April 2026 Directors’ Message
The first months of 2026 have marked a defining period for ICON-Health’s mission to integrate nutrition science with global health innovation. This spring, ICON-Health co-led two international expert convenings that brought together leading scientists, policy experts, and program leaders to advance shared knowledge and action in maternal and child health.
In February 2026, ICON-Health partnered with the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation to host the expert consultation “Prevention and Management of Gestational Diabetes: Lifestyle, Nutrition, and Integrated Care Approaches” in Copenhagen, Denmark. This milestone event brought together endocrinologists, nutrition scientists, behavioral researchers, and global health partners to chart a unified path forward for preventing gestational diabetes and improving care models worldwide. The meeting emphasized the need to combine biomedical insights with community-centered strategies that account for social and environmental determinants of health.
Building on that momentum, ICON-Health partnered in March 2026 with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to co-host the expert consultancy “Protein and Amino Acid Requirements for Maternal and Child Health” in Vienna, Austria. Supported by a Gates Foundation grant to ICON-Health, this convening assembled leading global experts to define the evidence needs and analytical approaches required to set more precise dietary recommendations during pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood – importantly with outcomes focused on health. Discussions centered on methodological innovations—such as the use of stable isotope techniques—to improve measurement of protein turnover and amino acid utilization across diverse populations. This collaboration highlighted the power of science, policy, and capacity development coming together to ensure all mothers and children have the nutritional foundation for lifelong health.
Collectively, these expert convenings not only advance the scientific, practice and policy dialogue around maternal and child health—they are defining future research directions for the global nutrition community. The outcomes of these meetings will guide new studies on metabolic health, nutrient requirements, and integrated care delivery, strengthening the evidence base for global nutrition policy. Importantly, both convenings will produce joint expert consensus publications that capture key findings and recommendations, providing a foundation for collaborative research across institutions and regions.
Through these ICON-Health initiatives, FSU is demonstrating international leadership in convening expertise across science, health, and policy to tackle complex challenges. They exemplify our commitment to generating transformative knowledge and partnerships that make nutrition central to sustainable health systems for women and children everywhere.
Regan Bailey & Patrick Stover
Dr. Regan Bailey
Director, Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health (ICON-Health)
Professor, Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine
Dr. Patrick Stover
Director, Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health (ICON-Health)
Professor, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine