Oklahoma Peanut Growers Select National Peanut Board Nominees
Weatherford, OK - The Oklahoma peanut growers selected nominees for the National Peanut Board on April 3, 2025. Delegates nominated were: Mark DeLeon, Erick, OK and Steven Clay, Carnegie, OK. Alternates nominated were Art Kell, Chickasha, OK and Merlin Schantz, Hydro, OK. Nominees are sent to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture where one Delegate and one Alternate will be selected. The selected nominees will begin their 3-year term on January 1, 2026.
Oklahoma Peanut Growers Elected Oklahoma Peanut Commissioners for District 1
Weatherford, OK - Oklahoma peanut growers elected 2 commissioners to serve for District 1. Art Kell, Chickasha, OK and David Roland, Carnegie, OK were elected to serve 3 year terms on the Oklahoma Peanut Commission, their terms will begin on July 1, 2025
National Peanut Board Awards Over $450,000 in Food Allergy Research Grants
Program supports core areas of prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment.
November 5, 2025 – ATLANTA – The National Peanut Board has awarded more than $450,000 in grants to nine organizations to advance food allergy research and drive toward the eradication of peanut allergy.
The award recipients and projects are:
Allison Rose Foundation - Expansion of ARF's Education, Training and Awareness Programs, and Access to Epinephrine
Aston University (UK) - Further Development and Effectiveness of FACETS (Food Allergy Coping Empowerment Tools and Support)
Boston Children's Hospital - Role of Resistin-Like Molecule in Predicting Successful Peanut Introduction in Infants at High-Risk of Developing Peanut Allergy
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center - Evaluating Longitudinal Impact of Early Peanut Introduction Guidelines on IgE-Mediated PA via TriNetX
Elijah-Alavi Foundation - Different Like Me: Project-Based Learning Health Program
Emory University - Sharing Approaches to Food Allergy that Revolutionize Improvement (SAFARI): Building Capacity for the First Food Allergy Learning Health Network
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (AUS) - Preventing Food Allergy in Infants with Microbial Exposures: PRIME Trial
New York University Grossman School of Medicine - Pilot Trial of POIT (Peanut Oral Immunotherapy) in Children with Peanut FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome)
University of Chicago - S-Methylcitosine Profiles in Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Peanut Allergy
NPB President & CEO Ryan Lepicier said, “The National Peanut Board is proud to play a catalytic role in allergy research—often providing the seed funding that allows promising projects in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management to attract additional investment and create broader impact for families and patients.”
National Peanut Board Immediate Past Chairman Greg Baltz said, “Through this funding, peanut farmers are helping advance science that can improve quality of life for food allergy families, help prevent them and achieve the ultimate goal of a cure. It’s a powerful example of how grower dollars at work can make a lasting impact on the farm and beyond it.”
Additionally, the Emory University project receives the honor of the Dee Dee Darden Award. With bold determination, Virginia peanut farmer and early Board chairman Darden sought out groundbreaking allergy research for the Board to support—which led to today’s early introduction guidelines for peanut allergy prevention. Emory’s project has an inspiring vision: for every food allergy patient interaction to contribute to knowledge that benefits future patients, and for the best available evidence to be rapidly integrated into routine care and at scale. The highly rated proposal embodies the Darden spirit and showcases the potential of building bridges and increasing collaboration for maximum impact in food allergy.
The review panel included:
Theresa Bingemann, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine in the Divisions of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology and Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, University of Rochester
Greg Baltz, Immediate Past Chairman, National Peanut Board
Lucy Bilaver, PhD, Associate Professor at Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine
Julie Brown, MD, Associate Professor; Co-Director, Emergency Medicine Research, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Paul Bryce, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Kennedy College of Sciences, UMass Lowell
Joseph Dolence, Associate Professor of Biology at University of Nebraska at Kearney
Stacy Dorris, MD, Pediatric Allergist, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital
Mark Dvorak, Executive Vice President, Golin
Eleanor Garrow-Holding, President and CEO, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT)
Alice Hoyt, MD, Founder, Code ANA
Markita Lewis, RDN, Marketing and Communications Manager, National Peanut Board
Soheila Maleki, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Tulane School of Medicine
Lauren Highfill Williams, Director of Communications, National Peanut Board
The RFP process was managed by consultant Jen Jobrack of Food Allergy Pros.
Since 2001, the National Peanut Board has invested more than $38 million in food allergy outreach, education and research. NPB’s investment has contributed to landmark discoveries in peanut allergy prevention; the first FDA approvals of peanut allergy treatments; and best practices for allergy management in schools, foodservice and manufacturing. For more of the history of NPB’s support of food allergy solutions, check outFinding a Solution to Peanut Allergies: A 20-Year Journey of Courage, Innovation and Luck.
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About the National Peanut Board
The National Peanut Board represents USA peanut farmers and their families. Through research and marketing initiatives the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts. For more information about the Board, visit www.nationalpeanutboard.org.
Lauren Highfill Williams
Director of Communications
National Peanut Board
3350 Riverwood Pkwy, Suite 1150, Atlanta, GA 30339
o: (678) 424-5750
Important Press Releases
New Research Finds Dietary Intervention of Peanuts Improves
Brain Vascular Function and Memory
A study from the Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM) at Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands, has found that the consumption of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts can significantly improve brain vascular function and memory. The findings were published online November 1 in the international, peer-reviewed journal Clinical Nutrition.
The NUTRIM study of 31 healthy older adults ranging in age from 60-75 observed that consuming 60 grams (approximately two servings) of peanuts daily for 16 weeks increased global cerebral blood flow (CBF) by 3.6% and verbal memory by 5.8%. In addition to the brain improvements, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure decreased by 5 mmHg and 4 mmHg, respectively.
“CBF is an important physiological marker of brain vascular function and refers to the amount of blood that flows through the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients that are essential for maintaining brain health,” says Dr. Peter Joris, the study’s author and an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM, Maastricht University Medical Center. “We found that longer-term consumption of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts improved global CBF, which suggests an overall enhancement in brain vascular function.”
The peanut intervention also resulted in increased blood flow in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, both of which are important for memory and other cognitive functions.
The NUTRIM study is unique because it combined a well-controlled, longer-term dietary intervention with advanced brain imaging techniques, specifically arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to investigate the effects of daily peanut consumption on brain health. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).
“For the first time, we demonstrated that peanut intake improved brain vascular function in healthy older adults. These favorable effects may help explain the observed improvements in memory, providing novel mechanistic insight into how regular peanut consumption can beneficially affect cognitive function,” says Joris.
As people age, vascular brain function can become impaired, contributing to an elevated risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Dementia, unfortunately, is a worldwide health problem that’s increasing in prevalence. Alzheimer’s Disease International predicts that 78 million will be living with dementia by 2030 and by 2050 the number will reach 139 million.
“Peanuts are especially rich in plant-based protein and contain high concentrations of L-arginine, an amino acid important for vascular health. They are also a valuable source of unsaturated fats and polyphenols, both known to support vascular function,” says Joris. “For this study, skin-roasted peanuts were chosen because the peanut skin contains additional dietary fiber and natural plant compounds, specifically antioxidants. Together, these nutrients may help explain the beneficial health effects of skin-roasted peanuts observed in this study.”
NUTRIM Study Details
The study was a randomized, controlled crossover trial - one of the strongest designs in clinical research. Participants in the intervention group were given premeasured packets of skin-roasted peanuts and directed to consume the peanuts in the morning or afternoon. They were allowed to eat the daily amount all at once, spread it out over the day or add the peanuts to their meals. The control group did not consume peanuts. After 16 weeks, the groups switched conditions to further assess the effects of peanut consumption versus no peanuts on brain health.
The principal investigator of the study was Associate Professor Dr. Peter J. Joris. Test days were conducted by Ph.D. candidate Lucia Kerkhof, Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Center.
The NUTRIM study was supported by funding from The Peanut Institute Foundation.pe your paragraph here.