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History, mission and vision

We embrace theories and methods across academic disciplines to understand the complex relationships among nutritional status, human health, human genetics, food and lifestyle patterns, social and institutional environments and governmental policies.
 

Our pre-eminence in nutrition began in 1941 when diverse faculty throughout the campus were combined to meet national needs in nutrition via the establishment of the School of Nutrition. In 1974, the Graduate School of Nutrition merged with the Department of Human Nutrition and Food in the College of Human Ecology to form the Division of Nutritional Sciences, consolidating Cornell's nutrition research and teaching into a single administrative unit. 

We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2024.

We aim to discover new scientific knowledge, translate knowledge into evidence-based actions that promote human health and well-being, disseminate and evaluate interventions in populations, and train the next generation of leaders and professionals in our field.

We take pride in our emphasis on multidisciplinarity and the integration of scientific knowledge across the chemical, biomedical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

Our vision is to be one of the leading academic nutrition units in the world dedicated to promoting human health through excellence and leadership in research, education and public engagement in nutritional sciences.

Academics + research

Academics

We offer rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs as well as an accredited dietetics program.

Research 

We are improving our understanding of the complex relationship between nutrition and health and contributing innovative solutions to today’s nutritional challenges. Our faculty research is concentrated on the following areas:

  • nutrition for maternal and child health
  • nutrition for metabolic health
  • nutrition for public health and health equity
  • nutrition for precision health

The scholarly activities of our faculty often cover multiple areas and cut across the chemical, biomedical, and social and behavioral sciences.

Learn more about our research

Public engagement and community partnerships

We are committed to advancing the health and well-being of communities and families locally, nationally and globally through excellence in community-based teaching, research and public service in alignment with Cornell’s land-grant mission.

Learn more about our public engagement

Meet our leadership team

Director, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Sander Kersten, Schleifer Family Professor at Cornell University

Director of Undergraduate Studies
Marla Lujan, associate professor

Directors of Graduate Studies, Graduate Field of Nutrition
Laura Bellows, associate professor
Kimberly O’Brien, professor

Director of Graduate Studies, Graduate Field of Epidemiology
Julia Finkelstein, associate professor

Executive Director Administration and Finance
Cathy Long

we are trailblazers 

Maeve O'Callaghan with a VR headset