Lani Sue Stephenson (July 31, 1948 – March 10, 2021) was an American
parasitologist
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question but by their way of life. This means it ...
and nutritionist, "a pioneer in field-based studies on nutrition–parasite interactions".
Early life
Stephenson was born in
Honolulu, Hawai'i,
["Stephenson, Lani Sue." in ''American Men & Women of Science'': ''A Biographical Directory of Today's Leaders in Physical, Biological, and Related Sciences'', 23rd ed., vol. 6, Gale, 2007, pp. 1138-1139. via Gale eBooks] the daughter of Russell V. Stephenson Jr. and Joan Stephenson. Her father was the music director at the
Punahou School. At
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, she earned a bachelor's degree in 1971, a master's in 1973, and PhD in 1978, all in the human nutrition program. Her dissertation involved a study of
ascariasis, a human parasitic infection that causes malnutrition.
Career
Stephenson remained at Cornell University a researcher in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, and later as associate professor. She was also a visiting professor at the Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology. Much of her research was based in Kenya, where she collaborated with her husband on studies of intestinal parasites and malnutrition in children, and on interventions to prevent or treat
schistosomiasis,
filariasis
Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases.
These ...
, and
malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
. She retired from Cornell in 2000.
Publications
Stephenson's research was published in scholarly journals including ''
Parasitology'',
''Experimental Parasitology'', ''
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
''The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition'' (''AJCN'') is a monthly peer-reviewed biomedical journal in the fields of dietetics and clinical nutrition.
The journal was established in 1952 as the ''Journal of Clinical Nutrition'', edited by ...
'', ''
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) is an Arlington, Virginia-based non-profit organization of scientists, clinicians, students and program professionals whose longstanding mission is to promote global health through the ...
'',''
'',
''World Health Forum'', ''Journal of Tropical Pediatrics'',
''
Social Science & Medicine'',
''Nutritional Reviews'',
''
Journal of the American Dietetic Association'', ''Paediatric Drugs'',
and the ''
Journal of Nutrition
''The Journal of Nutrition'' (or shortened as '' JN'' or '' J Nutr'') is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Society for Nutrition. Established in 1928, the journal publishes experimental research on human, animal, cell ...
''. Some of her solo-authored papers and monographs include:
* "The contribution of
Ascaris lumbricoides
''Ascaris lumbricoides'' is a large parasitic worm that causes ascariasis in humans. A roundworm of genus '' Ascaris'', it is the most common parasitic worm in humans. An estimated one-sixth of the human population is at some point infected by ...
to malnutrition in children" (1980)
* "Evaluation of a four year project to control ascaris infection in children in two Kenyan villages" (1983)
* "Methods to evaluate nutritional and economic implications of ascaris infection" (1984)
* ''Schistosomiasis and Malnutrition'' (1986)
* "
Helminth Parasites, a Major Factor in Malnutrition" (1994)
* "Possible New Developments in Community Control of Iron-Deficiency Anemia" (1995)
* "Optimising the Benefits of Anthelmintic Treatment in Children" (2001)
* "Pathophysiology of Intestinal
Nematodes
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...
" (2002)
Personal life
Stephenson married a fellow Cornell nutritionist,
Michael C. Latham in 1974, as his second wife.
He died in 2011. She died in
Newfield, New York
Newfield is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 5,184 at the 2020 census. The town's name is derived from the many unoccupied tracts of land that were once in the town.
The Town of Newfield is in the southwest p ...
in 2021, aged 72 years.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Lani
1948 births
2021 deaths
American nutritionists
Cornell University alumni
Cornell University faculty
American women scientists
American parasitologists
People from Honolulu