Scientific Director

Shirin Panahi, PhD

Dr. Shirin Panahi is the Scientific Director at the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS), where she provides scientific leadership for the Society’s educational programs, professional development initiatives, and knowledge translation activities. In this role, she oversees and supports key CNS initiatives, including the Trainee Leadership Committee, Education Committee, Equity in Nutrition Working Group, and the Nutrition in Medical Education (NutriMEd) program. She also leads the development of scientific content, trainee engagement and mentorship activities, and evidence-informed resources that support nutrition professionals, researchers, and trainees across Canada.

In addition to her role at CNS, Dr. Panahi is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, at Université Laval. Her research focuses on the role of diet and lifestyle factors in appetite control, metabolic health, obesity prevention and management, nutrition education, and knowledge translation. She is particularly interested in advancing the translation of nutrition science into practice, policy, and education.

Dr. Panahi completed her BSc (Hon), MSc, and PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and held postdoctoral fellowships funded by Diabetes Canada and Mitacs Accelerate at Université Laval. Her research and knowledge translation activities have been supported through competitive funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and other funding agencies. She has received numerous awards and distinctions, including the CNS Gordon F. Mutch Young Investigator Award in Diabetes Research and CIHR-INMD/CNS Postdoctoral Partnership Prize. Her scholarly contributions include more than 45 peer-reviewed publications (Google Scholar), book chapters, conference presentations, and a wide range of knowledge translation resources. She is also the host of the CNS podcast, Nutrition Conversations, which showcases emerging research and perspectives from leaders in nutrition science and practice.