Dr. Nile Nair is the Senior Manager of Research and Translation at the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI), based at the American Heart Association. He leads efforts to translate cutting-edge food composition, multi-omics, and biomolecular data into actionable insights that advance precision nutrition, sustainable diets, and climate-resilient health strategies.
Trained as a clinician-scientist with a PhD in Population Health Sciences from Harvard, Nile specializes in nutritional epidemiology, sustainable food systems, and climate change. His research spans sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, focusing on systems-based approaches to dietary health, food quality, and environmental sustainability. He has worked extensively on the development of the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) and has contributed to national food composition datasets, randomized controlled trials, multi-omics research, and policy efforts aimed at reducing diet-related chronic diseases and food system emissions.
He brings a decade of experience across clinical, academic, and policy spheres, and remains committed to advancing inclusive, science-driven solutions that center biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and equity in shaping the future of food.