Investigating the Potential Risk of Untargeted Iron Supplementation Among Cambodian Women

There is a lack of evidence on the safety of untargeted daily iron supplementation in women, especially in countries such as Cambodia, where both anemia and genetic hemoglobinopathies are common. Our aim is to assess biomarkers of potential adverse outcomes in Cambodian women who received daily oral iron supplements in accordance with the recent 2016 global WHO guidelines. The findings will provide critical data to inform the safety of the WHO global policy for untargeted iron supplementation for non-pregnant women worldwide.

Institution: University of British Columbia
Principal Investigator: Crystal Karakochuk, PhD
Year Awarded: 2018

The IAFNS Future Leader Award, given annually to promising nutrition and food scientists, allows new investigators the opportunity to add to an existing project or to conduct exploratory research that might not receive funding from other sources or add to an existing project. Consideration is given to individuals proposing research in the areas of experimental nutrition, nutrition and toxicology, and nutrition and food science. Grants extend for a period of 2 years at a funding level of $15,000 USD per year. Funds may not be used for overhead or to support the investigator’s salary.

View all Future Leader Award Recipients.