National Nutrition Month®
Meet faculty members in our department who hold the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential.
March is National Nutrition Month®, a campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to highlight the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. This year, we’re celebrating by spotlighting the incredible faculty members in our department who hold the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential. Their expertise spans clinical care, community nutrition, research, and education to advance evidence-based practice while mentoring the next generation of nutrition professionals.
Amy R. Nichols, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.N., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition whose interdisciplinary research advances our understanding of women’s health across the lifecourse.
Dr. Nichols integrates dietetics, reproductive epidemiology, and cardiometabolic health to examine nutrition from preconception through the first 1,000 days. Her work also explores how reproductive risk factors shape body health and chronic disease risk later in life, informing prevention strategies that support women’s long-term health.
Her research highlights the essential role of nutrition in women’s health at every stage of life.
Francene M. Steinberg, PhD, RD, is the Director of the UC Davis Didactic Program in Dietetics, whose research advances our understanding of diet and metabolic health.
Through human trials, Dr. Steinberg examines how bioactive food components and phytochemicals influence metabolic responses, obesity-related chronic disease risk, and nutritional phenotypes. Her work contributes to evidence-based strategies that promote health and reduce disease risk across populations. She is also a dedicated teacher and mentor, and was the recipient of the 2022 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.
Her research exemplifies the power of nutrition science to inform prevention and precision nutrition.
Joan S. Frank, M.S., R.D.N., F.A.N.D., is the Assistant Director of the UC Davis Didactic Program in Dietetics. She is a dedicated educator whose work strengthens nutrition and dietetics education.
Ms. Frank’s expertise in curriculum design, outcomes assessment, and foodservice and clinical management plays a critical role in preparing students for professional success. Through mentorship and career counseling, she supports the next generation of RDNs as they enter diverse and impactful roles across the field.
Her commitment to education and mentorship reflects the heart of the nutrition profession.
Lauren Au, Ph.D., R.D.N., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition whose research advances nutrition security and health equity through innovation and policy-relevant science.
Dr. Au’s work sits at the intersection of dietary assessment, nutrition policy, and obesity prevention for low-income populations. By leveraging artificial intelligence to improve dietary assessment methods and evaluating federal safety net programs such as WIC and the National School Lunch Program, her research helps inform evidence-based strategies that support equitable access to nutritious food.
Her leadership exemplifies how nutrition science can drive meaningful change at both the population and policy levels.
Laurie Nommsen-Rivers, Ph.D., R.D., IBCLC, is the director of the Maternal and Child Nutrition Master of Advanced Study program and the UC Davis Human Lactation Center. She a leading researcher in lactation science.
As Director of the UC Davis Human Lactation Center, Dr. Nommsen-Rivers’ work focuses on strengthening evidence-based clinical care for lactating parent–infant dyads. Her research examines physiologic factors influencing milk production to support optimal maternal and infant health outcomes.
Her work underscores the critical role of nutrition science in early-life health and clinical care.