By Marissa Pickard
DAVIS, CA (OCTOBER 27, 2025) The University of California, Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health (IIFH) today announced a new partnership with Nestlé Health Science, a global leader in the science of nutrition. This collaboration is designed to move transformative discoveries from the UC Davis labs into practice, accelerating the development of innovative leaders and science-based products that can improve nutrition and well-being.
By bringing together UC Davis’s research excellence in food for health with Nestlé Health Science’s global expertise in innovation and commercialization, the partnership will concentrate on advancing solutions in healthy aging, women’s health, metabolic health, gastrointestinal conditions, and diet-related needs in areas such as chronic kidney disease, oncology, and pediatric health.
“This partnership exemplifies how UC Davis builds collaborations that carry discovery into impact,” said Dr. Justin Siegel, Faculty Director of the IIFH and Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis. “By working closely with Nestlé Health Science, we are creating new avenues to translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable solutions that can make the foods we love better for all people.”
A central focus of the collaboration will be nurturing early-stage ventures emerging from the UC Davis ecosystem, providing them with the scientific validation, technical expertise, and strategic insight needed for long-term success. By strengthening these companies at their earliest stages, IIFH and Nestlé Health Science are creating opportunities for bold new ideas to grow into the next generation of nutrition innovators.
“Working alongside academic institutions provides valuable scientific insight and help to drive meaningful innovation in health science,” said Eugenia Oton, Head of Nestlé Product Technology Center for Nestlé Health Science. “Our collaboration with The University of California, Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health will enable us to accelerate the development of nutrition-based solutions that address some of the most pressing health challenges of our time, while also nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders.”
Through industry and academic collaborations like this, IIFH and Nestlé Health Science leverage complementary strengths to accelerate the journey from research to market. By surrounding entrepreneurs and early stage companies with practical support and shared expertise, the partnership helps bridge the translation gap that often slows the move from academic discovery to market readiness. It also nurtures the next generation of leaders in food and nutrition. This partnership is more than an exchange of expertise. It is the creation of a shared platform where discoveries are advanced in unison and brought forward to improve health and well-being on a global scale.
About the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health
The UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health (IIFH) works to make the food we love healthier for all people and the planet. By leveraging strategic partnerships with leading food companies, investors, foundations, entrepreneurs, and academics, IIFH drives interdisciplinary research and accelerates the commercialization of groundbreaking technologies. The Institute creates impact across four core areas: breakthrough research that advances healthier foods and ingredients; talent development that cultivates the next generation of innovators; uncommon connections that unite diverse partners across the ecosystem; and market impact that enables new products and companies to improve health while preserving the joy of eating.
About Nestlé Health Science
Nestlé Health Science, a leader in the science of nutrition, is a globally managed business unit of Nestlé. Nestlé Health Science is committed to redefining the management of health, offering an extensive portfolio of science-based consumer health, medical nutrition, pharmaceutical therapies, and vitamin and supplement brands. Their extensive research network provides the foundation for products that empower healthier lives through nutrition. Headquartered in Switzerland, we have more than 11,000 employees around the world, with products available in more than 100 countries.
Media Contact
Marissa Pickard, Innovation Institute for Food & Health
916-599-5551 | [email protected]
