The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, is pleased to announce that Douglas “Duffy” MacKay, N.D., has been promoted to senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, effective immediately. This promotion recognizes the outstanding contributions Dr. MacKay has made to CRN in the science and regulatory areas since he joined the association in September 2008. 

“Dr. MacKay is a strong and influential voice for the science behind dietary supplements, speaking regularly at scientific symposiums and industry conferences, and sought out consistently by consumer and trade press for thoughtful perspectives on research,” CRN’s president and CEO, Steve Mister said. “In addition, his leadership has been instrumental in driving CRN’s science initiatives, which include contributions to the peer-reviewed literature and encouraging scientific and nutrition thought leaders to differentiate between evidence-based nutrition and evidence-based medicine as research paradigms. In leading CRN’s regulatory program, Dr. MacKay has helped shape CRN’s policy positions while robustly and articulately promoting those views to government agencies.”

Dr. MacKay oversees CRN’s science and regulatory affairs department, ensuring that the association’s scientific, policy and legislative positions are based on credible scientific rationale.

His expertise combines practical knowledge of industry regulation and scientific product development with hands-on experience as a medical practitioner. Dr. MacKay is a licensed naturopathic doctor who still sees patients on a part-time basis in an integrative medical practice, and previously spent seven years as a co-owner and practitioner in a family-owned New Hampshire complementary and alternative medicine private practice.

Dr. MacKay has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and serves on the editorial board of three peer-reviewed publications: Alternative Medicine Review, Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal and Natural Medicine Journal. In addition he serves on the Advisory Board for the American Botanical Council and on the NSF International Joint Committee on Dietary Supplements. He is also Chair of the Steering Committee for the SIDI Work Group. 

Prior to joining CRN, Dr. MacKay worked for two dietary supplement companies as their medical consultant. Dr. MacKay earned his B.S. in Marine Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his N.D. from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Ore.