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Zhenhua Liu, professor of nutrition in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, has been selected as an Excellence in Nutrition Fellow by the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and will be inducted into its inaugural group during the annual Nutrition 2025 conference in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, May 31.

Liu and fellow inductees will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the field of nutrition and their dedication to advancing the science and practice of nutrition to the highest standards of the profession. The new recognition program honors outstanding nutrition professionals who are 10 or more years past their terminal degree and have been an ASN scientist, clinician or professional member for five or more years.

“I am deeply honored to be selected for the inaugural FASN,” Liu says. “I am grateful to my colleagues, mentors, students and collaborators who have been part of this journey, and I remain dedicated to promoting health through nutrition research, education and advocacy.”

“We are thrilled Dr. Zhenhua Liu is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to the field of nutrition Science as a recipient of FASN,” says Lindiwe Sibeko, professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition. “This honor reflects Dr. Liu’s exceptional body of research which has deepened our understanding of how specific nutrients or bioactive diet compounds can reduce cancer risk and offer preventive strategies. We congratulate Dr. Liu on this well-earned recognition of his achievements and impact in nutrition research.”

Liu joined the UMass Amherst faculty in 2012 after spending several years in the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.

Liu’s Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Laboratory investigates how diet and lifestyle, along with their metabolically related gene variants, interact to mediate the development of chronic diseases. His research specifically focuses on nutritional epigenetics and obesity-driven inflammation in the context of cancer prevention and seeks to translate laboratory biological findings into practical dietary strategies that can effectively diminish the burden of cancer in society.

Formed in 2005, the ASN’s mission is to advance the science, education and practice of nutrition. Liu served as the society’s Chair of the Cancer and Diet Section in 2022-23.