For Researchers
Researchers in nutrition science, food systems, agricultural technology, consumer behavior, public health, or culinary arts are invited to explore collaboration.
Food and Nutrition Innovation Initiative
About This Initiative
The Food and Nutrition Initiative is directed by Dr. Suzannah Gerber, Faculty Fellow at the Auster Center and a leading innovator at the intersection of food science, nutrition research, and real-world commercialization.
The initiative focuses on translating emerging food technologies—including cellular agriculture, alternative proteins, and novel food systems—into products and practices that are scientifically rigorous, culinarily compelling, and culturally accepted. It integrates culinary development, sensory evaluation, consumer behavior research, and clinical nutrition trials to move discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace and the policy table.
Current Focus: The Future of Protein
The global food system is undergoing a fundamental shift. Cellular agriculture, plant-based proteins, and novel protein sources represent some of the most significant—and contested—developments in food science today. Getting them right requires more than good science. It requires understanding how consumers decide what to eat, how products earn culinary credibility, and how policy and communication shape what ends up on shelves and dinner tables.
The Food and Nutrition Initiative is tackling all of these dimensions—combining product development and sensory testing with consumer research and market analysis to help translate promising food technologies into solutions people will actually choose.
About the Director
Suzannah Gerber, PhD
Suzannah ("Chef Suzi") Gerber, PhD is a food, nutrition, and behavior scientist, chef, and food-system innovation leader whose work bridges bench-level research and real-world commercialization. She brings more than 15 years of experience in culinary product development, foodservice, brand strategy, and consumer testing.
Dr. Gerber holds appointments at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, George Mason University's College of Public Health, and the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture. She also serves as Executive Director of the Association for Meat, Poultry & Seafood Innovation (AMPS), the North American trade association for the cultivated meat and novel-foods sector. A 2025 Leading Women in Food Tech awardee, she has been widely featured in national and international media and is the author of the critically acclaimed cookbook Plant-Based Gourmet.
Get Involved
For Partners
Food companies, agricultural technology firms, foundations, and retail and foodservice organizations are encouraged to reach out. This initiative is available for naming by a donor or foundation committed to transforming the global food system.
For Students
Students with interests in food science, nutrition, sustainability, or culinary innovation can explore research and fellowship opportunities.