Laura Murray-Kolb to lead Department of Nutrition Science

Laura Murray-Kolb, Ph.D., will head Purdue University’s Department of Nutrition Science in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), effective July 1, 2021.

Murray-Kolb comes to Purdue from The Pennsylvania State University were she is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the professor in charge of the graduate studies in nutritional sciences. She has also served as interim head of the department. Since 2010, she has worked as an adjunct faculty member with the Center for Human Nutrition in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of International Health.

Murray-Kolb holds degrees in nutritional sciences (PhD), nutrition (MS) and pre-medicine (BS), all from The Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on understanding the neurophysiological and neuropsychological consequences of iron deficiency with the aim of informing the development of policies designed to improve maternal and child health worldwide.

“Dr. Laura Murray-Kolb holds an impressive research portfolio and a deep understanding of the field of nutrition science,” said Marion Underwood, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. Her commitment to undergraduate and graduate education, and her collaborative, visionary style, will deliver strong leadership in the Department of Nutrition Science.”

In 2019, Murray-Kolb received the Nevin Scrimshaw Mid-Career Award in Global Nutrition in recognition of her innovative work to advance the field of global nutrition. In 2016, she received the Norman Kretchmer Memorial Award in Nutrition and Development. This award is given for a substantial body of independent research in the field of nutrition and development with potential relevance to improving child health. Both awards were bestowed by the American Society for Nutrition.

Dr. Murray-Kolb is the recipient of a multitude of other awards, including the Johns Hopkins Faculty Innovation Award from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Early Career Award from the International Society on Infant Studies. She is also a four-time recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award from The Pennsylvania State University’s College of Health and Human Development.