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Tom Brenna, PhD (he/him/his)

Professor
The University of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX, United States

Tom Brenna, PhD, is Professor of Pediatrics, of Human Nutrition, and of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin since 2017, and Professor Emeritus of Human Nutrition, of Chemistry, and of Food Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. His group's research is on the chemical, biochemical, metabolic, genetic and ecological aspects of fatty acids. he was introduced to the AOCS as an undergraduate while working with previous Nicolas Pelick Supelco Awardee, the late Bob Jensen at the University of Connecticut. He went on to complete the PhD in Chemistry at Cornell. After four years as a staff engineer at IBM's Technology Campus in Endicott, NY, he was hired as Assistant Professor at Cornell.

His analytical chemistry research pioneered facile methods for the structure elucidation of fatty acid methyl esters, and independently developed some of the first molecular methods for high precision isotope ratio mass spectrometry, work that resulted in dozens of peer-reviewed papers in Analytical Chemistry and other leading chemistry journals. The research group was among those contributing to the recognition that dietary omega-3 fatty acids are required for proper brain and retinal function in developing infants and, more recently, has been interested in the nutrition and metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids. His work has transformed our understanding of the fatty acid biochemical pathways, and genetics. He has been involved with many nutrition policy efforts, including as a member of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. AOCS has honored him with the Health and Nutrition Division’s Ralph Holman Award, and the Analytical Division’s Herbert J. Dutton Award.

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