Mead Johnson Researcher Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

In recognition of her efforts to improve the quality of infant nutrition, Deb Diersen-Schade, Ph.D., of Mead Johnson, recently was honored with the 2011 Ralph Holman Lifetime Achievement Award. Diersen-Schade, Research Fellow and Director of Global Scientific Affairs, received the award through the Health and Nutrition Division of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS). The award is named after biochemist Dr. Ralph Holman in recognition of his lifetime service to the study of essential fatty acids and their impact on health.

For more than two decades, Diersen-Schade has led Mead Johnson’s research on lipid nutrition for infants and played a key role in the inclusion of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in infant formula products. Studies demonstrate that the inclusion of appropriate amounts of these fatty acids in the infant diet, whether from breast milk or infant formula, can be an important component in mental and visual development.