framework, enforcement priorities, and possible legislative updates to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) the agency would support.

Also presenting at CONVERGENCE ’24 are Noelle Russell, Founder and Chief AI Officer of AI Leadership Institute and Chris Cillizza, former CNN Politics reporter.

“CRN’s carefully curated program of keynote speakers for CONVERGENCE ‘24 is designed to help keep supplement industry stakeholders connected to the latest developments at FDA, inspire innovation sparked by discussions around the future of AI, and make sense of what today’s headlines portend for the global political landscape,” stated CRN President and CEO Steve Mister, in the press release. “And, of course, attendees will enjoy the ample opportunities for networking and conversation about what’s next for our industry as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of DSHEA.”

Prior to the keynote presentations, several other events will take place on October 9, including the first Innovation Exchange, six 25-minute presentations on ingredient research and innovation, manufacturing, and more.

Additionally, the WellComms forum, an event for marketing and communications professionals, will feature presentations on the latest trends and strategies in the supplement industry based on new consumer behaviors.

Finally, the theme for this year’s Science in Session is “Living Well Longer: Bioactive Innovations for Healthy Aging,” and will cover topics such as research on bioactives for healthy longevity, cognition, bone and skin health, inflammation and obesity, and others.

The agenda includes the following presentations:

• Hallmarks of aging: Novel opportunities for nutritional targets with Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, PhD, Professor, Department of Physiology and Aging, University of Florida.
• Connecting nutrient biomarkers, cognitive function, and brain health with Aron Barbey, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology, Director, Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, and the Decision Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Effects of bioactives on molecular pathways in inflammation: Implications for obesity and liver health with Ji-Young Lee, PhD, FAHA, FACN, Professor and Head, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut.
• Probiotic modulation of gut microbiota and bone health with Laura R. McCabe, PhD, MSU Foundation Professor, Department of Physiology, Michigan State University.
• Bioactives for estrogen-deficient skin in menopause with Edwin Lephart, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University.
• The anti-aging power of bioactives: A clinician’s perspective with Cheryl Burdette, ND, Director of Education, Progressive Medical Center, Co-Founder, Dunwoody Labs.

Registration for these events is open to both members and non-members and can be found at www.crnusa.org/2024events.