David Threadgill, Ph.D., has been appointed head of the Department of Nutrition in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
“We are proud that Dr. Threadgill will continue to lead the Department of Nutrition as we build on the tradition of Aggie leadership in nutrition innovation,” said Jeffrey W. Savell, Ph.D., vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We look forward to seeing Dr. Threadgill build new bridges between agriculture, life sciences and human health.”
‘Exciting time for nutrition research’
Threadgill, who has an extensive background in genetics, said he looks forward to leading the department.
“This is an exciting time for research in nutrition, which has the potential to greatly improve human health and prevent chronic diseases,” Threadgill said. “The Department of Nutrition is poised to be a leader in bringing science-based knowledge to the public for people to make better health decisions at the individual level.
“I look forward to helping move the department to become a national leader in the new field of precision nutrition that aims to provide individualized recommendations on how nutrition can improve health.”
Threadgill will utilize his research focus examining the genetic cause of diseases related to diet and cancer to help shape the department’s strategic approach.
Distinguished geneticist
A Regents Professor and a University Distinguished Professor, Threadgill has served as interim department head since January 2020.
Threadgill’s distinguished academic career includes serving as chair of the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Genetics at Texas A&M and director of the Texas A&M Center for Environmental Health Research. He was a founding director of the Texas A&M Institute for Genome Sciences and Society.
He brings a holistic perspective as he is a University Distinguished Professor and has been a member of other departments including the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, as well as Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Department of Cell Biology and Genetics at the Texas A&M School of Medicine.
With this new appointment, he will hold a joint appointment with the Department of Nutrition and the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics in the School of Medicine where he holds The Tom and Jean McMullin Chair of Genetics.
Prior to coming to Texas A&M in 2013, Threadgill served as professor and head of the Department of Genetics at North Carolina State University and previously held faculty positions at Vanderbilt University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Threadgill earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology and doctorate in genetics, both from Texas A&M, and conducted a National Institutes of Health-funded postdoctoral fellowship in genetics at Case Western Reserve University.
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