UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State, is the recipient of the 2018 W. Virgil Brown Distinguished Achievement Award and Lectureship from the National Lipid Association (NLA) and the Foundation of the National Lipid Association. 

The award is the highest honor conferred by the NLA, honoring outstanding contributions in the diagnosis and treatment of lipid disorders, as well as educating health care providers about best practices for achieving healthy blood lipid and lipoprotein levels to decrease cardiovascular disease risk. 

Kris-Etherton delivered a lecture on her research at the NLA 2018 Annual Scientific Sessions on April 27 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she also received the award. 

“Knowing Dr. Brown — who the award is named after — for many years and his remarkable contributions to the prevention and treatment of heart disease globally makes this a very special recognition,” Kris-Etherton said. “Also, the previous awardees have made most impressive scientific contributions to cardiovascular disease research; it is truly humbling to join their ranks.”

Kris-Etherton’s lecture addressed the evolution of the treatment of dyslipidemia — abnormally elevated cholesterol or fats (lipids) in the blood — through diet and nutritional therapies. 

The NLA annual meeting is designed to provide lipid management updates along with practical applications of recent research. The event’s sessions ran from April 26-29 and included innovative and groundbreaking education from researchers from the United States and other countries. 

As the recipient of the W. Virgil Brown Distinguished Achievement Award, Kris-Etherton will receive honorary lifetime membership in the NLA.