Table Of Content

Archive Document Historic, Do assume not content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. 1992 W Atwatet .O. 0 Memorial Lecture The Irresistible Fascination Carotenoids and of A Vitamin By Dr. James A. Olson 3:30 p.m., April 7, 1992 Anaheim Convention Center RoomA9 Anaheim, California sponsored by The Agricultural Research Service United States Department ofAgriculture in cooperation with The American Institute of Nutrition James A. Olsonis a world-renowned researcherin the nutrition, function, metabolism, and pharmacological activity ofvitamin A, retinoids, and carotenoids. Dr. Olson is a distinguished professor in the department ofbiochemistry and biophysics at Iowa State University. He is also associate editor ofModem Nutrition in Healthand IMsease and is on the edito- rial board ofthe EuropeanJournal ofClinical Nutrition. From 1985 to 1986, Dr. Olson was the FogartySenior International Fellow (NIH) at the LondonSchool ofHygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, and at the National Institute ofNutrition, Rome. Dr. Olson haschaired and served on numerous national and international committees. Amongthem, he is a member ofthe organizing committee ofthe NewYork Academy ofSciences Conference on Carotenoids; deputy chairmanofthe Gordon ResearchCommittee on Carotenoids; member of the technical advisory group. VitaminA Programs, International Scientific and Technical Institute; and member ofNASA'sWorkingGroup on Vitamin Requirements for Space Travel. Dr. Olson was also the organizer and editorofthe International Directory ofScientists and Administrators involved in the alleviation A ofvitamin deficiency and nutritionalblindness inhumans, and the role ofretinoids and carotenoids in embryological development. Currently, his major research projectsinclude the chemical synthesis, bioactivity and modeofaction, and possible therapeutic use ofwater- soluble forms ofvitamin A; the use of the ratio ofvitamin A2 to vitamin Al in plasma as anindicator of marginal vitaminA status; and the chemical syntheses and analysisofthe metabolismof deuterated carotenoids in humans. Dr. Olson has served as presidentofthe American Instituteof Nutrition (1986-1987), chairman of the U.S. National Committee of the International UnionofNutritional Sciences (1983-1986), chairmanof the U.S. panel ofthe U.S.-Japanjoint malnutrition panel (1989-1992), and aWellcomelecturer in nutrition (1991). Hehasreceived an honor- ary degree from the UniversityofGhent, Belgium (1988), and the Borden Award oftheAmerican InstituteofNutrition (1989) and isa Fellow ofthe AmericanInstitute ofNutrition (1991). The W.O. AtwaterMemorial Lectureship wasestablished in 1968 by the Agricultural Research Service to honor the memoryofa great scientist and to recognize scientists who havemade unique contributions toward improving the diets ofpeoplearound the globe. WilberOlin Atwater (1844-1907) was the foremost pioneer in nutrition research and education in the United States, and he was USDA's firstchiefofnutrition investigations. He isgenerally considered the fatherof modem humannutrition in thiscountry becauseof his early researchon nutrients, proteins, and food composition. The Agricultural Research Service, the principal scientific research agencyin the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, helps provide knowledgeand technology forthebenefitofAmerican farmersand consumers. The research includes promotingoptimum human healthand well-beingthroughimproved nutritionand family resource management. The American Institute ofNutrition is the primaryprofessional organizationofnutrition research scientists in the United States. The Society wasestablished in 1928 to develop and extend knowl- edgeofnutrition and to facilitatepersonal contactbetween investi- gators in nutrition and related fieldsofinterest. Mostmembersof the Institute areuniversity-based,basic researchers. Membersare nominated and elected by their fellow scientistson the basisof demonstrated research competenceand productivityin the field of experimental nutrition. Previous Lecturers 1991, R. Gaurth Hansen, Distinguished Provost Emeritusand Distinguised Professor Emeritus ofNutrition and Food Sciences and Biochemistry, UtahState University, before the Institute of Food Technologists 1990, Alfred E. Harper, E.V. McCoUum Professor ofNutrition, Univer- sityofWisconsin,before the American Institute ofNutrition at the annual meetingofthe FederationofAmerican Societies forExperimen- tal Biology 1989, Helen A. Guthrie, Professorand Head, Nutrition Department, The Pennsylvania State University, before the SocietyforNutrition Education 1988,John E. Kinsella, Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor ofFood Chemis- try and General Foods Distinguished ProfessorofFood Science, Cornell University, before the Institute ofFood Technologists 1987, Maiden C. Nesheim,Director, Division ofNutrition, Cornell University,before the American Institute ofNutrition at theannual meetingoftheFederationofAmericanSocieties forExperimental Biology 1986, Elsie Widdowson, DepartmentofMedicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, England,before theJoint Meeting of the Ameri- can InstituteofNutrition, American Society ofQinical Nutrition, and Canadian SocietyofNutrition Science 1985, Mark Hegsted, ProfessorofNutrition, New England Regional Primate ResearchCenter, before the American InstituteofNutrition 1984, Harold H. Sandstead, Director,North Atlantic Area, Human Nutrition Research Centeron Agingat Tufts University, before the American Dietetic Association 1983, George H* Beaton,ProfessorofNutrition Science, Facultyof Medidne, UniversityofToronto,before theWestern Hemisphere Nutrition Congress 1982, EdwinM. Foster,Director, Food Research Institute, Universityof Wisconsin,before the Institute ofFoodTechnologists 1981,Joaquin Cravioto, Professor of Pediatrics and Scientific Director, National Institute forChildren's Health Sciences and Technology, Mexico Qty, before the International Congress ofNutrition 1980, Ancel Keys,Professor, Division ofEpidemiology, University of Minnesota, before theWestern Hemisphere Nutrition Congress 1979, Hector F. DeLuca,Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University ofWisconsin, before the American Institute ofNutrition 1978, Robert E. Olson, Professor, Department ofBiochemistry, St. Louis University, before the American College ofPhysicians 1977, Nevin S. Scrimshaw,Institute Professor and Head ofthe Depart- ment ofNutrition and Food Science, Massachusetts Institute ofTech- nology, before the Western Hemisphere Nutrition Congress 1976, Emil M. Mrak,Chancellor Emeritus, UniversityofCalifornia at Davis, before the American Chemical Society 1975,William Darby,President, TheNutrition Foundation, Inc., J. before the AmericanDietetic Association 1974, George Harrar,President Emeritus, Rockefeller Foundation, J. before the American Association for the Advancement ofScience 1973, MarinayJN. Whitman,Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, before The AmericanHome Economics Association 1971,Jean Mayer,Professor ofNutrition and Lecturer on the History ofPublic Health, Harvard University, before theNational Biological Congress 1970, Philip Handler,President, National Academy ofSciences, and Chairmanof the National Research Council,before the International Congress ofFood Science and Technology 1969, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi,Director, Institute for Muscle Research, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, before the American Chemical Society 1968,Artturi I. Virtanen,Director, Biochemical Research Institute, Helsinki, FiiJand, before the Federationof AmericanSocieties for Experimental Biology