AMES, Iowa -- Diane Birt has been appointed interim director of the Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition (CDFIN) at Iowa State University. Birt is Distinguished Professor of food science and human nutrition and director of the Center for Research on Dietary Botanical Supplements. She assumes the position held by Paul Flakoll, who died Dec. 17.
CDFIN is a research center administered by the College of Human Sciences, College of Agriculture and the Plant Sciences Institute. One hundred faculty from 30 departments conduct interdisciplinary research to improve human nutrition and health through new and traditional foods.
Birt directed CDFIN from 1997 until 2002. She also served as chair of the department of food science and human nutrition from 1997 to 2004. She will continue as director of the Center for Research on Dietary Botanical Supplements, a position she has held since 2002. Birt is a nationally recognized researcher on cancer prevention through diet.