Session Type: Section Forum

Dietetics Practice Section Forum: Strengthening our Impact: Volunteering, Leadership, and Networking

Section Forum

Date & Time:

February 14, 2026

6:00 PM – 7:15 PM PT

Format:

In Person

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

This interactive session will include a general business meeting.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • Involvement of Dietitians in ASPEN – Highlighting various roles and committees
  • Sharing the benefits of volunteering with ASPEN
  • Networking Opportunities for Registered Dietitians
  • Share Your Experiences and Connect with Other Clinicians

Topics & Presenters

Stacy Pelekhaty
MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, FAND, FASPEN

Senior Clinical Nutrition Specialist

University of Maryland Medical Center

Baltimore, MD

Panelists

Ranna Modir
MS, RD, CNSC, CDCES, CCTD

Clinical Dietitian IV

Cardiac Transplant, MCS, VAD, Stanford Health Care

Stanford, CA
Jana Ponce
PhD, RD

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, NE
Federika Garcia
MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, CSO

Director, Clinical Programs – Nutrition and Wellness, Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System

Miami, Florida
Cassie Brown
MS, RD, LD, CNSC

Clinical Dietitian

Children's Health

Dallas, TX

Critical Care Section Forum: Metabolomics in Critical Care – Past, Present, and Future

Section Forum

Date & Time:

February 16, 2026

6:00 PM – 7:15 PM PT

Format:

In Person

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

Join the Critical Care Section as three experts discuss:

  • Defining metabolomics, an exciting field that offers deeper insight into disrupted metabolic pathways with potential applications in critical care
  • Use of metabolomics in acute and chronic critical illness to provide personalized and precise nutrition therapy
  • Differences between metabolomics and the notoriously inaccurate biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of malnutrition

Topics & Presenters

Metabolomics in Critical Care - Current State of the Art and Future Applications

Kenneth B. Christopher
MD, MS

Editor-in-Chief, JPEN

American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

Associate Physician

Division of Renal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of Nutrition, Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA

Metabolomics in Acute Critical Illness

Kris Mogensen
MS, RD-AP, LDN, CNSC

Team Leader Dietitian Specialist

Department of Nutrition, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, MA

Metabolomics in Chronic Critical Illness

Martin Rosenthal
MD, FACS, FASPEN

Associate Professor

Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Florida Health

Director, Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and Intestinal Rehab Service

Department of Surgery, University of Florida Health

Gainesville, FL

Moderators:

D. Dante Yeh

MD, MHPE, FACS, FCCM, FASPEN, CNSC

Chief of Emergency General Surgery

Denver Health

Professor of Surgery

Denver Health

Denver, CO

IC Ethics Section Forum: Ethical Principles and the Diagnosis of Malnutrition (ICESSF)

Section Forum

Date & Time:

February 16, 2026

12:45 PM – 2:00 PM PT

Format:

In Person

CE Credits:

1.0 Hours

UAN: JA0002345-0000-26-053-L99-P

Course level:

Intermediate

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

Discuss the ethical implications of how members of the healthcare team define, utilize, and communicate the diagnosis of malnutrition, and how these impact clinical care and clinical effectiveness.

  • Summarize how the current definitions of malnutrition are developed and validated.
  • Determine the clinical and ethical implications of diagnosing malnutrition in clinical practice.
  • Identify the value of diagnosing malnutrition.
  • Communicate the diagnosis of malnutrition to members of the healthcare team and patients by applying ethical principles.

Topics & Presenters

Ethical Principles and the Diagnosis of Malnutrition

David Seres
MD, ScM, PNS, DFASN, FASPEN

Professor of Medicine (retired)

Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Past Director of Medical Nutrition

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Associate Clinical Ethicist

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

New York, NY

Moderators:

Alison Evans

RD, LD, CNSC

Clinical Liaison, Nutrition Support Dietitian

Amerita Specialty Infusion

Milton, GA

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

International Clinical Nutrition Section Forum: In the GLIMlight: Making Malnutrition Visible with ICD-11

Section Forum

Date & Time:

February 15, 2026

6:00 PM – 7:15 PM PT

Format:

In Person

session objectives:

What You'll Learn

The publication of the GLIM criteria established a unified global language for the diagnosis of malnutrition, establishing phenotypic and etiologic criteria. Its recent 5-year update confirms its widespread adoption, marking a significant step toward homogenizing the determination of malnutrition in adults worldwide.

Building on the success of GLIM, the ICD-11 was revised to include a unique code for Undernutrition in Adults (5B72), directly based on GLIM standards. This is a game-changing situation; without a specific code, malnutrition often remains invisible in administrative data. Formal recognition is necessary for validating clinical care, allowing proper data tracking, and supporting reimbursement.

But translating these guidelines into clinical practice requires adaptation, particularly regarding body composition assessment. Clinicians face diverse realities, ranging from resource-limited settings as well as complex clinical phenotypes, like sarcopenic obesity or fluid overload, where standard measurements need careful interpretation.

This ICNS Forum plans to explore these practical nuances. Rather than proposing a solution, the session will discuss how the GLIM framework can be effectively incorporated into different clinical contexts. The goal is to illustrate feasible strategies for applying these criteria, demonstrating that accurate diagnosis is achievable across varying healthcare realities.

The session will open with a keynote on the strategic importance of the new ICD-11 code and its global impact. Following this, three international experts will share their clinical experiences, discussing how they assess body composition and apply GLIM within their specific patient populations, bridging the gap between international standards into bedside practice.

Topics & Presenters

International Clinical Nutrition Section Welcome Address

Maria Paula Coelho
MD

Pediatric Surgeon

Sabará Hospital Infantil

Head of Intestinal Rehabilitation Program

Sabará Hospital Infantil

São Paulo, Brazil

The GLIM Journey: From Inception to the 5-Year Update and Beyond

Gordon Jensen
MD, PhD

Senior Associate Dean for Research Emeritus

Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

Professor of Medicine and Nutrition Emeritus

Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

If It’s Not Coded, Does It Exist? The Importance of ICD-11 for Malnutrition

M. Cristina Gonzalez
PhD, MD

Professor

Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Food, Federal University of Pelotas

RS, Pelotas, Brazil

GLIM in India: Real-World Multicenter Experience

Radha R. Chada
PhD, RD, MBA

Chief Clinical Dietitian & HoD

Asian Institute of Gastroenterology

Hyderabad, India

Complex Patients in Clinical Practice: Lessons from Mexico on Adopting GLIM

Vanessa Fuch Tarlovsky
MD, PhD, RD

Director and Researcher

Hospital General de México

Mexico City, Mexico

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