Amanda MacFarlane, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Texas A&M Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Evidence Center. Dr. MacFarlane received her B.Sc. in Biology and Biotechnology from Carleton University, her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and her post-doctoral training in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.
She was a Research Scientist and Head of the Micronutrient Research Section at Health Canada from 2008-2022. Her research examines the impact of B vitamin nutrition on health and disease. She is involved in policy and regulatory work related to food fortification, food labelling and vitamin supplement content and use. She was the Chair of the Canada-US Joint Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) Working Group (2013-2022) during which time chronic disease endpoints were incorporated into the DRIs framework, sodium and potassium DRIs were reviewed, and a review of the macronutrients was initiated.
She is a core member of the Nutrition QUality Evaluation Strengthening Tools (NUQUEST) working group, the Member-at-large for Food and Nutrition Policy of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Nutrition and an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.