Danika Hoffman, who has spent the past three years as a clinical dietitian at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is in her first year as the Head Sports Dietitian for the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania in 2025-26.
“Over the past several years, we have invested in the nutrition of our student-athletes by creating a full-time sports dietitian position and opening our fueling station, the T House powered by Quaker Fuel,” Alanna Wren, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation said. “The hiring of Danika as the Head Sports Dietitian is the next step in this investment. Her experience at CHOP as well as her time in athletics at our University City neighbor, Drexel, will serve her well as she helps our student-athletes optimize performance through nutrition as we aim to elevate our competitive success in 2025-26 and beyond.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the Penn Sports Performance team and contributing the mission of holistic student athlete development,” Hoffman said. “I look forward to supporting Penn's student athletes with evidence-based, approachable nutrition strategies to enhance both performance and overall well-being.”
While at CHOP, Hoffman completed clinical nutrition assessments, interventions, and monitoring for adolescents and young adults, including athletes. She developed and implemented comprehensive treatment plans in collaboration with physicians, advanced practice practitioners, psychologists, nurses, social workers and other team members.
In addition, Hoffman has worked as an eating disorder registered dietitian at the Mainline Center for Eating Disorders where she has presented to local high school athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and administrators on sports nutrition fundamentals, preventing under fueling, and thought frameworks. She has also provided 1:1 nutrition counseling to adolescents, young adults, and their families facing eating disorders, disordered eating, and Relative Energy Deficiency of Sport.
The Harrisburg, Pa. native began her career as graduate student intern at the Drexel University Center for Nutrition and Performance. While there, she coordinated operations of a fueling station serving 18 Division I athletic teams including procurement, staffing, and marketing. Hoffman also was an intern for US Rowing.
She received her Bachelor of Science from Penn State in 2016 in Health Policy and Administration and a Master of Science from Drexel in 2022 in Nutrition and Dietetics.
