At National Dairy Council, Chris Cifelli is responsible for planning and managing dairy-centric research on chronic disease risk, childhood nutrition, NHANES-related research, and nutrition and sustainability. Similarly, at the Dairy Research Institute, Chris is involved in developing and managing research projects on the health benefits associated with adequate dairy consumption, including studies examining the effects of vitamins and minerals found in dairy on bone density, weight maintenance and metabolic health.
Chris obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology and doctorate in nutritional sciences from Pennsylvania State University, where his graduate work focused on understanding how vitamin A status and inflammation affects retinoic acid metabolism. Chris is active in several professional organizations – currently serving as the chair of the Science Translation Committee for the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics and as a member of the board of directors for the Yogurt in Nutrition Initiative for Sustainable and Balanced Diets. In addition, he has authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, reviews and abstracts.