Stefan M. Pasiakos, PhD, FACSM, has been appointed as director of NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements.
 
Pasiakos is currently a research physiologist and chief of the military performance division at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). There, he leads a research team to develop solutions to musculoskeletal injuries, accelerate return to duty, and optimize physical and behavioral performance in military training and operational environments.
 
He will begin his new role as ODS Director on July 16, replacing Dr. David M. Murray, who is the director of the NIH’s Office of Disease Prevention and served as acting director until a new permanent director was named.
 
Pasiakos will lead NIH efforts in expanding the scientific knowledge base on dietary supplements, enhancing the dietary supplement research workforce, foster the development and dissemination of research resources and tools, and translating dietary supplement research findings into useful information for consumers, health professionals, researchers, and policymakers, NIH reports.
 
Pasiakos received a PhD in Nutritional Science in 2008 from the University of Connecticut and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Military Nutrition Division at USARIEM in 2012 as a U.S. Army Medical Service Corps officer.
 
From 2012 to 2021, Pasiakos led an interdisciplinary research program in the MND to refine dietary protein requirements for soldiers and develop targeted dietary strategies that sustain muscle mass during strenuous operations, fields for which he is internationally recognized. His academic interests include diet and supplemental nutrition, muscle physiology, human performance, and bioenergetics of exercise metabolism, and has published more than 150 articles in these scientific domains. Pasiakos is a member of the American Society for Nutrition, Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and Associate Editor for Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the flagship journal for the ACSM.

Scott Melville, president and CEO of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), voiced his enthusiasm at Pasiakos’ appointment.
 
“CHPA welcomes Dr. Pasiakos to this new role, where he will be instrumental in helping advance ODS’s mission as its permanent director. ODS plays a critical role in strengthening the public’s knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by advancing scientific information, supporting research, and disseminating results into findings that are beneficial for consumers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. As more Americans incorporate supplementation into their overall self-care plans, we at CHPA look forward to working with Dr. Pasiakos to support scientific evidence that strengthens the understanding of how supplements can be used to optimize overall health and well-being.”