Tom Brenna, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics, of Chemistry, and of Human Nutrition at the Dell Medical School and College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, and Professor Emeritus of Human Nutrition, of Food Science, and of Chemistry after 28 years as an active faculty member at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

His group’s basic research into the chemical, biochemical, metabolic, genetic and ecological aspects of fatty acids have had a decisive influence on modern knowledge of these key nutrients. His group’s research has transformed our knowledge of endogenous synthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) and drives human evolutionary adaptation including discovery of LCPUFA biochemical synthetic pathways. In the 1990s, his group’s basic research studies on omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids contributed to the US FDA’s approval of DHA and arachidonic acid in US infant formulas.

He has contributed to numerous policy efforts, including being a member of the most recent US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and the FAO/WHO Expert Panel on Fats and Fatty Acids. He is the fourth scientist to be honored with both ASN’s Osborne and Mendel Award for outstanding contributions to basic research in nutrition (2017) and the ASN’s Robert Herman Award for advancement of clinical nutrition (2013).