National nutrition group recognizes Cheng for excellence

Sept. 15, 2026 — DENTON —  He’s been a researcher, a mentor and a leader in the nutrition profession for nearly 20 years, and now a national organization has recognized Wen-Hsing Cheng for excellence.

Cheng, PhD, a professor and chair of the Nutrition and Food Sciences Department at Texas Woman’s since 2024, was one of 69 nutrition professionals named a 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellow (FASN) by the American Society for Nutrition.

The Excellence in Nutrition Fellow Recognition Program supports and recognizes mid-career professionals. The FASN designation is a mark of excellence in the field of nutrition, signifying recipients’ contributions to advancing nutrition science and practice, as well as their commitment to the highest standards of the profession. 

“This fellowship stands as the highest honor bestowed by my peers within the global nutrition community,” Cheng said. 

Cheng is an internationally recognized leader in nutrition and healthy aging. His research explores how optimized diet, individual genomics and the microbiome intersect to promote healthy aging.

As a researcher, he received several national awards from federal agencies, including the NIH FARE Award and the Nathan W. Shock Award from the National Institute on Aging. 

His research portfolio is focused on selenium, genomics and healthy aging. He has 116 articles published in book chapters, research articles and commentaries, and his Google Scholar metrics include over 7,249 citations. Since 2023, he has served as the co-editor in chief of Biological Trace Element Research, a peer-reviewed academic journal. 

Throughout his career, he has successfully guided 11 doctoral students and nine master's students through graduation and has mentored several junior faculty members and undergraduate researchers.

The fellow honor also recognizes Cheng’s active role in shaping the society's scientific standards. He has served on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Nutrition since 2013 and has personally reviewed nearly 300 manuscripts for the journal. He has held positions such as a session chair and organizer with the society, and has been a speaker at national and international nutrition symposia. Cheng has been a member of the society since 2007.

Cheng is currently working on ways to advance personalized dietary strategies to optimize the microbiome and prevent chronic metabolic diseases through the aging process.

“What excites me most is that we have entered the era of precision nutrition, which bridges traditional nutrition and data science.”