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2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Systematic Reviews

Overview

Systematic Reviews for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Systematic reviews are one of three approaches that the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee used to review current scientific evidence. The USDA’s Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) team supported the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in conducting original systematic reviews. Detailed information about the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and their report can be found at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

The NESR team used our rigorous, protocol-driven methodology to support the 2020 Advisory Committee in conducting systematic reviews. NESR’s general methodology for answering a systematic review question involves:

  • developing a protocol,
  • searching for and selecting articles,
  • extracting data and assessing the risk of bias of results from each included article, 
  • synthesizing the evidence,
  • developing conclusion statements,
  • grading the evidence underlying each conclusion statement, and 
  • recommending future research.

General information about NESR’s methodology can be found on our Methodology page. A detailed description of NESR’s systematic review methodology used in supporting the 2020 Advisory Committee can be downloaded at the link below.

Download 2020 Methodology

The Committee’s systematic reviews were organized by topic area subcommittee. The systematic reviews led by each subcommittee can be accessed below.

View Subcommittees

The NESR team who supported the 2020 Advisory Committee are scientists from the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) who have expertise in systematic review methodology and in nutrition science, dietetics, and public health. In addition, a number of Federal nutritionists also provided assistance to NESR and the Committee. A list of the staff who supported the Committee’s work can be found at the link below.

View Acknowledgements

Systematic Reviews

Dietary Patterns Subcommittee
Pregnancy and Lactation Subcommittee
Birth to 24 Months Subcommittee
Beverages and Added Sugars Subcommittee
Dietary Fats and Seafood Subcommittee
Frequency of Eating Subcommittee

2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Membership

CHAIR

Barbara Schneeman, PhD
University of California, Davis

VICE-CHAIR

Ronald Kleinman, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

MEMBERS

Jamy Ard, MD 
Wake Forest School of Medicine

Regan Bailey, PhD, MPH, RD
Purdue University

Lydia Bazzano, MD, PhD
Tulane University and Ochsner Health System

Carol Boushey, PhD, MPH, RD
University of Hawaii

Teresa Davis, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine

Kathryn Dewey, PhD
University of California, Davis

Sharon Donovan, PhD, RD
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Steven Heymsfield, MD
Louisiana State University, Pennington Biomedical Research Center


Heather Leidy, PhD
University of Texas at Austin

Richard Mattes, PhD, MPH, RD
Purdue University

Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, PhD, RD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Timothy Naimi, MD, MPH
Boston University

Rachel Novotny, PhD, RDN, LD
University of Hawaii

Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH
Loma Linda University

Linda Snetselaar, PhD, RDN
University of Iowa

Jamie Stang, PhD, MPH, RD
University of Minnesota

Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Linda Van Horn, PhD, RDN, LD
Northwestern University

Federal Support Staff

CO-EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES

Eve Essery Stoody, PhD
Designated Federal Officer
Co-Executive Secretary

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Food and Nutrition Service
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
USDA

David Klurfeld, PhD
Co-Executive Secretary
Coordinator of Peer-Review of NESR Systematic Reviews

Agricultural Research Service
Research, Education, and Economics
USDA

LEAD ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

Janet de Jesus, MS, RD
Division of Prevention Science
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

Richard Olson, MD, MPH
Division of Prevention Science
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

Colette Rihane, MS, RD
(Through October 2019)
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Food and Nutrition Service
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
USDA

POLICY OFFICIALS

Jackie Haven, MS, RD
Deputy Administrator
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Food and Nutrition Service
Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
USDA

Don Wright, MD, MPH
(Through March 2020)
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
Director
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

NUTRITION EVIDENCE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW TEAM

Julie Obbagy, PhD, RD
Project Lead
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Emily Callahan, MS
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Joanne Spahn, MS, RD
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Charlotte Bahnfleth, PhD
Panum Group1

Marlana Bates, MPH, RD
Panum Group1

Natasha Cole, PhD, MPH, RD
Panum Group1

Laural Kelly English, PhD
Panum Group1

Darcy Gungor, MS
Panum Group1

Julia H. Kim, PhD, MPH, RD
Panum Group1

Brittany Kingshipp, PhD
Panum Group1

Emily Madan, PhD
Panum Group1

Julie Nevins, PhD
Panum Group1

Kripa Raghavan, DrPH, MPH, MSc
Panum Group1

Sara Scinto-Madonich, MS
Panum Group1

Maureen Spill, PhD
Panum Group1

Sudha Venkatramanan, PhD, MSc
Panum Group1

Gisela Butera, MLIS, MEd
Panum Group1

Nancy Terry, MS, MLS
National Institutes of Health Library

USDA AND HHS FEDERAL LIAISONS

Meghan Adler, MS, RD, FAND
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Jean Altman, MS
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Clarissa (Claire) Brown, MS, MPH, RD
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Kellie O. Casavale, PhD, RD
Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling
Food and Drug Administration
HHS

Jennifer Lerman, MPH, RD
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
HHS

Rebecca MacIsaac, MS, RD
Division of Prevention Science
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

Cria Perrine, PhD
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HHS

Julia Quam, MSPH, RDN
Division of Prevention Science
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

Elizabeth Rahavi, RD
Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Kelley Scanlon, PhD, RD
Special Nutrition Research and Analysis Division
Office of Policy Support
USDA

Jennifer Seymour, PhD
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HHS

Ashley Vargas, PhD, MPH, RDN, FAND
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institutes of Health
HHS

INVITED EXPERT SPEAKER AND/OR CONSULTATION

Eric Decker, PhD
University of Massachusetts

Lauren S. Wakschlag, PhD
Northwestern University

Anita Panjwani, PhD
Purdue University

Stephanie M. George, PhD, MPH, MA
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute (at the time)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (current)

Daniel J. Raiten, PhD
National Institutes of Health
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Sharon Ross PhD, MPH
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute

Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

PEER REVIEWERS OF NESR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS

The following Federal scientists from the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs conducted independent peer reviews of the NESR systematic reviews.

Lindsay Allen, PhD
David Baer, PhD
Brian Bennett, PhD
Josephine Boyington, PhD
Alison Brown, PhD
Douglas Burrin, PhD
Jay Cao, PhD
Mary Cogswell, PhD
Cindy Davis, PhD
Johanna Dwyer, PhD
Joanne Elena, PhD
Mary Evans, PhD
Lindy Fenlason, MD
Naomi Fukagawa, MD, PhD
Sarah Gebauer, PhD
Kirsten Herrick, PhD
Joseph Hibbeln, MD
Mary Kable, PhD
Laura Kettel-Kahn, PhD
J. Philip Karl, PhD
Claudine Kavanaugh, PhD
Emily Kohls, PhD
Chao-Qiang Lai, PhD

Maren Laughlin, PhD
Harris Lieberman, PhD
Stefano Luccioli, MD
Padma Maruvada, PhD
James McClung, PhD
Robin McKinnon, PhD
Holly Nicastro, PhD
Janet Novotny, PhD
Laurence Parnell, PhD
Matthew Picklo, PhD
Nancy Potischman, PhD
Charlotte Pratt, PhD
Jill Reedy, PhD
James Roemmich, PhD
Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD
Charles Stephensen, PhD
Jessica Thomson, PhD
Karen Winer, PhD
Beverly Wolpert, PhD
Jacqueline Wright, DrPH
Essie Yamini, PhD
Lin Yan, PhD
Susan Yanovski, MD

SCIENCE WRITER/EDITOR

Anne Brown Rodgers
Panum Group1

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF

Frances Bevington, MA
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

Stephenie Fu
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Jessica Larson, MS, RD
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
USDA

Holly McPeak, MS
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
HHS

 

1 Under contract with the Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture.