Session Format: In Person

Poster Presentations

Posters

Date & Time:

February 16, 2026

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM PT

Format:

In Person

Pediatric Content Included

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

The poster sessions are a time to showcase the collective expertise of the practitioners and researchers who gather each year to share knowledge and advance the field of clinical nutrition. As an attendee, you will have the opportunity to meet the authors of the posters, learn more about their research, and have the chance to ask follow-up questions in real-time. The posters will be divided by topic areas, listed below.

To enhance the poster session experience this year, we will be having poster professors during the Sunday poster session. We recommend attending this poster session if you would like to be guided by an ASPEN Poster Professor. The poster professor will guide attendees through the posters and engage with the poster presenters by having group discussions about the research being presented. There will be poster professors for each topic area, and you do not need to sign up in advance to take advantage of this opportunity; it is included in the conference registration.

If you do not prefer to be guided by a poster professor, you will have the option to self-guide through the poster sessions on Sunday and Monday.

RESEARCH POSTER TOPICS

  • Parenteral Nutrition Therapy
  • Enteral Nutrition Therapy
  • Malnutrition and Nutrition Assessment
  • Critical Care and Critical Health Issues
  • GI, Obesity, Metabolic, and Other Nutrition-Related Concepts
  • Pediatric, Neonatal, Pregnancy, and Lactation

Drug-Nutrient Interaction Section Forum: Dynamics, Kinetics, and Interactions: Moving the ASPEN DNI Section into the Future

Section Forum

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

12:45 PM – 2:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

  • Dynamics: The 2026 DNI Section Forum will open with a brief business meeting introducing Section leadership and providing an overview of Section activities. Results from a recent DNI Section survey will be presented to summarize clinician-identified needs, priorities, and areas of interest, informing the Section’s strategic direction over the next 1–2 years.
  • Kinetics: A review of the DNI Section’s Mission, Goals, and Purpose will follow, with time allocated for attendee feedback to support alignment of Section initiatives with member needs and future programming.
  • Interactions: The Forum will conclude with poster presentations highlighting current research and clinically relevant topics related to drug–nutrient interactions. Poster authors will provide concise overviews of their work, followed by time for questions and discussion.

Topics & Presenters

Vivian Zhao
PharmD, BNCSP, FASPEN

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Nutrition Support

Emory University Hospital

Atlanta, GA

President’s Address: Your Network is Your Net Worth: Membership in Professional Organizations Helps Innovate and Saves Lives (M10)

General Session

Kathy Gura
Kathleen Gura
PharmD, BCNSP, FASHP, FPPA, FASPEN, FMSHP

Join ASPEN’s 49th president, Kathleen Gura, PharmD, BCNSP, FASHP, FPPA, FASPEN, FMSHP, who will illustrate how networking within professional organizations drives clinical innovation and improves patient outcomes.

Read Biography

Dr. Gura is the manager for Pharmacy Research Programs and a member of the Clinical Nutrition Service in the Division of GI/Nutrition at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). She is also a member of BCH’s Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation and the Home PN Program. She serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School as an assistant professor of pediatrics and is a member of the school’s Division of Nutrition. In addition, Dr. Gura is an adjunct faculty member at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health.

A native New Englander, Dr. Gura received her BS and PharmD degrees with honors from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. From 1982 to 1984, she honed her interest in nutrition as a clinical pharmacist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. In 1984, she returned to Boston and joined the pharmacy staff at BCH. Shortly thereafter, she became a part of the Clinical Nutrition Service and completed a mini nutrition fellowship at the University of Florida. Dr. Gura was one of the first board-certified nutrition support pharmacists in Boston.

Dr. Gura, along with her research collaborator of over two decades, Mark Puder, MD, PhD, solved one of the most recalcitrant problems associated with the use of parenteral nutrition when they discovered that lipid injectable emulsions could be used to treat intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) in children under four. Because of her life-saving research, fish oil is now globally used to treat IFALD.

She has written more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on intestinal failure-associated liver disease, intravenous lipid emulsions, compounding of sterile products, and the use of parenteral nutrition in the neonate.

Date & Time:

February 16, 2026

8:00 AM – 9:15 AM PT

Format:

In Person & Virtual

CE Credits:

1.0 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-026-L99-P

Course level:

Intermediate/Advanced

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

Professional connections can do more than advance your career—they can save lives. Join ASPEN President Dr. Kathleen Gura as she shares three key patient care experiences that resulted from being an ASPEN member and networking with colleagues from around the world. Discover why the human connection remains one of the most powerful tools in clinical nutrition practice.

  • Describe how involvement in professional organizations improves patient care.
  • Analyze how products approved in other countries may be used off-label to treat life-threatening conditions.
  • Provide examples of how ASPEN drug shortage guidelines may be used by others to improve the care of patients outside the United States.
  • Describe one approach to identifying different treatment strategies when given a patient dilemma.

Topics & Presenters

Your Network is Your Net Worth: Membership in Professional Organizations Helps Innovate and Saves Lives

Kathleen Gura
PharmD, BCNSP, FASHP, FPPA, FASPEN, FMSHP

Pharmacy Clinical Research Program Manager

Department of Pharmacy/Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition , Boston Children’s Hospital

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA

Premier Paper Session and Vars Award Competition (SU24)

Paper Session

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM PT

Format:

In Person & Virtual

CE Credits:

2.0 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-014-L99-P

Course level:

Advanced

Pediatric Content Included

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

ASPEN is dedicated to advancing the science and practice of clinical nutrition and metabolism. This session features the best peer-reviewed research abstracts submitted for inclusion in the ASPEN26 conference. This is your opportunity to hear firsthand about the latest research that helps shape clinical practice in nutrition support.

All individuals presenting during this session are vying for the prestigious Harry M. Vars Award. This award serves as a tribute to Dr. Vars and his pioneering developments in parenteral nutrition and is given annually for the best original research presentation by an early-career investigator at the ASPEN conference. The award recipient will be determined during the conference by votes submitted by ASPEN26 conference participants and by the ASPEN Research Committee’s thorough review of manuscripts submitted by qualified candidates as well as the candidates’ presentations during the conference. The award recipient will be announced at the Rhoads Research Lecture and Award Ceremony on Sunday morning. Come cheer on the candidates and hear the best of the best research at ASPEN26!

Topics & Presenters

Differential Metabolomic Profiles Between Human Milk Versus Infant Formula-Fed Piglets in Relation to Neurodevelopment

Atesha Banki
BS

Graduate Student/Dietetic Intern

University of Idaho

Pullman, WA

Neuroactive Microbial Metabolites Remain Dysregulated in Alcohol-Associated End-Stage Liver Disease Patients Following Liver Transplantation

Kaitlyn Daff
MA, RD, LDN

Doctoral Candidate

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH

Volume-Based Feeding Critically Ill Children: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial of Volume- Versus Rate-Based Enteral Nutrition

Nicole M. Gilbert
RD

Registered Dietitian / PhD Candidate

University of Calgary / Alberta Health Services

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Western Diet Induces Progression of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Mice

Richard Jacobson
MD

Assistant Professor

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL

Barrier Dysfunction in Intestinal Failure is Driven by Nutrient Deprivation and Wnt Signaling Suppression

Shaurya Mehta
BS

Student

Noorda COM

St. Louis, MO

Moderators:

Jana Ponce

PhD, RD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, NE

Hannah Piper

MD

Pediatric Surgeon

Surgical Director of Children’s Intestinal Rehabilitation Program, BC Children’s Hospital/University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Basic Skills in Parenteral Nutrition Management – Part B (SU25)

Skills Lab

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person

CE Credits:

1.5 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-015-L99-P

Course level:

Basic

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

Explore a variety of topics related to Parenteral Nutrition Management in this deep dive session. This session will address knowledge gaps through interactive discussions, hands-on demonstrations, and case study presentations. This skills lab will have multiple stations covering a variety of topics and will feature the latest practices, research, and guidelines to enhance clinical practice skills. Participants may move among the individual stations as they choose. Please note: This skills lab has two sessions, and the topics presented will be different in each session.

  • Analyze differences in nutrient dosing and utilization based on clinical condition.
  • Identify assessment and treatment strategies to manage electrolytes in parenteral nutrition patients.
  • Effectively manage IV access and parenteral nutrition compounding complications.
  • Create a safe parenteral nutrition formulation per compound and stability limits.

Topics & Presenters

Walking the Tightrope: Balancing Calcium and Phosphorus in the Patient Receiving PN

M. Petrea Cober
PharmD, MEd, BCNSP, BCPPS, FASPEN

Professor of Pharmacy Practice; Director of Workforce Development

Office of Student Success, Northeast Ohio Medical University, College of Pharmacy

Director of Professional Development

Office of Education, Northeast Ohio Medical University, College of Pharmacy

Rootstown, OH

Provision of Micronutrients to the Patient on Parenteral Nutrition

Jacob Hall
PharmD

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Critical Care and Nutrition Support

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, TX

Patient Assessment: A Focus on Patient Specific Considerations and Parenteral Nutrition Components

Roaxana Poskey
MS, RDN, LD, CNSC, FAND

Advanced Practice Dietitian-Nutrition Support

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Houston, TX

Fluid Assessment and Sodium Homeostasis in Patients Receiving PN

Rina Patel
PharmD, BCNSP, FASPEN

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Critical Care and Nutrition Support

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, TX

Assessing the Access: Review of the Management of IV Access in the Parenteral Nutrition Patient

Kathleen Tushar
RN, BSN

Nutrition Support Registered Nurse

Center for Human Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland, OH

Key Calculations in Parenteral Nutrition Order Writing

Sara Bliss
PharmD

Clinical Pharmacist

Department of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina Hospitals

Chapel Hill, NC

Moderators:

Karrie Derenski

PharmD, BCNSP, BCCCP, CNSC, FASPEN

Nutrition Support Consultant

Independant Consultant

Kansas City, MO

Navigating the Timely Application of Parenteral Nutrition in Patients Undergoing Solid Organ Transplant (SU23)

Breakout

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person & Virtual

CE Credits:

1.5 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-013-L01-P

Course level:

Intermediate

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

  • Identify the prevalence and clinical impact of malnutrition in patients undergoing solid organ transplant and explain how it influences the initiation and selection of enteral and parenteral nutrition strategies.
  • Analyze surgical and medical factors—including organ type, timing, and complications—that affect the decision-making process for initiating EN or PN in kidney, pancreas, and other transplant recipients.
  • Articulate the critical role of dietitians in leading nutrition care planning and facilitating interprofessional healthcare team collaboration to optimize nutrition support in patients receiving transplants.
  • Evaluate current evidence and emerging research on EN and PN use in transplant populations and discuss opportunities for clinical research to advance evidence-based nutrition practices.

Topics & Presenters

Advancing Evidence-Based Nutrition Care in Transplant Populations

Sandra Wolfe Citty
PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE, FASPEN

Clinical Professor

College of Nursing, University of Florida

GRECC Research Nurse

North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System

Gainesville, FL

Practical Approaches to Managing Nutrition Support Challenges in Patients Undergoing Organ Transplant

Kris Mogensen
MS, RD-AP, LDN, CNSC

Team Leader Dietitian Specialist

Department of Nutrition, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, MA

The Medical/Surgical Considerations and Clinical Decision Making for Nutrition Support in Organ Transplant Recipients

Jeanette Hasse
PhD, RD, LD, CNSC, CCTD, FASPEN, FADA

Transplant Nutrition Manager

Baylor Simmons Transplant Institute, Baylor University Medical Center

Dallas, TX

Moderators:

Beverly J.D. Hernandez

PhD, RD, LD/N, FAND

Director, Clinical Nutrition Services and Diabetes Nurse Specialist

Tampa General Hospital

Tampa, FL

The ASPEN Nutrition Guidelines for Adult Patients With Head and Neck Cancer (SU22)

Breakout

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person & Virtual

CE Credits:

1.5 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-012-L01-P

Course level:

Intermediate

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

  • Describe the methods for ASPEN guideline development.
  • Identify cutting-edge changes to practice recommendations in nutrition in head and neck cancer.
  • Evaluate the current state of the literature in the field of nutrition in head and neck cancer.

Topics & Presenters

ASPEN Adult Head and Neck Cancer Nutrition Guidelines: The Methods

Liam McKeever
PhD, RD, FASPEN

Director and Editor in Chief

ASPEN Clinical Guidelines, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition

Rush University

Chicago, IL

Screening, Timing, Amounts, and Dosing Weight for Nutrition Support in Head and Neck Cancer

Jeannine Mills
MS, RDN, CSO, LD, CNSC

Clinical Dietitian/ Outpatient Oncology

Dartmouth Cancer Center

Lebanon, NH

Speech Pathology and Route of Feeding in Head and Neck Cancer

Jacqui Frowen
BSpPath(Hons), PhD

Clinical Lead Speech Pathologist

Peter MacCallum Cancer Center

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Interprofessional Team Efforts, Appetite Stimulants, Maintaining Oral Intake, and Use of Special-Purpose Nutrients in Head and Neck Cancer

Nicole Kiss
PhD, APD FDA

Associate Professor

Nutrition and Dietetics, Deakin University, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Moderators:

Liam McKeever

PhD, RD, FASPEN

Director and Editor in Chief

ASPEN Clinical Guidelines, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition

Rush University

Chicago, IL

The Questions Nobody Is Answering: Empirical Responses From the Experts (SU21)

Breakout

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person & Virtual

CE Credits:

1.5 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-011-L99-P

Course level:

Intermediate

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

  • Clarify common misconceptions related to nutrition support practices in critically ill patients.
  • Utilize guideline recommendations for managing micronutrient deficiencies.
  • Explore strategies for defining nutrition support goals in challenging ICU scenarios.

Topics & Presenters

A Dietitian’s Take: Real-World Nutrition Questions in the ICU

Ashley DePriest
MS, RDN, LD, CNSC, FCCM

Clinical Dietitian

Grady Healthcare

Atlanta, GA

A Surgeon’s Take: Critical Care Nutrition Dilemmas

David Evans
MD, FACS, FCCM, FASPEN

Adjunct Clinical Professor of Surgery

Ohio University

Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgeon

Trauma and Surgical Services, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center

Medical Director, Nutrition Support Team

Trauma and Surgical Services, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center

Columbus, OH

A Pharmacist’s Take: Formulating Solutions in Critical Care Nutrition

Diana Mulherin
PharmD, BCNSP, BCCCP, FCCM, FASPEN

Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Nutrition Support

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, TN

Moderators:

Sarah Cogle

PharmD, BCCCP, BCNSP, FCCM, FASPEN

Clinical Pharmacist Specialist and Team Lead

Burn Critical Care/Nutrition Support, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, TN

Navigating Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN): An Interprofessional Team Approach to Pediatric HPN Success (SU20)

Breakout

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person & Virtual

CE Credits:

1.5 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-010-L99-P

Course level:

Intermediate

Pediatric Content Included

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

  • Develop a comprehensive consultation process to identify appropriate candidates for HPN.
  • Create an intensive inpatient education protocol to mitigate risk for ambulatory CLABSI, CVC complications and hospital readmissions.
  • Identify the role of the dietitian as part of the healthcare team in developing strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and standardization of management of vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies in pediatric HPN.
  • Discuss the role of the clinical social worker as part of the healthcare team in the assessment and risk mitigation for pediatric HPN patients and ongoing support from inpatient to home.
  • Explain the pharmacist’s role as part of the healthcare team in identifying compounding errors, managing drug shortages, and creating unique travel regimens.

Topics & Presenters

From Assessment to Action: Elevating Pediatric Home PN Safety through Consultation and Education

Jennifer T. McClelland
MS, FNP-BC

APN III, Home PN Clinical Coordinator

Home Parenteral Nutrition Program, Boston Children's Hospital

Boston, MA

The Importance of Initial and Ongoing Social Work Assessment When Considering Home PN

Jessica McCaig
MSW, LICSW, PMH-C

Clinical Social Worker II

Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation, Boston Children's Hospital

Boston, MA

Micronutrient and Vitamin Deficiencies in Home PN: How to Identify and Manage

Brittany DePaula
RD, LDN, CNSC

Senior Clinical Nutrition Specialist

Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital

Boston, MA

Pharmacists Are Your Friend! The Important Role a Pharmacist Can Play On Your Home PN Team

Margaret Murphy
PharmD, BCNSP

Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Home Parenteral Nutrition Program, Boston Children's Hospital

Boston, MA

Moderators:

Beth Deen

PharmD, BCNSP, BCPPS

Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Nutrition Support

Cook Children’s Medical Center

Fort Worth, TX

Poster Presentations

Posters

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM PT

Format:

In Person

Pediatric Content Included

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

The poster sessions are a time to showcase the collective expertise of the practitioners and researchers who gather each year to share knowledge and advance the field of clinical nutrition. As an attendee, you will have the opportunity to meet the authors of the posters, learn more about their research, and have the chance to ask follow-up questions in real-time. The posters will be divided by topic areas, listed below.

To enhance the poster session experience this year, we will be having poster professors during the Sunday poster session. We recommend attending this poster session if you would like to be guided by an ASPEN Poster Professor. The poster professor will guide attendees through the posters and engage with the poster presenters by having group discussions about the research being presented. There will be poster professors for each topic area, and you do not need to sign up in advance to take advantage of this opportunity; it is included in the conference registration.

If you do not prefer to be guided by a poster professor, you will have the option to self-guide through the poster sessions on Sunday and Monday.

RESEARCH POSTER TOPICS & PROFESSORS

  • Parenteral Nutrition Therapy
    Muna Islami, PharmD, BCNSP
    Mark Klang, MS, RPh, BCNSP, PhD, FASPEN
    Christine Scarcello, MS, RD, CNSC
    Otilda Valderrama, MD
  • Enteral Nutrition Therapy
    Osman Mohamed Elfadil, MD
    Savas Tsikis, MD
    Paulo Roberto Cavalcante de Vasconcelos, MD, MSc, PhD
  • Malnutrition and Nutrition Assessment
    Carrie Earthman, PhD, RDN
    Mario Gomez-Hernandez, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, RNFA
    Catherine Larson-Nath, MD, CNSC
    Sarah Peterson, PhD, RD
  • Critical Care and Critical Health Issues
    Sarita Bajpai, RDN, CNSC, PhD
    Mireille Hamdan, DCN, CNSC, RD
  • GI, Obesity, Metabolic, and Other Nutrition-Related Concepts
    Salvatore Carbone, PhD, RDN, FHFSA, FASPEN
    Gabriela de Oliveira Lemos, MD/PhD Candidate
    Anne Tucker, PharmD, BCNSP, FASPEN
    Andrew Ukleja, MD
    Shilpa Varma, PhD, MSc, CDE
  • Pediatric, Neonatal, Pregnancy, and Lactation
    Cassie Brown, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
    Laura Gearman, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
    Corey Hawes, DCN, RD, CSO, CNSC, FASPEN
    Jessie Hulst, MD, PhD
    Abigail Martin, MD, MA, FAAP

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Select Early Career If:
You are within five years of licensure or registration, or are currently in training. See the eligibility chart.
Select Student If:
You are a full-time student at an accredited institution. See the eligibility chart.
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