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Dr. Rabiul Islam is currently an Associate Professor at the School of International Studies (SOIS) AACSB accredited under University Utara Malaysia since January 1, 2018. Prior to joining in UUM, he was a senior lecturer in the department of Economics. He was a Post- Doctoral Fellow in the Institute for Environment and Development, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. In addition, he obtained his PhD in Environmental Economics under the Institute for Environment and Development, UKM. Moreover, he completed bachelor and master’s in economics at the Islamic University, Bangladesh. He is an academic and a highly profile researcher. He has more than 17 years of experience in research as well as economics teaching and published over 160 papers in highly reputable journals and presented in international conferences in front of world-renowned audiences in the respective fields. He was invited as a keynote speaker in various renowned international conferences since 2021. His core research areas are environmental economics, climate change, international studies, political economy etc. He received excellent service award in 2021 and excellent publication award in 2022 for his academic and research excellence in University Utara Malaysia as a significant recognition. Furthermore, he also has Scopus H-index 15, Research gate H-index 22, Google scholar H-index 28 which shows the internationally recognized and outstanding achievements.
Mahdiyar Shahbazi is a Lecturer at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU University) in Vienna, Austria with over 10 years of experience in the application of sustainable biomaterials (smart biopolymer, composite, and nanoparticles) in the 3D printing process. His primary research goals are directed toward the theoretical and analytical understanding of the changes in Bio-macromolecules and Biomaterials Structures (at the molecular level) through different types of 3D printing systems. He has also worked in the bio-fabrication of materials by Printing Technology (both screening and 3D printing processes) to valorize the 3D printed objectives with enhanced functionality. Concerning Food Science & Technology, he has led as principal researcher and coordinator in several successive international projects in this domain. Currently, he works on producing healthy 3D printed food products (Plant-based Meat Analogues, Gluten-free dough, Processed Cheese, and Low-calorie Foods) with changing their Formulation through the addition of innovative modified hydrocolloids, dietary fibers, and nanoemulsion. The accomplishments of creating this noteworthy list of research areas are associated with the actual coordination and academics in addition to the industry involvement of Mahdiyar, linking faculty and industry partners from numerous disciplines, and securing considerable research funds. Mahdiyar has published abundant peer-reviewed articles and conference papers and offered broadly at national and international meetings as keynote and invited talks.
Dr. Sheila Ochugboju is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Science, who is dedicated to catalysing locally led actions towards the global concerns on climate change, food security and nutrition, global health and challenging misinformation on science and technology. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry from the University of London and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in baculovirus expression at the University of Oxford.
Giuseppe Perretti is an Associate Professor of Food Science and Technology at the University of Perugia, Italy. He is the former director of the University Master in Brewing Technology and former Director of The Italian Brewing Research Center, both from the University of Perugia. He is an author of more than 100 scientific papers listed in Scopus/WoS on Food Science and Technology International Journals. He is a scientific consultant responsible for national and international research projects on developing agri-food ingredients, preparing food-productive processes, and managing food quality. He is a member of various national and international scientific associations and conference committees. He is also a member of editorial boards for technical and scientific journals in the food science and technology area.
Elena Bancalari is an Associate professor in “Food Microbiology” at the Department of Food and Drug at the University of Parma, Italy. She was awarded an MSc in Food Science in 2013 and a Ph.D. in Food Science in 2018. She focused her research activity, on the following topics: impedometric analysis as an alternative method for the study of phenotypic characteristics of lactic acid bacteria, the study of foods as a source of microbial diversity, and the study of lactic acid bacteria from raw milk, with particular focus on their importance in long ripened cheeses. Furthermore, she also works on exopolysaccharide production from Lactic acid bacteria and on the use of these microorganisms to ferment different underutilized and/or waste food raw materials, to enhance their techno-functional characteristics, to be reinserted in the food chain. She is involved in different national and international project, among which is “IPSUS” Innovative Plant and Seaweeds Upcycled Sources - ERA-NETs SUSFOOD2 and FOSC Joint Call “Innovative solutions for resilient, climate-smart and sustainable food systems”. https://susfood-db- era.net/main/IPSUS.
Maria Salomé Mariotti Celis has a strong academic background, earning her Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering from the University of Chile, followed by a Doctorate in Engineering Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC). She enriched her education with various programs and diplomas, delving into subjects like functional foods, microbiology, and even pedagogy in health sciences. Her doctoral research was dedicated to studying and mitigating furan, a potentially carcinogenic compound found in processed foods. This interdisciplinary effort earned her prestigious recognition, including the 2012 Women in Science award from L'oreal-Unesco and the PUC Doctoral Thesis Excellence Award in 2014. As an academic, she has overseen numerous undergraduate and graduate theses, and spearheaded research projects in areas such as food chemistry and engineering. Her focus has been on the Maillard Reaction and the extraction of polyphenols. Currently, her passion lies in selectively separating bioactive compounds from agro-industrial waste, aiming to apply these discoveries in preventive nutrition for vulnerable populations, notably the elderly. Beyond her academic pursuits, she has taken on leadership roles in projects and academic coordination, showcasing adeptness in writing and managing interdisciplinary scientific endeavors. Maria currently holds the position of Associate Professor at the School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Finis Terrae University, where she also serves as Director of the Advanced Research Center in Nutrition and Health and Director of Research for the Faculty of Medicine.
Dr Parag Acharya is ex-Unilever with 14 years of industrial food R&D; experience and currently leading alternative protein-based food research and innovation at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, UK (Natural Resources Institute - Parag Acharya (nri.org)). Since joining NRI in 2020, He has taken the helm of the research group focusing on food processing and innovation and co-authored UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) report (2022) Alternative Proteins: Identifying UK Priorities. Dr Acharya is spearheading the establishment of the Medway Food Innovation Centre equipped with cutting-edge facilities to foster research and technology development for sustainable protein transition. He is also managing delivery of Growing Kent & Medway agri-food cluster (Growing Kent & Medway | A world class research, innovation and enterprise cluster (growingkentandmedway.com)) as Innovation Growth Manager for NRI which has brought a significant research and knowledge exchange impact (winning several research funding from EU and UKRI etc. and built engagement with 100+ regional food companies via setting up a plant-based food accelerator programme). The over-arching aim of his research programme is to deliver the scientific unlock on how to innovate climate-smart food utilising alternative plant/algae/fungal protein sources by connecting domains of food processing, formulation, and flavour technology. Dr Acharya is actively working to understand how novel processing affects physicochemical properties of under-utilised plant/algae proteins and their interaction with food matrices to deliver desired functionalities of meat and dairy analogues.