FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENTS

December 3, 2025

#15 - Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson: Measuring What Matters

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In this episode of Favorable Environments, Tung Nguyen speaks with Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson, Director of Research at OmegaQuant Analytics, about how a science-first company in Sioux Falls became a global leader in fatty acid testing. Kristina shares the story of OmegaQuant’s founding, the research legacy of Dr. Bill Harris, and how the company grew from an academic idea into one of the most trusted diagnostic tools in the world. With more than a million Omega-3 Index tests performed, partnerships with universities and clinics across more than seventy countries, and a CLIA-certified laboratory headquartered in South Dakota, OmegaQuant has brought evidence-based nutritional analytics into everyday life in a way few companies have achieved.

The conversation explores why fatty acid testing matters, what the Omega-3 Index can reveal about long-term health, and how a simple dried blood spot sample opened the door to global adoption. Kristina reflects on the early days of building a diagnostics business, the challenge of translating complex research into accessible products, and the questions customers ask when they want to understand whether their lifestyle choices are making a real impact. Kristina talks about affordability, accuracy, and the emotional dimension of helping people understand their own physiology through personalized data rather than guesswork.

Later in the episode, producer Ngoc Thach reflects on how she first met Kristina through her TEDx Sioux Falls presentation, a moment that highlighted Kristina’s ability to bridge scientific rigor with clear, human storytelling. Kristina shares what it means to communicate science to audiences encountering this information for the first time, and why public understanding is now central to advancing nutrition and health research.

This episode offers a close look at how a South Dakota company is shaping the future of personalized nutrition and why the region’s growing bioscience ecosystem continues to create favorable environments for science translation and global impact.

To learn more about OmegaQuant, visit omegaquant.com and explore their educational resources, including OmegaQuant University and the OmegaMatters Broadcasts.

To stay connected with the USD Discovery District, follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/usd-discovery-district and discover opportunities at usddiscovery.com, including leasing at Building 1 for research, diagnostics, and advanced manufacturing.

Favorable Environments is presented by the USD Discovery District and supported by South Dakota First Capital, working to expand access to capital for companies building the future of bioscience in the region.

 

About this Guest

Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson

Kristina Harris Jackson, PhD, is the Director of Research and Education for OmegaQuant Analytics in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.

Dr. Jackson earned her PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Pennsylvania State University in 2013 and completed her training as a Registered Dietitian in 2014. During her graduate studies, she conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, a globally recognized authority in fats and nutrition. Following this, she pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado-Denver under Dr. John Peters, focusing on worksite wellness initiatives, before returning to her expertise in omega-3 fatty acids.

In 2014, Dr. Jackson joined OmegaQuant Analytics as a Research Associate, with a primary emphasis on omega-3s in maternal health. Her contributions were instrumental in developing the Prenatal DHA test and the Mother’s Milk DHA test. By 2020, she had advanced to her current academic position at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.

Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Jackson is the co-founder of Midtown Coffee Radio Hour, a live radio program produced and performed by local artists in Sioux Falls. She resides in Sioux Falls with her husband, two children, one elderly dog, and four grandparents.

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#15 – Dr. Kristina Harris Jackson: Measuring What Matters

Kristina Harris Jackson is the Director of Research and Education for OmegaQuant Analytics in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.
Kristina received her PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Pennsylvania State University in 2013 and completed her training to become a Registered Dietitian in 2014. As a graduate student, she studied under Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, an internationally-recognized expert in fats and nutrition. She worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado-Denver under Dr. John Peters in the area of worksite wellness before returning to the omega-3 field. Kristina joined the family business, OmegaQuant Analytics, as a Research Associate in 2014, with a particular focus on omega-3s in maternal health, helping create the Prenatal DHA test and the Mother’s Milk DHA test. In 2020, she became Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.
Kristina is also the co-founder of Midtown Coffee Radio Hour, a live radio show produced and performed by local artists in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, two kids, one old dog, and four grandparents.

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