Stephanie Atkinson, Ph.D.
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Atkinson is Professor and Associate Chair (Research) in the Department of Pediatrics, and Associate Member in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and Special Professional Staff member in McMaster Children’s Hospital.  Current research focuses on developmental programming including the determinants of maternal health in pregnancy and the fetal and neonatal determinants of obesity, diabetes, and risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis in children through a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort study and clinical trials. From 1995-2004, she held a 9-year appointment by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in Washington to the Oversight Committee for the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) reports – a pioneering collaboration of Canada and the USA on nutrient-based dietary recommendations and dietary standards. She has since participated as planner and presenter at many workshop and symposia related to the DRIs and currently is an invited member on the international steering committee for the NIH-NICHD project on Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) project. Other current professional service activities include Chair of the Institute Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-Institute for Nutrition Metabolism and Diabetes; Board of Trustees of the International Life Sciences Institute for North America; Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of MICYRN;  member of the Scientific Advisory Council of Osteoporosis Canada;  executive member and nutrition lead of the CIHR-Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientists’ Program; and member of the Pediatric Expert Advisory Committee of Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada.