Samara Joy Nielsen will head Pitt's new nutrition science bachelor's program

Samara Joy Nielsen, an assistant professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been named director of the new Nutrition Science undergraduate major, which will be offered to students beginning in 2019, teaching them to apply the science of food and nutrition to the well-being and health of people. Graduates of this program will take their skills to industry, government, academia, NGOs and beyond.

Nielsen is a nutritional epidemiologist with more than 15 years of experience in the field, studying topics such as U.S. yogurt consumers, U.S. nut consumption and the association between seafood consumption and blood mercury levels in adults and youth.