Yoon Ji-hyun is a Professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition at Seoul National University's College of Human Ecology. Her work focuses on food service management, nutrition policy, and dietary behavior analysis, with a particular emphasis on multicultural dietary practices and sustainable development in food systems. Education: Bachelor's in Food and Nutrition (SNU), BBA (SNU), MS in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (Iowa State University), PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management (Purdue University). Leadership Roles: Associate Dean (2019-2021), Director of Ho-Am Faculty House (2010-2012), and multiple directorships in nutrition policy centers. Her research integrates public health and consumer behavior, analyzing topics like pandemic-induced dietary changes, school lunch standards, and food safety anxiety. She has led projects on non-face-to-face food safety management, food education policies, and sodium-reduced environments, funded by South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Ministry of Education, and others. Professor Yoon's work also addresses urban dietary trends, including single-person households' kitchen needs and workers' meal patterns, using data from national health surveys and time-use studies. She has contributed to regional and inter-Korean comparative studies on nutritional disparities and dietary guidelines. She teaches courses on foodservice management, consumer market analysis, and graduate-level research methodologies, while serving as Vice President in several academic societies, including the Korean Society of Dietary Culture and Korean Cancer Association.
Dr. Ezgi Cengiz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her research integrates industrial organization, applied microeconomics, econometrics, and health economics to examine policy-relevant questions in food and beverage markets. She holds a PhD in Resource Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2022) and an MSc from the same institution (2018), complemented by a BA in Economics from Istanbul University (2011). Research focuses on market responses to health policies, including advertising impacts, sweetened beverage taxes, and voluntary industry agreements for healthier products. She employs large-scale scanner data to analyze nutrient consumption patterns, product reformulation trends, and weather-related dietary variations. Recent work (2022-2024) demonstrates strong methodological focus on causal inference using barcode-level sales data to evaluate sodium/sugar reduction initiatives and tax policy effectiveness.
Jacqui Webster is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), leading the WHO Collaborating Centre on Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development. She serves as the Secretariat for the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA) and continues collaborating with The George Institute for Global Health on salt reduction research. Key Grants: NHMRC Investigator Grant (Leadership 2), NHMRC IDEAS Grant, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases grants Collaborations: Fiji National University, Deakin University, University of Sydney, UNSW, Northwestern University Her research focuses on reducing cardio-metabolic diseases through food/water security programs and salt reduction policies. Recent articles analyze potassium-enriched salt adoption barriers, global water sodium standards, ultra-processed food impacts in Fiji, and pandemic-related dietary shifts in Australia. She authored the public health-themed book Two Bugs on Bikes (Hembury Books 2025) based on her cycling journey across Europe and Africa. At UTS, she mentors early-career researchers and supports strategic operations for the WHO Collaborating Centre.
Brenda M. Davy is a Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech. Her work focuses on obesity prevention, dietary intake assessment, and the role of beverages in health. She holds a PhD in Human Nutrition from Colorado State University (2001), an MS in Exercise Physiology (Virginia Tech, 1992), and a BS in Human Nutrition (Virginia Tech, 1989). Her research investigates diet, physical activity, and beverage consumption's impact on cardiovascular health, type 2 diabetes risk, and cognitive function. Notable projects include studies on ultra-processed foods' effects and hydration's role in metabolism. Dr. Davy has received prestigious awards, including Fellowships from The Obesity Society (2013) and the American College of Sports Medicine (2007), and the Excellence in Outcomes Research Award (2019). Her work bridges clinical practice and population health, with a focus on translating research into actionable public health strategies. Education: PhD, Human Nutrition (Colorado State University 2001) Experience: Over 30 years in academia and clinical nutrition roles, including leadership in clinical trials and research coordination. Key Research: Behavioral interventions, dietary biomarkers, and longitudinal studies on food intake. Her recent studies emphasize ultra-processed foods' metabolic consequences and hydration's cognitive benefits in aging populations. Collaborative projects include validating dietary assessment tools and exploring exercise timing's effects on cardiometabolic outcomes.
Anna H. Grummon is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) and Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine. She serves as Director of the Stanford Food Policy Lab , conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of nutrition science, public health, and environmental sustainability. PhD & MSPH in Health Behavior, UNC Gillings School (2019) BA with Honors in Human Biology, Stanford (2011) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2019) Her research focuses on evaluating policy interventions to improve dietary quality through: Experimental studies of food labeling (e.g., nutrient warnings, ecolabels) Beverage taxation and food assistance programs Environmentally sustainable diets using simulation modeling Health communication effectiveness across diverse populations Recent publications in Nature Food and JAMA Network Open demonstrate: 35% reduction in dietary carbon footprint through simple substitutions Graphic labels increase attention to nutrition warnings (Appetite 2024) Weight-neutral labels reduce stigma while maintaining effectiveness Major recognitions include: 2024 Clinical Science Research Award (Stanford Pediatrics) 2023 Jules Hirsch Research Innovation Award (The Obesity Society) 2020 UNC Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award Dr. Grummon's work has been funded by: National Institutes of Health Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New York City Department of Health and featured in New York Times , Washington Post , and NPR coverage.
Karl-Heinz Wagner is Full Professor of Nutrition and Food Quality at the University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Nutritional Sciences. He directs an experimental research group investigating how lifestyle factors—diet, specific food components, phytochemicals, physical activity and bioactive non-food compounds—modulate oxidative stress and DNA stability in humans, with emphasis on aging and sarcopenia. He initiated the university-wide “Active Ageing” research platform and coordinates EU projects such as SHIFT2HEALTH. Education & Affiliations: University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Nutritional Sciences – Professor and Chair of Nutrition and Food Quality Principal investigator of the Emerging Field “Oxidative Stress and DNA Stability” Head of the “Active Ageing” research platform activeageing.univie.ac.at Research Focus: Prof. Wagner’s group applies state-of-the-art biochemical and molecular techniques to quantify antioxidant compounds, ROS-induced DNA and chromosomal damage, DNA repair capacity and transcriptional regulation of antioxidant defenses. Human intervention trials, cross-sectional cohorts and in-vitro models are used to examine: Impact of plant-based vs. animal-based diets on multimorbidity risk Nitrate-rich beetroot juice effects on microbiome, vascular function and oxidative stress Bilirubin biology and metabolic health in Gilbert’s syndrome High-protein nutrition and resistance training on DNA damage and muscle quality in older adults Microbiota-derived metabolites that enhance CD8 T-cell antitumor immunity after exercise Publication Trends 2023-2025: Recent output demonstrates a strategic shift toward multi-omics integration (metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics) to dissect diet–microbiome–immune crosstalk and to identify predictive biomarkers of healthy ageing. Papers consistently appear in top-tier journals (Cell, Lancet Healthy Longev, Redox Biol, Mol Nutr Food Res) and embrace large multinational cohorts, randomized controlled trials and mechanistic animal/cellular work. Funding & Networks: Research is mainly funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), National Bank, European Commission (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), EU Cross-Border Co-operation and the University of Vienna. A dense national and international partner network ensures continuous biomarker development and knowledge transfer. Student Training & Citizen Science: Prof. Wagner actively involves MSc/PhD students and post-docs in externally funded projects and advertises internships via ERASMUS+. Study participant recruitment portals for projects like SHIFT2HEALTH, NUTRIAGING and bilirubin clinical studies are maintained to engage the public and foster translational impact.
Anna Weinberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University. Her research focuses on identifying biological pathways underlying disordered emotional experiences, particularly in mood and anxiety disorders. She employs neurophysiological methods like event-related potentials (ERPs) to study neural systems involved in processing errors, emotional stimuli, and rewards, linking these to behavioral outcomes. Key interests include distinguishing neural markers between anxiety and mood disorders, and determining whether these biological correlates represent vulnerability factors or symptoms. Her work has examined the impact of childhood maltreatment, social stress, and the intergenerational transmission of depression risk. She leads the TRAC Lab and collaborates on large-scale projects like the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Education details are not explicitly listed in the provided text, but her academic career includes extensive postdoctoral and faculty roles in clinical and developmental neuroscience. Her research has been published in high-impact journals such as Biological Psychiatry , Clinical Psychological Science , and Psychophysiology . Research interests emphasize translational neurophysiology, with a focus on developmental trajectories of neural systems and their modulation by stress, trauma, and social environments. Recent studies investigate how neural responses to rewards and errors predict symptom progression during stressful events like the pandemic. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the text. Her advising and grants involve collaborations on ERP methodologies, risk markers for depression, and adolescent neurodevelopment. She directs the TRAC Lab, which focuses on translational research in affective neuroscience.
Associate Professor Toby Pavey holds a position in the School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), within the Faculty of Health. His academic background includes a PhD in Sport and Health Sciences from the University of Exeter. He has held roles such as Research Fellow at The University of Queensland and Associate Research Fellow in Health Technology Assessment at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on physical activity, sedentary behavior, chronic disease prevention, and epidemiology, with expertise in systematic reviews and intervention design. Teaching includes units like Evidence-Based Practice in Exercise Science and Physical Activity and Health. His research projects include the League-FIT program targeting men’s health via rugby clubs, funded by an Australian Competitive Grant. Professional memberships span organizations like the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) and editorial roles at BMC Public Health. Key contributions include studies on physical activity guidelines, shift work health impacts, and dietary interventions. His work emphasizes translational research to address public health challenges through behavioral and environmental interventions.
Professor Gunter Kuhnle is a leading academic at the University of Reading, specializing in nutritional epidemiology and dietary assessment. He holds roles including Module Convenor for 'Nutritional Epidemiology and Dietary Assessment,' Undergraduate Research Project Coordinator, and Director of the Chemical Analysis Facility (CAF). He is affiliated with the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, a research center focusing on human nutrition science. Education: Diplom Biochemiker (University of Leipzig), Doctor Rerum Naturalium (University of Leipzig), Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) His research interests are centered on three key areas: developing objective measures of dietary intake and exposure to food bioactives, polyphenol metabolism and health outcomes, and investigating the association between red/processed meat consumption and cancer risk. He advocates for biomarker-based research to address biases in dietary studies. Recent work includes studies on dietary flavanols' cognitive benefits in older adults, nitrate's impact on cardiovascular health, and the role of genetic factors in lipid metabolism. His publications address methodological challenges in nutrition research and emphasize evidence-based guidelines for dietary bioactives. Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Professor Kuhnle's contributions extend to interdisciplinary collaborations, including the PHYTOME project to reduce dietary nitrosamine exposure through natural compounds. His work bridges basic science, clinical applications, and public health policy.
Rui Chang is an Associate Professor at Yale University School of Medicine , jointly appointed in the Department of Neuroscience and Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology . His research focuses on organ-to-brain circuits and neurocardiology with specific interest in Parkinson's disease . He completed his B.S. in Biological Sciences at Tsinghua University (2005) Ph.D. in Neuroscience at University of Southern California (2011) Postdoctoral training in the lab of Stephen Liberles at Harvard Medical School (2017) Research Highlights: The Chang lab employs single-cell gene expression profiling , virus-based anatomical mapping , and optogenetics to investigate vagal interoceptive systems and their roles in cardiovascular regulation and gut-brain axis dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Their work has revealed a multidimensional coding architecture for visceral sensory signals. Notable Scientific Awards: McKnight Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award (2021) NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (2019) Kavli Faculty Innovative Research Award (2019) NIH K01 Mentored Research Scientist Award (2017) Keystone Symposia Future of Science Scholarship (2016) Collaborative Network: Chang collaborates with experts in neurodegeneration (David A. Hafler, MD), biostatistics (Hongyu Zhao, PhD), and neural imaging (Le Zhang, PhD). His work intersects with the Stephen & Denise Adams Center for Parkinson’s Disease Research and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience .
Dr. Robin Tucker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Since 2016 she has led an interdisciplinary research program that explores how insufficient or poor-quality sleep influences nutrition-related health outcomes, sensory perception, and eating behaviors. She teaches courses such as Medical Nutrition Therapy I and Advanced Clinical Nutrition and co-directs community outreach initiatives including the SLeep Education for Everyone Program (SLEEP) with MSU Extension. Education PhD, Nutrition Science (concentration: Ingestive Behavior), Purdue University (2014) MS, Nutritional Science, California State University, Los Angeles (2005) BA, Political Science, Creighton University Research Focus Dr. Tucker’s work sits at the intersection of sleep science, sensory physiology, and behavioral nutrition. Her primary research agenda investigates: How chronic short sleep or poor sleep quality alters taste perception (sweet, salt) and subsequent dietary choices. The mediating role of sleep in the relationship between stress, financial hardship, and diet quality among college students. Development and testing of scalable, behavior-based sleep education interventions for diverse populations ranging from university students to older adults. Methodologically, her team combines controlled laboratory studies of taste function, large-scale multinational surveys, community-based intervention trials, and systematic reviews. Publications at a Glance Over the past five years Dr. Tucker has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her recent work clusters into three thematic areas: (1) systematic reviews and meta-analyses linking taste function, dietary intake, and chronic disease; (2) multi-country studies examining sleep–diet interactions among higher-education students during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) translational intervention research evaluating the efficacy of sleep education programs for older adults. These studies consistently highlight how even modest sleep curtailment can modulate chemosensory function, appetite regulation, and ultimately dietary risk. Honors & Awards 2022 – Senior-authored paper featured in Wiley’s Research Headlines 2020 – Teacher-Scholar Award, MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition 2020 – Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year nominee, Michigan State University 2020 – You Belong Here Champion nominee, MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 2020 – Outstanding Dietetic Educator nominee, Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2018 – Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (FAND) Advising & Community Outreach Dr. Tucker mentors a vibrant team of graduate and undergraduate researchers, many of whom appear as co-authors on her publications. She collaborates with MSU Extension to deliver the evidence-based SLEEP program to community groups, and her lab regularly engages campus and public stakeholders through workshops, webinars, and continuing-education events for dietitians. Facilities & Collaborations Her research leverages the MSU Sensory Evaluation Center , Experimental Foods Laboratory , and institutional partnerships with the Center for Research on Ingredient Safety and the Institute for Integrative Toxicology , enabling cutting-edge studies on taste physiology, dietary assessment, and community intervention delivery.
Alex Banks is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), with a focus on metabolic disorders. As Director of the Energy Balance core facility at BIDMC, he employs indirect calorimetry to study energy expenditure, food intake, and thermogenesis in mice. His research bridges genetic, pharmacological, and environmental factors to enhance understanding of obesity and metabolic diseases, while developing open-source tools like CalR to standardize metabolic analysis for the broader scientific community. Role: Assistant Professor Affiliation: Harvard Medical School, BIDMC Facility: Energy Balance Core Director Research Interests: The Banks Lab investigates mechanisms of obesity and metabolic disorders, emphasizing energy balance regulation through: Indirect calorimetry and metabolic rate analysis Genetic and pharmacological modulation of PPARγ Gut microbiome interactions with host metabolism Neural circuits controlling thermogenesis and food-seeking behavior Development of computational tools (CalR) for metabolic data Scientific Trends: Recent work spans obesity-linked phosphorylation of PPARγ, thermogenesis regulation via thyroid hormone, microbiome-dependent metabolic control, and novel methods for calorimetry. Collaborative projects address translational applications in bariatric surgery and metabolic drug development. Collaborations: The lab serves as a hub for Harvard/Boston-area researchers and provides freely accessible analytical tools to maximize utility of animal and human studies in combating obesity.
Dr. Jared G. Carlberg is a Professor in the Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics at the University of Manitoba , with an adjunct appointment in the Department of Economics. He focuses on applied agricultural economics research and teaching in food systems analysis. PhD in Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University MSc in Agricultural Economics, University of Saskatchewan BA (Honors) in Economics, University of Saskatchewan B Commerce in Finance, University of Saskatchewan His research spans agricultural marketing (cattle/beef sectors, grain/pulses/oilseeds), nutrition economics (healthcare costs of food-related chronic diseases), and sustainable agrifood systems (conservation easements, pea coproducts, durum wheat supply response). Key projects examine beef quality grade pricing, grain supply dynamics, and health-economic policy linkages. Dr. Carlberg’s 15 most recent publications demonstrate interdisciplinary expertise bridging agricultural markets, food policy, and health economics. Recurring themes include value chain optimization, sustainable practices, policy frameworks, and quantitative analysis of food-health linkages. Professor of the Year Award, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Student Organization Outstanding Teacher in Agricultural and Food Sciences (twice awarded) He has advised 13 graduate students since 2001, covering topics from flax/corn/oat supply responses to growth-enhancing technologies in cattle feeding. His teaching portfolio includes econometrics (ABIZ 3080) and agricultural marketing research (ABIZ 7240).
Jonathan Britt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University, affiliated with the Faculty of Science. He leads the Britt Lab, focusing on neural circuitry underlying motivated behaviors, particularly in the context of addiction and neuropsychiatric disorders. His work combines optogenetics, electrophysiology, and behavioral tasks to study the basal ganglia's role in reinforcement learning and compulsive behavior. Research interests include the neural mechanisms of drug addiction, Tourette’s Syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, with a focus on dopamine pathways and synaptic modifications. Key methodologies involve all-optical approaches and optogenetic interrogation of neural circuits. His recent studies highlight topics like alcohol palatability, serotonergic regulation of attention, and LSD’s effects on social behavior. Articles often explore the nucleus accumbens and hippocampal interactions in reward processing. No scientific awards are explicitly listed, though his contributions to addiction neuroscience are notable. He advises no listed students and has no mentioned grants in the provided text. The Britt Lab serves as a central hub for his research activities.
Matt Vijayan is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary, holding the NSERC Canada Research Chair (CRC I) in Environmental Physiology and Toxicology, and serving as Associate Head (Research). His research focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance, particularly corticosteroid regulation and environmental toxicant impacts on fish physiology. Education: B.F.Sc. (Fisheries Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, 1982), M.F.Sc. (Fish Production, University of Agricultural Sciences, India, 1984), Ph.D. (Animal Physiology, University of Guelph, 1990), and postdoctoral studies at the University of Ottawa (1993). Research interests include stress signaling pathways, endocrine disruption by contaminants, and developmental programming. Current projects explore maternal stress effects, exosome-mediated intercellular communication, and long-term impacts of pollutants like bisphenol A and venlafaxine on fish growth and behavior. His work employs genomic/proteomic approaches, CRISPR-Cas9 knockout models in zebrafish, and field studies with Alberta native fish species. He teaches courses on energy flow in biological systems and animal physiology. Key contributions include identifying non-genomic cortisol signaling mechanisms, characterizing stress axis gene knockouts, and developing behavioral biosensors for environmental contaminants.
