Dr France Bellisle, Nutri Psy Consult, France
Following her Bachelor Degree (McGill University, Montreal) and a Masters Degree (Concordia University, Montreal) in experimental psychology, France Bellisle worked at the College de France in Paris in the laboratory of Jacques Le Magnen. She obtained Doctorate Degrees from the University of Paris. From 1982 until 2010, in the context of French National Research Institutes (CNRS, INRA), she developed original research in the field of human ingestive behaviours. Her research interests cover all types of determinants of food and fluid intake in human consumers, including psychological, sensory and metabolic factors as well as environmental influences. She has published over 250 articles in peer reviewed journals and contributed chapters to several books. She is now an independent consultant for scientific projects in the field of human appetite.
Prof Judith Buttriss, British Nutrition Foundation, UK
Professor Buttriss became Director General of the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) in October 2007, having been BNF’s Science Director for almost 10 years. She has longstanding links with several universities and over 30 years of experience in providing targeted advice on nutrition and applying science to develop nutrition policy (including several UK government initiatives focusing on nutrient profiling in relation to children’s diets and healthy eating in general). She sits on a number of advisory committees considering nutrition and the food supply and has written numerous reviews, articles and book chapters on a wide range of diet and health topics, including topics as diverse as health claims, plant foods and health, child nutrition, healthy ageing, and sustainable diets.
Prof Kees de Graaf, Wageningen University, Netherlands
Kees (C) de Graaf is a Professor in Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour, Division Human Nutrition and Health, at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The objective of the Sensory Science and Eating Behavior group is to unravel the psychobiological mechanisms underlying eating behaviour. The mission of the group is “to make healthy choice the happy choice”. Wageningen University is responsible for the 2-year MSc program on Sensory Science, including technological, biological, psychological and sensometric approaches to sensory science. De Graaf is educated as a nutritionist. In 1988 he defended his Ph.D thesis on the perceived sweetness intensity of mixtures of sweeteners. He published about 260 papers, and his h-index is 53. His teaching focuses on the meaning of sensory signals for eating behaviour and the regulation of energy intake. His attention focuses on different groups (children, elderly, normal – overweight people), effects of properties of food on choice and intake with modern techniques of measurement (e.g. MRI). De Graaf is associate editor of Food Quality and Preference, and section editor of Physiology and Behavior.
Prof Adam Drewnowski, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
Prof. Dr. Adam Drewnowski is the Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition and of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. He obtained his MA degree in biochemistry at Balliol College, Oxford University and PhD degree in psychology at The Rockefeller University in New York. His Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF), a measure of nutrient density, helps to identify foods that are healthy, affordable, sustainable, and appealing. His work on nutrient profiling has helped food industry to reformulate product portfolios for better alignment with national and global guidelines. His research on food and beverage consumption patterns in relation to body weight and health outcomes has focused on food prices, diet disparities, and health equity issues. Prof. Drewnowski is the author of over 300 research publications. He advises governments, foundations, NGOs, and the private sector on geopolitical strategies related to diets and health.
Dr. Marc Fantino, CREABio Rhône-Alpes, France
Marc Fantino is a Medical Doctor (MD) and Doctor of biological sciences. Appointed as full professor of medicine at the Medical School / University-Hospital of Dijon-France (1982), he was the head of the Department of Human Physiology and Nutrition from 1987 to 2013. At the same time, he was Director of the Doctoral School of life sciences of the Universities of Burgundy and of Franche-Comté (1993 to 2001), expert at the French National Agency for Food Safety (1996-2006) and also Chairman of the National Nutrition and Health Program logo award committee (2004-2011). Being an honorary Professor of the Burgundy University since 2013, he co-founded and now manages a clinical research organization, CREABio Rhône-Alpes®, accredited by health authorities to conduct human studies. In this center, basic and applied research is implemented in the field of the sensorial and metabolic processes which regulate feeding behaviours and fat mass in humans. For these works, different behavioural, neurophysiologic or pharmacological approaches and models are developed.
Prof Alison Gallagher, Ulster University, UK
Alison Gallagher is Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Ulster University where she contributes to the research conducted within the Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE). Her research interests resonate within the area of obesity and include low calorie sweeteners and their potential impact on health, development of risk factors for disease and lifestyle interventions at key stages across the lifecycle particularly to enhance physical activity and health. A Registered Nutritionist (Public Health), she was the first Fellow of the Association for Nutrition (FAfN) on the island of Ireland. An active member of the Nutrition Society, she currently co-Chairs the Science Committee for the next FENS European Nutrition Conference. She is a passionate advocate for the European Nutrition Leadership Platform (ENLP), having participated in the ENLP seminar in 1997 and being involved with this international leadership programme ever since, now as Chair/President of the ENLP Board (www.enlp.eu.com).
Mr Stefan Gates, UK
Stefan Gates is a hugely popular writer and TV presenter with a vast breadth of knowledge and a confident, sparky presenting style. He’s renowned for his love of quirky culinary quests and extraordinary food adventures. Stefan Gates has written and presented 18 TV series including food science series Harvest (BBC2), Food Factory (BBC1) and E Numbers: An Edible Adventure (BBC2), and three series of Cooking in the Danger Zone (BBC2) about global hunger and the politics of food. His programmes are shown in over 50 countries around the world. He also makes the acclaimed kids’ series Incredible Edibles and Gastronuts (CBBC). He appears as a guest on dozens of others from Newsnight to Blue Peter. He has recently finished two BBC4 documentaries: Can Eating Insects Save the World? and Calves Heads and Coffee: the Golden Age of English Food. He has won several awards for his TV series and books. Stefan gives numerous talks at Science Festivals, and has been guest director of Cheltenham Science Festival. He has written eight books, performed more than 1000 live shows and is in production on a new Channel 5’s series. His latest book, Insects: An Edible Field Guide, published in June 2017, explores the origins of insect eating, tips on finding edible bugs as well as providing some ideas for how to eat them once tracked down!
Dr Séverine Goscinny, Sciensano, Belgium (former Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP), Belgium)
Séverine Goscinny specialized in Food sciences and technology at The Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) after graduating in agricultural engineering from the Free University of Brussels (ULB). A keen interest in analytical chemistry has driven her career towards research and method development in the field of contaminants (biogenic amines, dioxins, PCBs and HBCD, degradation products), pesticides, and food additives. Most of her activities at Sciensano are focused on dietary exposure assessments to support regulatory guidelines.
Dr Charlotte Hardman, University of Liverpool, UK
Dr Charlotte Hardman is a lecturer in Psychology at the University of Liverpool. She is interested in psychological determinants of appetite and eating behaviour and the application of this knowledge to interventions for health behaviour change. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Leeds and her PhD research at Bangor University. Her research portfolio encompasses experimental studies on basic mechanisms of appetite control through to interventions to increase healthy dietary behaviours in children. In current work, she is examining the effects of low-calorie sweetened beverages on appetite in a large randomized controlled trial for weight management (the SWITCH study). In the recently-awarded SWEET project grant (European Commission Horizon 2020) she will be working with 28 partners from across Europe to investigate the consequences of sugar replacement in foods and beverages. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and co-ordinates the North West Network for the Association for the Study of Obesity.
Prof Carlo La Vecchia, University of Milan, Italy
Dr. La Vecchia received his medical degree from the University of Milan and a master of science degree in Medicine (epidemiology) from Oxford University. Presently, he is Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Milan. Dr. La Vecchia serves as an editor for numerous clinical and epidemiologic journals. He is among the most renowned and productive epidemiologists in the field with over 2050 peer-reviewed papers in the literature and is among the most highly cited medical researchers in the world, according to ISI HighlyCited.com, the developer and publisher of the Science Citation Index (2003, 2017, H index 154, H10 index 1571, second Italian in Clinical Medicine). Dr. La Vecchia is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt Medical Centre and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Centre (2002-18).
Dr Hugo Laviada Molina, Marist University of Mérida, Mexico
Dr Hugo Laviada Molina is a clinical endocrinologist who obtained his medical degree from the University of Yucatan, in Merida, Mexico, and graduated from the postgraduate unit of the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He received a master’s degree in Medical Sciences (in endocrinology) from the University of Sheffield, UK. He is also a graduate in clinical nutrition and obesity at the Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey, (Campus Guadalajara), in Mexico. Currently, he is a professor-researcher in Metabolism and Human Nutrition at the Marist University of Mérida, Mexico. He belongs to the national system of researchers of the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACyT). He is titular member of the Mexican Society of Nutrition and Endocrinology and of the Latin American Diabetes Society being coordinator of their position papers on low calorie sweeteners.
Dr Rebeca López-García, Logre International Food Science Consulting, Mexico
Dr Rebeca López-García has been an independent consultant in the areas of food safety, toxicology, regulations and crisis management for almost 20 years. She has worked with organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); universities such as the University of Arizona, Michigan State University, New Mexico State University and Universidad La Salle; and companies around the world. Rebeca is a guest lecturer on Latin American Food Regulations for Michigan State University since 2002. Dr. López-García belongs to the scientific advisory board of food and beverage companies. She has been instrumental in the regulatory approval of several food additives and novel ingredients in Latin American countries. In 1998, she received a Ph.D. in Food Science and Toxicology from Louisiana State University.
Dr Berna Magnuson, Health Science Consultants Inc., Mississauga, ON Canada
Berna Magnuson is Vice President of Health Science Consultants, Inc. in Mississauga, Canada. Dr. Magnuson obtained a BSc (Honors) in Foods and Nutrition and worked in the food industry in quality assurance and product development. She then completed a MSc in Toxicology, a PhD in Nutritional Sciences, and postdoctoral research in pathology and biochemistry of colon cancer in Canada. Dr. Magnuson was a university professor for over 15 years in the US, conducting research in diet and colon cancer, and teaching food, nutrition and toxicology courses. Dr. Magnuson now works as a consultant providing expertise in food regulations, nutrition and toxicology to food, beverage, and dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient industries, as well as health professional and consumer associations. Dr. Magnuson has extensive expertise in ingredient safety, including low calorie sweeteners, and serves as an expert advisor and speaker globally. In additional to confidential client reports and regulatory submissions, she has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and professional articles. Dr. Magnuson is also a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (ATS).
Dr Duane Mellor, Coventry University, UK
Duane has worked clinically as a dietitian, mainly in diabetes management and education and then as a researcher in clinical trials. However, reflecting back on the first 2 decades of his career he has begun to question a number of aspects of nutrition and dietetic practice. He is now interested in looking at evidence in nutrition, both in terms of causality and quality along with how this is communicated to the public by the media. Looking to challenge thinking in this area, to consider aspects of benefit and the risks of harm, ultimately looking at how the public can be best supported to eat food they enjoy that also supports good health.
Prof Peter Rogers, University of Bristol, UK
Peter Rogers is Professor of Biological Psychology at the University of Bristol, UK. He trained in biological sciences and experimental psychology at the University of Sussex UK. He completed his PhD and postdoctoral work at the University of Leeds UK, moving to the Institute of Food Research, Reading UK in 1990. He moved to the University of Bristol UK in 1999, where he teaches biological psychology and does research on nutrition and behavior: which includes work on human appetite and weight control, low-calorie-sweeteners, food choice, dietary effects on mood and cognitive function, and the psychopharmacology of caffeine. He is a Chartered Psychologist, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a Registered Nutritionist. His publications include over 200 peer-review journal papers.
Prof Ian Rowland, University of Reading, UK
Ian graduated with a BSc (Hons, First Class) and PhD in microbiology from University College London. Prior to joining the University of Reading in 2007 as the Hugh Sinclair Professor of Human Nutrition, he was head of nutrition at the University of Ulster and Director of the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health. Currently, he is Editor in Chief of the European Journal of Nutrition. His main research area is the interaction of diet, gut microbiota and health with a particular focus on the metabolism of phytochemicals and impact on health. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Gent in Belgium for his work on nutrition and cancer. He has published over 400 papers and is on the Thompson-Reuters List of Most Highly Cited Researchers 2016.
Prof Wendy Russell, University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute, Scotland, UK
Wendy is a chemist specialised in molecular nutrition researching the complex interplay between diet and health. Her research aims to establish the effect of our diet on several population groups and through dietary interventions, to understand the role of food in preventing disorders such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Wendy has funding from the Scottish Government to investigate the potential of novel crops, particularly in protein provision for the future and the exploitation of underutilised plant species to improve nutrition and agrobiodiversity. As well as researching new opportunities for the UK Food and Drink industry, Global Challenges funding is allowing translation of this work to benefit small-scale rural farmers and co-operatives in sub-Saharan Africa. Wendy is an associate editor for Microbiome and chairs International Life Science Institute expert groups on ‘nutritional management of postprandial glycaemia’ and ‘efficacy of intervention in those with metabolic syndrome’.
Dr John Sievenpiper, University of Toronto, Canada
Dr. Sievenpiper is a Clinician Scientist, who holds appointments as an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Lifestyle Medicine Lead in the MD Program at the University of Toronto. He also holds appointments as a Staff Physician in the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism and Scientist in the La Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital. Dr. Sievenpiper completed his MSc, PhD and Postdoctoral Fellowship training in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. He completed his MD at St. Matthew’s University followed by Residency training in Medical Biochemistry at McMaster University leading to his certification as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC). His research is focused on using randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews and meta-analyses to address questions of clinical and public health importance in relation to diet and chronic disease prevention. He currently holds a Diabetes Canada Clinician Scientist Award and Banting & Best Diabetes Centre Sun Life Financial New Investigator Award. He has authored more than 150 scientific papers and 13 book chapters. Dr. Sievenpiper is directly involved in knowledge translation with appointments to the nutrition guidelines’ committees of Diabetes Canada, European Association for the study of Diabetes (EASD), Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), and the Canadian Obesity Network.
