Barbara Ann Underwood, Renowned Nutrition Scientist, 1934-2025
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Barbara Ann Underwood, a pioneering nutrition scientist whose groundbreaking research on Vitamin A, micronutrient deficiencies, and the role of nutrition in chronic disease significantly influenced clinical practices and public health policies around the world. Barbara’s career was marked by a deep passion for improving global health through nutrition. Her work on the nutritional needs of women and children in developing nations earned her recognition from numerous international organizations. As a passionate educator, she mentored countless students, inspiring them to pursue careers in nutrition and public health.
Dr. Underwood earned her Bachelor’s degree in Food & Nutrition Biochemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then completed a Master’s at Cornell University and earned her Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from Columbia University in 1962.
Throughout her career, Dr. Underwood served as the Assistant Director for International Programs of the National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute, the focal point for micronutrient malnutrition at the World Health Organization (WHO), as a scholar in residence at the Institute of Medicine, and the President of the International Union of Nutritional Science. She was a fellow of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences and of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences. Dr. Underwood held professorial positions at the University of Maryland, Pennsylvania State University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was an adjunct Professor of Nutrition at the Institute of Human Nutrition. She received the International Union of Nutrition Science Award for International Nutrition and the American Institute of Nutrition Borden Award for Nutritional Research.
Beyond her research, Barbara was known for her warmth, integrity, and boundless generosity. Colleagues and students alike remember her as an inspiring leader who always made time to support others in their personal and professional growth. Her contributions to the understanding of micronutrient deficiencies and the role of nutrition in chronic disease will continue to influence global nutrition for years to come.
Dr. Underwood's obituary and details of the upcoming services being held in celebration of her life can be found here.