The recently-established Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI), which began working to advance research in the science of fatty acids in October 2020, has appointed three new scientists to its team: Kristina Harris Jackson, PhD, RD; Jan Philipp Schuchardt, PhD; and James H. O’Keefe, MD.
 
In the 16 months since its formation, FARI scientists have published 11 fatty acid-related papers in peer-reviewed literature. Most recently, they published two papers demonstrating that the omega-3 index, a measurement of concentrations of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes, are a predictive factor for health-related outcomes in immune and cellular function.
 
Additional members of the team include president and founder William S. Harris, PhD, Nathan Tintle, PhD, Aleix Sala Vila, PhD, Michael McBurney, PhD, Yongsoon Park, PhD, and Robert Wallace, MD.
 
Jackson received her PhD in nutrition from Pennsylvania State University in 2013. She became a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and joined OmegaQuant Analytics, which was founded by her father, Dr. Bill Harris, in 2015. She is currently the director of research at OmegaQuant and an assistant professor at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. Alongside Harris, she co-invented the Mother’s Milk DHA and Prenatal DHA tests. Jackson has published more than 30 peer-reviewed publications.
 
Schuchardt received his PhD in 2007, and has been on the faculty of the Institute for Food Science and Human Nutrition at the Leibniz University in Hanover since. His research has focused on the metabolism of omega-3 fatty acids and their physiological effects. In numerous clinical studies, his group has investigated the bioavailability of different omega-3 fatty acid forms (triglycerides, ethyl esters, etc.) as well as the conversion of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to oxylipins.
 
O’Keefe is a practicing cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is also the director of the Duboc Cardio Health & Wellness Center and Haverty Cardiometabolic Center at Saint Luke’s of Kansas City, Mid America Heart Institute. O’Keefe has contributed 440 articles to peer-reviewed journals, which have been cited over 33,000 times in the medical literature. Omega-3 and its effects on cardiovascular health and longevity are among his primary research interests. USA Today named O’Keefe among ‘America’s Most Influential Doctors.’