Nutrition 2025

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Balasubramani S Paranthaman

Albany State University, United States

Biography:

Balasubramani S Paranthaman is an Assistant Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences at Albany State University, USA. His research focus is in nutraceuticals and functional foods for metabolic homeostasis and healthy aging. He has experience in in vitro testing of biological products using small organisms, cell lines and biochemical assays. Earlier, he also had worked on herbal immunostimulants for maintenance of fish health. His research involves trans-disciplinary research approaches by integrating multiple disciplines to generate new knowledge. He has extensive expertise in molecular diagnostics and has trained several students across different countries in this field. He is interested in harnessing the potential of traditional knowledge and natural resources for combating AMR and alternatives to antibiotics. His current interest is in identifying endophytic organisms in fruits and vegetables with ability to improve gut health and limit survival of pathogenic organisms.

Renee J Dufault

Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, United States

Biography:

Dr. Dufault completed her PhD at A.T. Still University. She retired early from her position as a US Public Health Service officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to publish her findings of mercury in high fructose corn syrup. As an FDA whistleblower, she could not find employment as a researcher, so she founded the non-profit Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute where she works as a volunteer. She supplements her income working as a licensed special education teacher. Dr. D is considered a leader in the field of nutritional epigenetics with 726 citations according to Google Scholar.

Aly El Sheikha

University of Ottawa, Canada

Biography:

Prof. El Sheikha is an expert in Molecular Biology, Traceability, and Food Safety, with a PhD in Biotechnology-Microbiology from University Montpellier 2, France. He has 24 years of research experience and 18 years in higher education, leading international projects and supervising academic programs. Recognized as one of the most cited scientists globally, he holds a patent for a molecular diagnostic method. Prof. El Sheikha has published over 100 works and contributed to numerous international journals and conferences. He is a member of various scientific organizations and committees worldwide.

Lars Thore Fadnes

University of Bergen, Norway

Biography:

Lars T. Fadnes is a professor at Department of Global Public Health and Primary at the University of Bergen and research group leader at Haukeland university hospital. He is a medical doctor and is a specialist in general practice as well as having a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene. Fadnes has worked with research on dietary patterns and associations with chronic diseases and has had substantial international collaboration with researchers from the United Kingdom, Uganda, South Africa, Italy, Australia, the United States, with external funding from the Research Council of Norway, the Western Norway Regional Health Authority and DAM. His research spans across several themes, mostly focusing on nutrition and associations to chronic diseases, substance use and migration. Fadnes has more than a hundred scientific publications published in international peer-reviewed journals, as well as being covered in many hundred newspaper stories. He has also been central in development of guidelines both nationally and internationally relating to both nutrition and treatment of people with substance use. He is part of the Norwegian national advisory panel on nutrition (Nasjonalt råd for ernæring) and the Norwegian scientific committee for food and environment (VKM). He has received awards for research and innovation including the Meltzer award for excellence in the dissemination of research (2022), Young researcher award for health research in Western Norway 2021, Falch junior award for medical research 2021, and prize for research and innovation 2020 (Kunnskapskommunene), and has several articles on the Altmetric top rank list. He is the leader of HEMIX research group and Bergen Addiction Research, is co-founder of the Norwegian competence centre for substitution therapy (NORCATS), has supervised/is supervising >15 candidates (including 7 who has completed and 6 as main supervisor).

Vintila luliana

University ”Dunarea de Jos” Galati, Romania

Biography:

Vintila luliana is actually Associate Professor, PhD in Food Science and Engineering. She is author of 22 books and book chapters in international and national publishing houses (Elsevier, Wiley, Lambert), first author and co-author for 14 articles in ISI journals and relevant ISI proceedings, 26 BDI scientific papers indexed in recognised international databases, 43 articles presented in national and international conferences and 23 articles revues. Also, she is member of prestigious international organisation such European Federation of Food Science and Technology (2009), Co-Chair WG Nutrition in Global Harmonization Initiative (since 2013), International Society of Food Engineering (2010), Balkan Environmental Association (2008), Global Environmental Standard (GES) Community of Interest (2011), European Academy for Education and Social Research (2012). She act as international projects expert for European Science Foundation, Eurostar Programme, EC « Expert area in the Participant Portal » and « Connecting Europe Facility », EU TAIEX, COST, EACEA, Erasmus Mundus(2010).She is Guest Associate Editor and Research Topic Editor for “Frontiers in food science and technology”, Regional Editor “Advance Journal of Food Science and Technology”, Academic Editor European Journal of Nutrition&Food Safety, Editorial Board Member SciEdTech, Editorial Board Member African Journal of Water Conservation and Sustainability, Editorial Board Member International Scholar Journals, etc.

Olga Gortzi

University of Thessaly, Greece

Biography:

Dr. Olga Gortzi received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Ioannina University in 1994 and Master’s in Nanotechnology from Patras University, Greece. After obtaining a PhD from Patras University (2002), Dr Gortzi completed postdoctoral training in Food Nanotechnology from University of West Attica (2003-2005). She then joined Thessaly Educational Institution in 2009 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015. Professor Gortzi joined the University of Thessaly in 2019. She is a Full Professor at the Department of Applied Sciences, University of Thessaly. She has extensive experience in isolation of compounds from natural products and successful their encapsulation in nanocompounds. She also has experience in nanotechnology applications for food and agriculture demands, deeper understanding on the biological implications of nanomaterials, beyond the creation of novel functional properties. Finally, Dr. Gortzi has experience in physicochemical characterization of nanocompounds and re-evaluation of the bioactivity of encapsulated substances in model systems. Professor Gortzi has served in professional society leadership committees, as chair/organizer of several scientific sessions at conferences. She has participated in 32 research and education programs. She has authored/co-authored 56 journal articles, one patent, two book chapters and 58 invited talks in National and International Conferences. She has been serving as an editorial board member of more than 3 international journals. She was also a supervisor/co-supervisor of 10 MSc thesis, co-supervisor of 6 PhD theses and a reviewer in 20 international scientific journals

Rjimati El Arbi

International University of Casablanca, Morocco

Biography:

Dr. Rjimati larby is a laureate (1990) from the University of Montpellier, France, he obtained an engineering degree in 1986 from ISIH - Belgium. He joined the Ministry of Health as head of the national nutrition program in Morocco. He has participated in several national surveys in the field of health and nutrition. At the same time, he has taught and supervised research work in several university. He is a member of several research groups and has published several articles. He is currently a professor at the International University of Casablanca.