Our Mission and Goals
Our mission is to discover, translate, and disseminate health-related advances in the nutrition, food, and exercise sciences.
Contribute significantly to scientific progress through
- Molecular and clinical advances leading to prevention and improved treatment of obesity and chronic diseases
- Behavioral discoveries that lead to effective intervention programs for youth and adults
- Interdisciplinary research teams who speed the translation of scientific discoveries to effective therapeutic and public health interventions that will benefit Virginians and the nation
Provide exceptional training and programs for our students
- Prepare future professionals who are knowledgeable and committed to life-long learning
- Produce graduates who are ethical, culturally sensitive, and able to work collaboratively as well as independently
- Use rigorous scientific inquiry to create new training programs for undergraduate and graduate students
Foster innovation across all three missions of teaching, research, and extension
- Increase support for programs that promote sustainability and community viability and encourage student participation in research and extension
- Design, develop, and deliver extension programs through a participatory and shared effort between the HNFE research and teaching communities
- Utilize our teaching and research expertise to improve the health of vulnerable and under-served populations