Nutrition and Food Sciences

Dr. Olivia Brown is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Digital Futures at the University of Bath School of Management in the UK.

• Research Focus: Her work is at the intersection of psychology, behavioral science, and digital security. She studies how intra- and inter-group processes influence individual and group behavior in both online and offline settings.

• Key Areas: She has conducted extensive research on online extremism and radicalisation, examining how digital communications data can be used to understand and potentially predict extremist violence offline. She also researches teamwork in high-risk organizations and emergency response

Clinical Dietetics

Elisa Conti (Associate Professor of Economics) ??

• Current Position: Associate Professor of Economics at IPAG Business School in Paris and Nice, France. She is also the Academic Director of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.

• Education: Holds a Ph.D. in Economics of Communication from IULM University, Milan, and an MSc in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

• Expertise: Her research focuses on Economics and Marketing, with interests including socio-economic impact, family business, and destination management.

• Previous Experience: She has worked as an Economist for the Mayor of London and as a research consultant for various organizations, including the UK Central Government and the City of London Corporation.

Eating Behaviour & Psychology

James McArthur, PhD (Biotechnology Executive and Researcher)

This James McArthur, PhD, has a deep background in molecular science and now serves in executive and leadership roles in the biotechnology industry.

• Current Position: President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepGen (a biotechnology company), and serves on its Board of Directors. He is also associated with the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) Board of Directors.

• Education: He received his PhD in molecular oncology and a BSc in biochemistry from McGill University in Montreal. He also completed post-doctoral fellowships at MIT and UC Berkeley.

• Industry Experience: He has over 25 years of industry experience, co-founding five biotechnology companies (three of which were acquired) and serving as a Director for two companies that went through successful initial public offerings (IPOs).

Food Systems & Sustainability

Victor Leao Borges de Almeida is a Brazilian economist specializing in international finance and macroeconomics. Born and raised in Brazil, where he developed a keen interest in economics amid the country's challenges with government budgets, inflation, and sovereign debt, Almeida earned a B.A. in Economics (2014) and an M.A. in Accounting (2015) from Fucape Business School. He pursued advanced studies at the University of Minnesota, obtaining an M.A. in Economics (2019) and a Ph.D. in Economics (2021). His dissertation focused on international macroeconomics, with references from notable scholars like Tim Kehoe and Manuel Amador.

Mediterranean Diet & Health

Elena Novak is an accomplished American academic specializing in educational technology and learning sciences. Born in the United States, she developed a passion for innovative teaching methods early in her career, blending technology with pedagogy to enhance student engagement. She earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University in 2012, following undergraduate and master's studies in related fields.

Novak joined Kent State University in Ohio as an Assistant Professor in 2012, advancing to Associate Professor and later full Professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies within the College of Education, Health and Human Services. Her research focuses on the design of digital learning environments, including video games, simulations, and 3D printing, and their impact on cognitive, affective, and motivational processes in K-12 STEM and computer science education. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies, her notable projects include the "Physical Science Robotics Interdisciplinary Design (PRIDe)" initiative, which promotes STEM participation through cascading peer-mentorship models connecting university labs with elementary, middle, and high school students.

Clinical Trials in Nutrition

Robert Edward Hughes (May 31, 1924 – April 2, 2017) was a pioneering American physical chemist renowned for his contributions to materials science and federal science policy. Born in New York City, he served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946 before pursuing higher education, earning a B.S. from Cornell University (1948) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley (1952) under William F. Giauque.

Hughes began his academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania (1953), rising to full professor by 1964 and co-founding the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter in 1962. He returned to Cornell University in 1964 as a professor of chemistry, directing the Materials Science Center from 1968 to 1974. His seminal work on the crystal structure of tetragonal boron earned high praise from Linus Pauling as "one of the best crystal-structure determinations that has ever been made."

Public Health Nutrition