Sub-Total: $0.00
Speaker and chairs
nhprs.ca / annual conference / speakers and chairs
Meet the speakers and chairs of each sessions
June 6 - NHP and Functional Food Processing and Quality
Chairs
Marleny Saldana, Professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
Dr. Saldaña is a professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at University of Alberta in Canada. She has a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Process Engineering from State University of Campinas, Brazil. Before joining University of Alberta, Dr. Saldaña has done research in Germany, The Netherlands, and Japan. She is internationally recognized for her work on emerging green processing technologies, including supercritical carbon dioxide, subcritical water processing, ultrasound and high-pressure processing to treat food, biomass and agricultural residues to obtain high-value bioactive compounds, biopolymers and chemicals for use in nutraceutical, functional food and industrial applications. Her research includes extraction, fractionation, reaction and particle formation to develop novel processes to obtain desired high-value products and nutraceuticals such as unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and phenolics.
Prof. Saldaña has received various international awards from academia and industry, including the 2017-2018 McCalla Professorship award. She has been a reviewer for national/international
grant applications. She was the chair and organizer for the Natural Health Product (NHP)
Conference held in Edmonton in 2019. She has served in the NSERC RTI committee. Dr.
Saldaña is a member of various associations such as CIFST (Member at Large for the AB
Section), ISSF, IFT, NHPRS (Member at Large) among others. She is currently Editor of the Journal of Food Engineering Reviews.
Marleny Saldana, Professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
Alain Doyen is an associate professor in the Department of Food Sciences at Laval University. His research program aimed to study the impact of processing on conventional, emerging and alternative food proteins. Alain Doyen is also currently Scientific Director of the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), the largest group of researchers in Canada dedicated to research and innovation in the area of food sciences and health and Scientific Director of the Innovation Support Service of INAF.
Speakers
Elena Ibanez, Full Research Professor, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL, CSIC), Spain
Development of sustainable processes for the extraction of neuroprotective fractions from microalgae
Prof. Dr. Elena Ibañez is a Full Research Professor at the Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL) belonging to the CSIC in Madrid, Spain. She received her PhD in Analytical Chemistry at the UAM, Spain and carried out her postdoctoral training at Brigham Young University, USA and at the University of California at Davis, USA. Elena’s main activity includes the study and development of new green extraction processes based on the use of compressed fluids to isolate and analyze bioactive compounds from natural sources such as food and agricultural by-products, plants and algae. She has received different national and international awards, co-authored more than 275 publications, 35 book chapters and 10 patents. Awarded as one of the 50 top women in Analytical Chemistry (2016 Power List, the Analytical Scientist, October, 2016) and one of the 10 Top 10s in Analytical Chemistry in the category of Public Defenders (2017 Power List, the Analytical Scientist, October, 2017). http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2127-8303
Salwa Karboune, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, INAF, Canada
Innovative biocatalytic approaches for the production of functional carbohydrates from abundant starting materials or biomasses
Professor Karboune is the Associate Dean of Research at the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University. Professor Karboune is a graduate from the University of Marseille, France, in Food Biotechnology. Her main research expertise is in the design and development of new “green” approaches to the synthesis of novel functional food ingredients of great interest that can improve the quality and the functionality of food products. Her multidisciplinary research program bridges the gap between food chemistry and enzyme technology and provides access to new well-defined food ingredients that cannot be obtained by conventional methods. Her research work also contributes to the sustainability of the Agri-Food sector by developing innovative approaches to generating highly added value functional ingredients from food-processing by-products. She has also expertise on the development of integrated approaches to new food product development. Over the last five years, she has supervised and supervises more than 50 graduate students. Her multidisciplinary research program has garnered national and international recognition, and has been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and presented at world-wide known conferences. She currently leads the Consortium for Research, Innovation and Transformation of Agrifood (RITA) at McGill University that aims at promoting innovation in the Agri-food sector and deploying effective solutions to produce safe and nutritious food from flourishing managed and natural food systems. Professor Karboune is passionate about science and active learning, and she places a high value on creation through innovation and dissemination through translation of the knowledge into real practices.
Sergey Mikhaylin, Assistant Professor, Food Science Department, Université Laval, INAF, Canada
Application of emergent high voltage electrical treatments to produce bioactive molecules from food matrices
Dr. Sergey Mikhaylin is a professor in the Food Science Department at Laval University (Quebec City, Canada) and head of EcoFoodLab. He is a member of the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), the Dairy Research Center STELA and the International Associated Laboratory on the Bioproduction of Natural Antimicrobials (LIAAN).
Dr. Mikhaylin develops his activities in the fields of sustainable development, eco-efficiency, recovery of by-products, waste management and high-voltage electrical treatments applied to the food sector. He is the author of more than 40 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, Dr. Mikhaylin is co-chair of the GreenFoodTech International Conference.
Marleny Saldana, Professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
Pressurized Fluid Processing Development for Natural Health Products and Functional Foods
Bio Above
June 6 - Creative Productive Research - Industry Collaborations (PANEL)
Moderator for Session 1:
Shelley King, CEO, Natural Products Canada
Under Shelley’s leadership, NPC has helped drive over 1000 Canadian innovations to market through its advisory services, commercialization programs, and strategic connections. NPC has also invested in 13 start-ups, which have generated over $32M in revenue and $94M in additional capital. Shelley was named a Top 50 CEO in Atlantic Canada in 2022.
Panelist for Session 1:
Yves Desjardins, Full Professor, Plant Science department, INAF, Université Laval, Canada
Yves Desjardins is full professor at the Plant Science department and he is affiliated with the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods at Laval University, Québec Canada. He was recently appointed Dianafood-NSERC Industrial Chair on prebiotic effects of fruits and vegetables (PhenoBio). Trained in plant physiology, he is conducting research on phytochemistry and functionality of bioactive compounds from plants. He is PI or collaborator on many major preclinical and clinical studies on type-2 diabetes, cognitive decline, low-grade inflammation, urinary tract infection, skin diseases, and oral infections. Over the years, he has accompanied many horticultural and food processing companies in the development and the validation of the health benefits of horticultural commodities (e.g. Glucophenol, Neurophenol). At the international scene, he is recognized for his innovative research program on health effects of fruits and vegetables. He was the Chair first International Symposium on Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables in Québec City (FAVHEALTH 2005) and the OECD Symposium – “Emerging Topics in Health Effects Fruit and Vegetables” in Lisbon, Portugal (2010). He organized in 2016 the International Strawberry Symposium (750 participants), which made a large place to health effects of this fruit. Recently (October 2017), he also organized the leading International Congress on Polyphenols and Health (www.ICPH2017-Québec.org) (>350 world renowned participants). His leadership in the field is recognized worldwide; he has been invited on numerous occasions to give keynote lectures at international meetings over the last few years (>20). He is the International relation director at INAF. In this function, he is involved in many international research projects in France, Mexico, Italy, Brazil and Belgium.
Mathieu Bergamini, Diana Foods
Tariq Akhtar, University of Guelph & Principal Investigator at Canurta
Tariq Akhtar Ph.D., Principal Investigator at Canurta, is a world-renowned plant biologist with prominent expertise in polyphenolic molecules and their synthesis in the Cannabis Sativa plant. He is also an expert in plant biochemistry and metabolic engineering, and his research focuses on better understanding plant specialized metabolism of compounds of economic relevance.
Akeem Gardner, Founder/CEO of Canurta
Innovative biocatalytic approaches for the production of functional carbohydrates from abundant starting materials or biomasses
Akeem Gardner, Founder/CEO of Canurta, is an innovative entrepreneur with five years of experience in a C-Suite role for a revolutionary industrial hemp enterprise. Akeem has proven success in building captivating businesses, leading high-performance teams that work across multi-channel platforms, and strategically aligning profitability with sustainability and economic development in Ontario.
Daniel Figeys, Director, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ottawa & President and co-founder, MedBiome Inc.
Daniel is the director of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Distinguished Research Chair in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. He was Senior Vice-President at MDS-Proteomics from 2000-2004. He is co-founder of MedBiome Inc a spin-off from the University of Ottawa focused on precision microbiome nutrition and therapeutics.
Moderator for Session 2:
David Gauthier, VP Commercialization, Natural Products Canada (NPC)
Dr. David Gauthier is a highly experienced authority on product and technology viability and market potential with more than 20 years in the innovation sector. David is responsible for NPC’s 1000+ portfolio of naturally-derived products and technologies, and he is actively involved in addressing their challenges through NPC’s advisory services, commercialization programs, and strategic connections.
Panelists for Sessions 2:
Noel Courage, Partner in Bereskin & Parr LLP
Noel Courage is a partner in the intellectual property law firm Bereskin & Parr LLP which has offices in Toronto, Montreal, Kitchener-Waterloo and Mississauga. He is a lawyer and a US and Canadian patent agent. Noel helps with patenting and licensing of life science inventions. Noel has been helping companies and universities across Canada commercialize their inventions internationally for over 20 years.
Leigh Huestis, Director, Office of Industry & Community Engagement, Acadia University and member of Springboard Atlantic
Leigh is responsible for Acadia’s active applied research programs, start-up and commercialization activities and IP management. She has spearheaded the development of several industry-focused institutes, labs and research centers at Acadia, positioning Acadia as one of the top undergraduate institutions in Canada for applied research and economic development activities.
Kari Kramp, Senior Scientific Manager, Applied Research & Innovation Office, Loyalist College of Applied Arts & Technology
Dr. Kari Kramp plays a leadership role to advance industry-driven applied research initiatives at Loyalist College, specifically within the Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis. Her focus on collaboration and ability to leverage funding have positioned Loyalist as a central point of contact in Ontario for industry and entrepreneurs in this rapidly evolving sector.
June 7 - NHPs and Microbiota
Chairs
David St-Pierre, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science, Department of Kinesiology, UQÀM
Guy Rousseau, Full Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Université de Montréal
Guy Rousseau holds a Ph.D. in cellular biopathology (University of Montreal). He is a full professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the Université de Montréal and is responsible for the clinical pharmacology program. He is the director of a research laboratory at the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de Montréal whose research interests focus on the role of omega-3 fatty acids and microbiota in myocardial infarction. He is co-author of 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is the past president of the Quebec Society of Arterial Hypertension and a member of the Order of Excellence in Education of Quebec
Speakers
Vincenzo Di Marzo, Full Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair, FSAA, Université Laval, INAF, Canada, and Associated Research Director, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council (ICB-CNR), Italy
The gut microbiome-endocannabinoidome axis as a target for the beneficial effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on animal and human health
Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo is Canada Excellence Research Chair on the Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health (CERC-MEND) at Laval University, Quebec, Canada, and associated Research Director at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council (ICB-CNR) in Pozzuoli, Italy. He is also the coordinator of the Endocannabinoid Research Group in the Naples region, and the director of the Joint International Research Unit between the Italian National Research Council and Université Laval, for Chemical and Biomolecular Research on the Microbiome and its impact on Metabolic Health and Nutrition (MicroMeNu). He holds a ChemD from the University of Naples in 1983, and a PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College in London in 1988. He is co-author of more than 780 articles published in peer-reviewed journals (H index 136 according to Scopus). In 2014-2021 he has been listed for 8 consecutive years among the Highly Cited Researchers (top 1% in the world) in all scientific disciplines. He has been the recipient of numerous research grants and awards, including: a Human Frontier Science Program research grant to study the biosynthesis, metabolism, and structure-activity relationships of anandamide; a Merkator Fellowship for Foreign Scientists by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft; the Mechoulam Award for “his outstanding contributions to cannabinoid research”; the Luigi Tartufari award for Chemistry from the Italian Academy of Sciences (Accademia dei Lincei); the “Ester Fride Award for Basic Science” from the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. In October 2014 he was awarded the International Award “Guido Dorso” for Research, and in May 2016 the Medal of the Italian Accademia delle Scienze, or of the XL, for Physical and Natural Sciences. In In November 2018 he was elected member of the Italian “Accademia dei Lincei”, the oldest academy of the sciences in the world. Ranked 492 in a new citation index covering nearly 7 million researchers worldwide and 100,000 highly cited authors (Ioannidis JPA, Baas J, Klavans R, Boyack KW (2019) A standardized citation metrics author database annotated for scientific field. PLoS Biol 17(8): e3000384. Ranked 528 in the latest Mendeley “Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators” special classification including 159683 highly cited authors.
Nathalie Delzenne, Full Professor, Faculty of Parmaceutical and biomedical sciences, UCLouvain, Belgium
Food-derived prebiotics in nutrition and health : hopes, facts, and gaps
Nathalie M. Delzenne is Full Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical sciences at UCLouvain (Belgium). She is President of the Louvain Drug Research Institute (170 researchers), co-leader of the Research Group in Metabolism and Nutrition, full member of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Belgium, founding member and past-President of the Belgian Nutrition Society, present chair of the scientific committee of ESPEN (European Society for Clinical nutrition and metabolism). She has been pioneer in the discovery of nutrients targeting the gut microbiota (prebiotics) and elaborated the molecular mechanisms behind their effects on the control of metabolic and behavioural diseases . Highly cited researcher 2016- 2021 – with nearly 280 peer-reviewed papers in the field https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2115-6082
Davide d’Amico, R&D Group Leader at Amazentis, a biotech startup in Lausanne, Switzerland
Urolithin A improves muscle strength and impacts on biomarkers of cellular health in humans
Mitochondria are key organelles to support our health throughout life. Dr. D’Amico research has been focused on studying effective strategies to counteract mitochondrial dysfunction, a hallmark of aging and age-related diseases. His work identified novel molecular mechanisms to improve mitochondria function by activating mitophagy, that is the process of recycling faulty mitochondria into new, healthy organelles. His research on mitophagy-enhancers translated into effective strategies to counteract age-associated decline in muscle function, in preclinical models of aging and disease.
Currently, D’Amico’s research at Amazentis is focused on Urolithin A, a natural food metabolite of the gut microbiome that has been shown to stimulate mitophagy and improve muscle function in preclinical models. Amazentis research recently translated these pre-clinical data into successful clinical trials showing positive effects of Urolithin A on mitochondrial and muscle function in humans. Current research from D’Amico’s group is focused on expanding the knowledge on Urolithin A and its impact on health and aging-associated conditions to promote healthy aging.
Phil Chilibeck, Professor, College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan
Pulses as prebiotics for improving health
Phil Chilibeck, Ph.D. is a professor in Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. He received his B.Sc. from the University of Ottawa, his M.Sc. from McMaster University, his Ph.D. from Western University, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta, all with a focus on Kinesiology. His research focuses on using exercise and/or nutritional interventions for prevention of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. His research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation. He is a co-editor-in-chief of Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism, the journal that serves the Canadian Nutrition Society and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.
June 7 - Novel Food-Derived Materials
Chairs
Marleny Saldana, Professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
Dr. Saldaña is a professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at University of Alberta in Canada. She has a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Process Engineering from State University of Campinas, Brazil. Before joining University of Alberta, Dr. Saldaña has done research in Germany, The Netherlands, and Japan. She is internationally recognized for her work on emerging green processing technologies, including supercritical carbon dioxide, subcritical water processing, ultrasound and high-pressure processing to treat food, biomass and agricultural residues to obtain high-value bioactive compounds, biopolymers and chemicals for use in nutraceutical, functional food and industrial applications. Her research includes extraction, fractionation, reaction and particle formation to develop novel processes to obtain desired high-value products and nutraceuticals such as unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and phenolics.Prof. Saldaña has received various international awards from academia and industry, including the 2017-2018 McCalla Professorship award. She has been a reviewer for national/international grant applications. She was the chair and organizer for the Natural Health Product (NHP) Conference held in Edmonton in 2019. She has served in the NSERC RTI committee. Dr. Saldaña is a member of various associations such as CIFST (Member at Large for the AB Section), ISSF, IFT, NHPRS (Member at Large) among others. She is currently Editor of the Journal of Food Engineering Reviews.
Yves Pouliot, Full Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department of Food Science, Université Laval, Canada
Dr Pouliot holds a Ph.D. degree in Food Science and Technology from Université Laval where he has also been professor in the Food Science department since 1991. He served as Director of the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF) between 2007 and 2014. He has been leading research initiatives related to natural health product such as milk-based bioactive peptides, growth factors and minor lipids. In 2010, he received the International Dairy Foods Association Research award in dairy processing from the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), for his contribution to the field of dairy-based bioactive ingredients. In 2014, Dr Pouliot has been awarded an NSERC-Novalait industrial research chair on process efficiency in dairy technology. More recently, Dr Pouliot has contributed to the 3rd edition of the Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences with a chapter on Lactoferrin, Lactoperoxidase and Milk Growth Factors.
Speakers
Rotimi Aluko, Full Professor, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada
Food-derived proteins and peptides as natural health products
Dr. Rotimi Aluko is a Full Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada where he also serves as Director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. He obtained a PhD (Food Science) degree from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada and has over 20 years work experience as an independent investigator with focus on the structure-function properties of food proteins and peptides. In addition to 265 peer-review journal article publications, he holds two patents on bioactive peptides, one of which was licensed to a Canadian nutraceutical company for the purpose of commercialization. The American Chemical Society has twice featured novel scientific discoveries from his lab relating to blood pressure-reducing and bitter taste-blocking peptides as international press releases. In 2021, he was listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics, which puts him in the top 0.1% of the most cited researchers in the world. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the American Oil Chemists’ Society. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Food Biochemistry.
Lucie Beaulieu, Full Professor, Food Science Department, Université Laval, INAF, Canada
High value natural polymers from the sea: Marine by-products turned into attractive health ingredients via innovative technologies
Dr. Lucie Beaulieu has been a Professor at Université Laval’s Food Science Department since 2014. She has built an original research program on the structural and functional characterization of new sources of biomarine ingredients, and primarily on high value compounds as innovative means for enhancing food quality and promoting health. She is the director of the interest group on biomarine products at the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF). She is the director of the theme Resources, marine energies and health of the maritime economic sector of the Quebec Maritime Network (RQM). In her career, her research activities have enabled significant advancements of knowledge and have led to the publication of numerous manuscripts and book chapters, many of which in collaboration with international colleagues. She has successfully secured funding from provincial and federal granting agencies. Recognized as a leader in her field, she has instigated numerous collaborative projects with industry and international partners. She actively participates in strategic research planning based on global scientific issues in the sustainable management of bioresources.
Chibuike Udenigwe, Full Professor and University Research Chair, School of Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Canada
Edible insects as alternative sources of biofunctional peptides: Opportunities and challenges
Chibuike Udenigwe is a Professor and University Research Chair at the School of Nutrition Sciences, Cross-appointed Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, and Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Science, Society and Policy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He obtained a PhD in Food and Nutritional Sciences and MSc in Chemistry from the University of Manitoba, and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Nigeria. He held an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Guelph and then a faculty position at Dalhousie University prior to moving to Ottawa. His research takes the chemical sciences approach in exploring food, nutrition and health, with a focus on sustainable processing, functional foods and nutraceuticals, and their beneficial effects on human health. Dr. Udenigwe is a recipient of the American Chemical Society–Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Young Scientist Award, American Oil Chemists’ Society Young Scientist Research Award, and International Union of Food Science and Technology Young Scientist Award. He serves as Administrative Council Executive of the College of Early Career Scientists, International Academy of Food Science and Technology. Dr. Udenigwe was a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow and is a member of the Global Young Academy.
Thava Vasanthan, Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sci – Ag, Food & Nutri Sci Dept, University of Alberta, Canada
Modification of pulse starch properties by nanoparticulation techniques
Prof. Thava Vasanthan`s research focuses on the value-added processing of grains of cereal, pulse and oilseed origins, with a major emphasis towards environmentally and economically sustainable approaches to grain fractionation, components characterization and their novel applications in the food and industry. He has authored >125 refereed publications, 7 patents & delivered >90 conference presentations and workshops. Also, he served as a consultant to grain/food processing industries and assisted them in the development of new processing technologies as well as their technical and economic feasibility evaluations at pilot & commercial scales. In recognition to his research and teaching contributions to the field of applied grain science and processing he received the Alberta Science & Technology – ASTech Foundation Award for “Innovation in Agricultural Science“ in 2005, “Alberta Food for health“ Premier’s award in 2010, Innovation Makes Sense – Spin Off Achievement Award in 2016. In addition, he received the Graduate Student Mentor Award in 2019 and multiple years of the Faculty Teaching Award known as “Teaching Wall of Fame”.
June 8 - NHP Pharmacology and Chronic Diseases
Chairs
Pierre Haddad, Adjunct Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Université de Montréal and President, Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada
Fields of Expertise: Natural Health Products, Traditional medicine, Metabolic diseases, Diabetes, Obesity.
Pierre Sélim Haddad is a recently retired, now adjunct professor, in the Department of Pharmacology at the Université de Montréal, where he obtained his PhD degree in 1986 and returned as an independent researcher in 1990. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, more than half of which on the subject of Natural Health Products (NHP). In 2003, he successfully built the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team in Aboriginal Antidiabetic Medicines, a multidisciplinary group of researchers studying the antidiabetic potential of plants used by the First Nations of Canada in their traditional medicine, which he still leads today. Dr Haddad is recognized nationally and internationally for his work on NHPs and functional foods in the context of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In May 2014, he received the prestigious Neil Towers Award from the NHPRSC in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of natural health products.
Speakers
Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Full Professor, Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
Vaccinium berries: superfruit sources of natural health products in the fight against cardiovascular disease
Dr. Marva Irene Sweeney(-Nixon) is a Full Professor in the Department of Biology at UPEI, where she has worked since 1997. She was Chair of the Department (2013-2019), and held a Research Professorship in Nutrisciences and Health from the Louis Lévesque Foundation (2005-2008). Her research focuses on the effects of berry phytochemicals in cardiovascular diseases, in collaboration with scientists at UPEI, other universities in Atlantic Canada and the US, Government labs, and the private sector. After completing a PhD in Pharmacology from Dalhousie University, she accepted an MRC-funded post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of London (St. George’s Hospital and Royal Free Hospital Schools of Medicine, London, England) from 1989-1993. Before coming to UPEI, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, and Principal Investigator in the
Saskatchewan Stroke Research Center, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon.
Michael heinrich, Professor of Ethnopharmacology and Pharmacognosy, UCL School of Pharmacy, United Kingdom
Best Practice in the chemical characterisation of extracts used in pharmacological and toxicological research – The ConPhyMP – guidelines
Michael Heinrich is a Professor of Ethnopharmacology and Medicinal Plant Research (Pharmacognosy) and was until 2018 the head of the research cluster / Centre ‘Biodiversity and Medicines’ at the UCL School of Pharmacy. He currently serves as the joint chair of UCL’s Research Ethics Committee (with Dr. L. Ang, Institute of Education).
The group’s research is based on a transdisciplinary perspective integrating approaches from the biomedical and social sciences with an overall aim of tackling the fast changing global health needs. Key areas of interest include the prevention and early stage management of diabetes / metabolic syndrome and cancer chemoprevention based on the use of traditional medicines as well as value chains of (herbal) medicinal products. The research integrates methodological approaches from ethnopharmacology, natural product research, public health research, and anthropology.
Currently, he is one of the two Vice-Presidents of the GA (Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research), one of the largest societies in the field.
He is Specialty Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Pharmacology (Ethnopharmacology) as well as an associate editor of the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, among a wide range of other roles.
Robert Verpoorte, Professor Emeritus, member of the Natural Products Laboratory, Leiden University, Netherlands
Food for health, food for thought
Career
He holds a Pharmacists degree (1972) from Leiden University, and he passed his PhD at the same university on a thesis on pharmacologically active compounds from Strychnos species (1976). He was lecturer at Leiden University 1976-1987, and became professor and head of the department of Pharmacognosy in 1987. He was invited guest professor in London (UK), Uppsala (Sweden), Amiens (France), Reims (France), Seoul (Korea), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Taichung (Taiwan), Hong Kong, and Hilo (USA). From 1992-1998 he was Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the committee of the Phytochemical Society of Europe. Since May 2011 he is professor Emeritus at Leiden University and member of the Natural Products Laboratory. From 2000-2010 he was course director of the international MSc program “Biodiverstity and Natural Products” in which 60 students from all over the world graduated. He was chairman of the Course Programme and Examination Committee of the international training Course on Quality Assurance and Total Quality Management, organized by BODL, LACDR and VLAG (1998-2008). He served as chairman of the Commission of Scientific Meetings of Royal Dutch Society of Pharmacy (1997-2002).
Research and education
He is author/co-author of 810+ scientific papers, 4 books and 7 patent applications. March 2022 H factor 78 (Web of Science), 110 (Google Scholar) 90 (Scopus). Editor (1996-2002) and Editor-in-chief of Journal of Ethnopharmacology (IF2020 4.275) (2003-2016) and Phytochemical Reviews (IF2020 5.374)(since 2001), and Executive Editor of Biotechnology Letters (IF2020 2.461)(since 2006). He serves on the editorial board of number of journals. He is some 20 times per year invited for lectures all over the world in the past 15 years. He serves as reviewer for numerous journals. He supervised 68 PhD-theses, and 150+ MSc theses. His lab hosted numerous guest researchers from all over the world in the past 30 years. He taught more than 40 post graduate courses at different institutions all over the world.
Awards
He received an Honorary Doctorate University of Amiens, France (2004) and of the University of Uppsala, Sweden (2012). In 2007 he received the Phytochemical Society of Europe Medal. He is a honorary professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University since 2015. In 2015 he was awarded the Gusi Peace Prize in Manila, The Philippines. September 2017 he was awarded the Egon Stahl Medal in Gold by the International Society of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products Research for his lifetime scientific work. In 2017 recipient of Qihuang International Prize of the China Association of Chinese Medicine. He is among the 1% Highly Cited Researchers 2018, 2019, 2020 (Cross-Field)(Web of Science, Clarivate Analytics). He is among the 2% top scientists in the world in a recent Stanford study (2020, 2021), ranking on position 45 worldwide in the field of Chemistry (out of 134,814).
June 8 - Nutrigenomics
Chairs
Pierre Haddad, Adjunct Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Université de Montréal and President, Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada
Fields of Expertise: Natural Health Products, Traditional medicine, Metabolic diseases, Diabetes, Obesity.
Pierre Sélim Haddad is a recently retired, now adjunct professor, in the Department of Pharmacology at the Université de Montréal, where he obtained his PhD degree in 1986 and returned as an independent researcher in 1990. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, more than half of which on the subject of Natural Health Products (NHP). In 2003, he successfully built the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team in Aboriginal Antidiabetic Medicines, a multidisciplinary group of researchers studying the antidiabetic potential of plants used by the First Nations of Canada in their traditional medicine, which he still leads today. Dr Haddad is recognized nationally and internationally for his work on NHPs and functional foods in the context of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In May 2014, he received the prestigious Neil Towers Award from the NHPRSC in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of natural health products.
Marie-Claude Vohl, Professor at School of Nutrition, Université Laval, INAF, Canada
Genetics of triglyceride response to omega-3 fatty acid supplementation
Dr. Marie-Claude Vohl, Canada Research Chair in Genomics Applied to Nutrition and Metabolic Health, Professor at the School of Nutrition (Université Laval), and responsible of the Precision Nutrition Research Axis of the FRQS-funded Centre Nutrition, santé et société (NUTRISS), is conducting research with three objectives in mind. First, Dr. Vohl and her team are seeking to identify the genetic and epigenetic factors that modulate cardiometabolic disease risk factors in obese individuals. Second, they are identifying how genes interact with diet to modulate cardiometabolic disease risk factors. Finally, they are studying the factors that hinder and facilitate the use of nutrigenomics results by health professionals.
Since the beginning of her career, Professor Marie-Claude Vohl has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and 420 research communications. She has been invited to give several presentations in national and international conferences. Her research programs are funded among others by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Ahmed El-Sohemy, Professor and Associate Chair, University of Toronto, Founder of Nutrigenomix Inc., Canada
Genetic Testing for Personalized Nutrition: Ready for prime time?
Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy is a Professor and Associate Chair at the University of Toronto and held a Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics. He is also the founder of Nutrigenomix Inc., serves as the company’s Chief Science Officer and Chair’s the company’s International Science Advisory Board. Dr. El-Sohemy earned his PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard. The goal of his research is to understand how genetic differences modify response to diet for optimal health and performance. Dr. El-Sohemy has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles and given over 250 invited talks around the world. He is on the editorial board of 10 scientific and medical journals and served as an expert reviewer for more than 30 other journals and 12 granting agencies. Last year he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the journal Genes & Nutrition. Dr. El-Sohemy has served on Health Canada’s Scientific Advisory Board and several international expert advisory panels. Dr. El-Sohemy received the Centrum Foundation New Scientist Award for Outstanding Research by the Canadian Nutrition Society, the Mark Bieber Professional Award by the American College of Nutrition and the Stanley Wallach Award by the American Nutrition Association.
June 13 - Regulatory Affairs (PANEL)
Chairs
Krista Coventry, Director, Clinical Affairs & Regulatory Strategy, Source Nutraceutical, Canada
Fields of Expertise: Natural Health Products, Traditional medicine, Metabolic diseases, Diabetes, Obesity.
Krista Coventry is the Director of Clinical Affairs & Regulatory Strategy for Source Nutraceutical, Inc., a Canadian contract research organization. She has 20 years of experience providing project management, regulatory strategies and market compliance solutions to industry clients, globally. Krista has expert knowledge of acts, regulations, policies and guidelines relating to marketed natural health products, foods, cosmetics, medical devices and drugs; as well as clinical research requirements in these same sectors. She has worked extensively with Canadian and U.S. regulatory frameworks to advise industry clients on various pre-market requirements for packaging compliance (i.e., safety and efficacy prerequisites; label and health claims) in support of regulatory compliance initiatives in North American markets. She also specializes in strategic planning for health product commercialization, and has broad expertise in the critical evaluation of evidence-based clinical research in support of regulatory portfolios.
Michael Smith, Adjunct Professor at National Center for Natural Product Research, University of Mississippi
Michael Smith is trained both as a pharmacist and a licensed naturopathic practitioner in Canada. He has spent much of his career as a regulator and policy maker of Natural Health Products and Complementary Medicines with Health Canada and the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia.
Over his career Michael has worked actively on the international stage notably with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Traditional Medicine program. In 2009 he was appointed to WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Traditional Medicines and is one of primary authors of the WHO Global Strategy for Traditional & Complementary Medicine (2014-2023).
Since leaving government in 2012 Michael has worked as a consultant with organisations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors both in North America and overseas. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Southern Cross University in Australia and an Adjunct Professor at the US FDA/USDA funded National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi.
In 2017, he was recipient of the G.H Neil Towers Award from the Natural Health Products Research Society of Canada in recognition for his national and international work in Natural Health Products research and regulation.
Panelists
Nathalie Page, Director General, Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD)
Natalie Page joined Health Canada’s team as Director General of the Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD) last January. Prior to her arrival at the department, she was Vice-President of Public and Corporate Affairs of the National Capital Commission (NCC). In her capacity as Vice-President, she was responsible for Strategic communications, Stakeholder Engagement & Indigenous relations, Marketing & Partnerships and Corporate Planning.
Prior to the NCC, Natalie was the Departmental Liaison for the NCC at Global Affairs Canada where she acquired a detailed understanding of the machinery of government, legislation renewal process and delt with complex files and special projects.
Natalie began her career as political staffer on Parliament Hill and joined the public service where she demonstrated strong leadership, strategic thinking and communication skills by leading the public aspect of several complex and high-profile files. Her strength is her ability to establish strong relationships with key stakeholders, Government officials and the public in order to facilitate collective goals.
Natalie is fluent in French and English and holds a Bachelor Degree in Commerce from the University of Ottawa and one in International Management from the École Supérieure de Commerce in Reims, France.
MiHélène Lowell, Senior Policy Analyst, NNHPD
Hélène Lowell is a senior policy analyst with the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD). Hélène holds a bachelors degree in nutrition from Université de Moncton and a Masters of Public Health from the University of Waterloo. Prior to joining NNHPD in 2021, she worked on regulatory modernization initiatives with the Regulatory Affairs Sector at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Hélène first joined Health Canada in 2004 as a nutrition advisor with the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Eva McGrath, Policy Manager, NNHPD
Eva McGrath is a Policy Manager with the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD). She has significant experience in the regulation of natural health products and has worked at NNHPD for over 17 years in various roles in both operations and policy. Eva has a Bachelors degree in Science from the University of Victoria and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Waterloo.
Brian Parker, Senior Policy Analyst TPD
Brian Parker is a Manager at the Bureau of Science, Policy and International Programs of TPD. With over 18 years of experience working in the fields of scientific research, regulatory and health policy, he is well placed as the lead on the regulatory policy development for Health Canada’s Clinical Trials Modernization Initiative, a position he has held since April 2021.
Brian earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Biotechnology from Brock University. Following this, he worked in bioinformatics research at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and in the research and development of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices at a small Biotech firm. He joined Health Canada in 2009 as a Regulatory Project Manager for drug submissions and has been working on the development of regulatory policy since 2015. As a Senior Policy Analyst, Brian made significant contributions to the development of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and Regulations, and the Cannabis Act and Regulations. He is the recipient of several ADM and DM awards at Health Canada for his dedication and contributions to improving the protection of the health of Canadians.
Robin J. Marles, Senior Scientific Advisor, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Canada
Developing a Regulatory Framework to Enable Clinical Trials on Non-compliant Foods for a Special Dietary Purpose
Dr. Robin Marles is the Senior Scientific Advisor, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food Directorate, Health Canada. He advises on safety, quality and claims for botanical, nutrient, and novel food ingredients, and clinical trials on foods for a special dietary purpose. He volunteers with the U.S. Pharmacopeia, chairing the Botanical Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines Expert Committee. From 2003 to 2013 he was a Director in the Natural Health Products Directorate. From 1992 to 2002 he was a botany professor at Brandon University, Manitoba. Dr. Marles received the G.H. Neil Towers Award from the Natural Health Products Research Society in 2018.
Jennifer Barber, Section Head, Nutrition Premarket Assessment Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Canada
Supplemented Foods Update
Jennifer Barber is a Section Head in the Nutrition Premarket Assessment Division, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food Directorate, Health Canada. Her team works on supplemented foods and health claims, which includes the review of premarket submissions as well as the development of the regulatory framework for supplemented foods. She began her career at Health Canada working as an evaluator in the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. Ms. Barber holds a Masters degree in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Guelph.
Joseph M. Betz, Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), National Institutes of Health, United States
Drugs, Foods, Dietary Supplements in the U.S.
Dr. Betz’s research interests lie in the areas of botanical quality and in bioactive plant secondary metabolites. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. An internationally recognized pharmacognosist, he has traveled and lectured extensively. From 2003-2009, Dr. Betz was a member of the Expert Advisory Committee to Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Directorate. He is a current member of the United States Pharmacopoeia’s Expert Committee on Botanical Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines and of the Scientific Committee and International Advisory Board of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) Section of the Hong Kong Department of Health. He is also a member of NSF International’s ANSI committee on dietary supplements and is a member of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO/TC 249 (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
Dr. Betz has over 30 years of work experience in public health agencies. Acting Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health since 2018, he spent 16 years as Director of the ODS Analytical Methods and Reference Materials Program, two years as Chief Science Officer at the American Herbal Products Association, and 12 years as a Research Chemist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. While at FDA, he developed and directed a plant toxins/bioactive phytochemical research program for the identification and measurement of bioactive phytochemicals in foods and dietary supplements. He is knowledgeable about food and drug law, with a focus on dietary supplement regulations and current good manufacturing practice. A long time AOAC International volunteer. Dr. Betz was AOAC General Referee for Plant Toxins and then Dietary Supplements from 1992-2001, a member of the editorial board of the Journal of AOAC International from 2010-2016, and the chair of the editorial board from 2016-2020. He is a current member of the TDRM Executive Committee. Dr. Betz is a Fellow of AOAC International and the recipient of the AOAC’s TDRM Award and Harvey W. Wiley Award, the American Botanical Council’s Norman R. Farnsworth Award for Excellence in Botanical Research, the American Society of Pharmacognosy’s Tyler Prize, and the American Herbal Product Association’s Herbal Insight Award for Contributions to the Botanical Sciences, and the 2021 Natural Health Products Research Society of Canada’s G.H. Neil Towers Award.
June 13 - NHPs in Immunity and COVID
Chairs
Pierre Haddad, Adjunct Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Université de Montréal and President, Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada
Fields of Expertise: Natural Health Products, Traditional medicine, Metabolic diseases, Diabetes, Obesity.
Pierre Sélim Haddad is a recently retired, now adjunct professor, in the Department of Pharmacology at the Université de Montréal, where he obtained his PhD degree in 1986 and returned as an independent researcher in 1990. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, more than half of which on the subject of Natural Health Products (NHP). In 2003, he successfully built the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team in Aboriginal Antidiabetic Medicines, a multidisciplinary group of researchers studying the antidiabetic potential of plants used by the First Nations of Canada in their traditional medicine, which he still leads today. Dr Haddad is recognized nationally and internationally for his work on NHPs and functional foods in the context of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In May 2014, he received the prestigious Neil Towers Award from the NHPRSC in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of natural health products.
Philip C. Calder, Professor of Nutritional Immunology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
Micronutrients, immunity and COVID-19
Philip Calder is Head of the School of Human Development and Health and Professor of Nutritional Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton. He is an internationally recognized researcher on the metabolism and functionality of fatty acids, with an emphasis on the roles of omega-3 fatty acids, and on the influence of diet and nutrients on the immune and inflammatory responses. His research addresses both life course and translational considerations and includes research in cell and animal models and in healthy humans and patients. He has received many awards and prizes for his work including the prestigious Danone International Prize for Nutrition (2016) and the DSM Lifetime Achievement Prize in Human Nutrition (2017). Professor Calder was President of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (2009-2012), Chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism – ESPEN (2012-2016) and President of the Nutrition Society (2016-2019). He is currently President of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (2019-2023). Professor Calder was Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Nutrition (2006-2013) and is currently an Associate Editor of Journal of Nutrition, Clinical Science, Nutrition Research and Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. He has over 800 scientific publications and is recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher.
Roger Gaudreault, Invited Researcher, Université de Montréal and CGCC, Canada
Molecular Interactions of Tannic Acid with Proteins Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity
Dr. Roger Gaudreault has a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (1986), a Master’s Degree in Pulp and Paper from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (1991) and a Ph.D. in molecular modelling from McGill University (2003). Dr. Gaudreault followed the PhD with a postdoctoral Fellowship jointly supervised by Professors David A. Weitz, at Harvard University, and Theo van de Ven, at McGill University (2005-2006), on the kinetics of colloids aggregation. Since 2017, Invited Researcher at Université de Montréal, he is studying the impact of green chemistry on mitigating Alzheimer’s disease and COVID-19.
Invited Researcher of the Centre in Green Chemistry and Catalysis (CGCC) since June 2011, Dr. Gaudreault received the 2016 Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award (CGCEN), recognizing his significant contributions to these fields. Mr Gaudreault was also appointed PAPTAC Fellow in 2017 in recognition of his outstanding long-term and significant contribution to the Association, the pulp & paper and forest products industry and for the advancement of science and technology in the industry.
June 14 - NHPs and Cancer
Mary Hardy, MD., Medical director, UCLA, California, United States
Gabriel Lopez, MD., Assistant Professor and Medical Director of the Integrative Medicine Center, Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, & Integrative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States
An Integrative Oncology Framework for Discussions Regarding Nutrition and Supplements
Dr. Gabriel Lopez is Associate Professor, Clinical Section Chief, and Medical Director of the Integrative Medicine Center at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, & Integrative Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine. His primary clinical focus is providing integrative oncology consultations in the Integrative Medicine Center.
Dr. Lopez received his medical degree from the Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He received training in Internal Medicine at The University of Texas at Houston, McGovern Medical School. Following his residency, Dr. Lopez completed a fellowship in Palliative Care and Symptom Control at MD Anderson and then a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Dr. Lopez has clinical and research interests in the areas of integrative oncology, supportive care and patient reported outcomes. He is on the National Cancer Institute, PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board, responsible for producing and maintaining evidence-based summaries on integrative medicine topics for health professionals, patients and the general public. He is currently a Society for Integrative Oncology Board Member and Clinical Practice Committee Co-Chair.
Vasantha Rupasinghe, Professor of Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, Dalhousie University, Canada
Cancer-management efficacies of dietary flavonoids and their derivatives
Siyaram Pandey, Professor of Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Canada
Anti-cancer Natural extracts, scientific validation, mechanism of action, and interaction with standard chemotherapeutic drugs: Challenges in the development as a mainstream cancer therapy
Siyaram Pandey is a Distinguished University Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Windsor. He obtained his B. Sc. Hons (Chemistry) and M. Sc. In Biochemistry from Banaras Hindu University, India, PhD from JNU (Delhi) and CCMB Hyderabad, India, did postdoctoral training at McGill university, worked at NRC as Research Officer before joining the University of Windsor in 2000. Dr. Pandey’s research is focused on apoptosis (cell suicide), which is central to various aspects of human health including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. His group has made a good contribution on anti-cancer and neuroprotective natural health products, with one of the NHP, Dandelion root extract approval for clinical trial in Canada. He has published more than 95 research articles and has 3 patents (two awarded and one filed). He was the President of the Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada from 2013-1015, was the Founder Director and CSO of the Windsor Botanical Therapeutics Inc. Toronto (2015-2017).
June 15 - NHPs in Cognitive and Mental Health
Chairs
Mélanie Plourde, Full Professor in the Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Université de Sherbrooke, INAF, Canada
New perspectives on randomized controlled trials with omega-3 fatty acid supplements and cognition: a systematic review
In July 2010, Dr Plourde became Assistant professor in the Geriatric Section of the Department of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science at the Université de Sherbrooke and she became Full professor in 2020. The goal of her research program is to prevent cognitive decline through a better understanding of the interactions between genetics and diet in the aging process and in the metabolism of omega-3 fatty acids. She is attempting to generate fundamental data to establish a causal link between age-induced alterations of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism and the apolipoprotein E-epsilon4 genotype, the most important genetic factor in Alzheimer’s disease. She is also an expert in the use of uniformly labelled carbon 13 fatty acid to determine their kinetics in humans. Her expertise in fatty acid analysis was recognized by joining as a co-chair the international group expert on Fatty Acid Best Practice Analysis sponsored by the International Life Science Institute-North America. In 2016, she received the New Investigator award from CIHR-INMD and the Canadian Nutrition Society. She also received the first institutional Research Chair on lipid metabolism during aging donated by the Medical Research Center of Université de Sherbrooke, a New Investigator Salary award from CIHR. She was also awarded the ILSI North America Future Leader in Nutrition international prize in 2017. She was very proud to be awarded in 2020 by the Canadian Nutrition Society the Young Investigator Award for Outstanding Research in recognition of her expertise and leadership.
Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Research Psychologist, USDA, ARS, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, United States
The Potential Cognitive Health Impact of Berries
Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale is the USDA Staff Scientist in the Laboratory of Neuroscience and Aging, USDA-ARS, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University in Boston, MA. She received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Boston University and has been involved in research for 40 years. Dr. Shukitt-Hale investigates age-related motor and cognitive performance changes due to oxidative stress and inflammation, in conjunction with changes in cellular function and signal transduction, and the possible amelioration of these effects with proper nutrition. Notably, she has shown that polyphenolic compounds have beneficial effects on the brain, including enhanced signaling, autophagy, and neurogenesis and that fruit and vegetable extracts, such as from strawberries, blueberries, and walnuts, can prevent and even reverse age-related changes in brain performance. Recently, Dr. Shukitt-Hale has focused on translating these results to humans through the use of clinical trials. She continues to research the mechanisms behind the positive effects of foods. She has published more than 248 manuscripts and selected papers and serves on the Editorial Board of numerous scientific journals.
Dennis McKenna, Principal Founder & President at McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, British Columbia, Canada
Psychedelics Rediscovered: New Uses for Ancient Medicines
Dennis McKenna’s research has focused on the interdisciplinary study of Amazonian ethnopharmacology. He has conducted extensive ethnobotanical fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon.
His doctoral research (University of British Columbia,1984) focused on the ethnopharmacology of ayahuasca and oo-koo-he, two tryptamine-based hallucinogens used by indigenous peoples in the Northwest Amazon. He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute, and was a key organizer and participant in the Hoasca Project, the first biomedical investigation of ayahuasca. He is the younger brother of Terence McKenna. From 2000 to 2017, he taught courses on Ethnopharmacology and Plants in Human affairs in the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota. In 2019, in collaboration with colleagues, he incorporated a new non-profit, the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy. He emigrated to Canada in the spring of 2019 together with his wife Sheila, and now resides in Abbotsford, B.C.
Gabrielle Walach, Undergraduate student in Behaviour, Cognition, and Neuroscience, University of Windsor, Canada
Evaluating the Efficacy of Ashwagandha and Ubisol-Q10 as Treatment for Mechanisms Implicated in Parkinson’s Disease
June 15 - NHPs in Naturopathic Medicine (PANEL)
Chairs
Kieran Cooley, Director of Research, Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
Kieran’s is Director of Research at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. His research experience includes conducting whole-practice clinical trials on naturopathic care, evaluating the quality and impact of both naturopathic and integrative medicine, as well as collaborating with various institutions to evaluate natural health products. He is currently past-Chair of the Canadian Interdisciplinary Network of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Researchers (INCAM) and Visiting Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology, Sydney through the International Naturopathy Research Leadership and Capacity Building Program. Kieran is co-editor in chief of the Journal of Natural Health Product Research (JNHPR), the official journal of the Natural Health Product Research Society (NHPRS). He is fortunate to have collaborated widely and sits on Research Working Groups of the World Naturopathic Federation (WNF) and Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM).
Christopher Knee, naturopathic doctor and clinical researcher, Fullscript’s Integrative Medical Advisory Team, Canada
NHPs in Naturopathic Medicine: Industry Perspectives on Supplement Quality and Education
Dr. Christopher Knee is a naturopathic doctor, clinical researcher, and natural health and wellness expert from Ottawa, Canada. As Research and Education Manager for Fullscript’s Integrative Medical Advisory Team (IMAT), he oversees research projects and the development of medical educational content for practitioners and patients across North America.
He completed Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the University of Guelph, in Human Kinetics and Human Biology/Nutritional Sciences, respectively, and completed naturopathic training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. He is passionate about evidence-informed practice, patient education, health services research, and advancing our understanding of natural medicines. He has extensive industry and advisory experience, having worked with various organizations including The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Police Service, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Nordion Inc., and Pfizer Inc.
Shawn O’Reilly, Executive Director and Director of Government Relations for the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND), Canada
Implementation of the Natural Health Product Regulations
Ms. Shawn O’Reilly is the Executive Director and Director of Government Relations for the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND). Ms. O’Reilly has been involved in the field of natural medicine for over 30 years, holding senior positions with two of Canada’s preeminent professional line nutraceutical companies and a holistic compounding pharmacy prior to joining the CAND in 2002. Previously Ms. O’Reilly was a senior litigation law clerk and law clerk manager for several top Canadian law firms specializing in medical malpractice and insurance litigation.
In her role as Executive Director Shawn sits as the CAND representative on the Board of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC); is a member of the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE/NPLEX) Advisory Committee and liaises with numerous naturopathic organizations in Canada and the U.S as well as the World Naturopathic Federation.
Through her role as Director of Government Relations Shawn works extensively with various government Ministries and directorates of the federal government including: Health, Finance, Indigenous and Veterans sitting on a number of advisory committees and technical working groups. Shawn received commendations from Health Canada for her work as a member of the NHPD Program Advisory Committee, Co-Chair of the NHPD Standards of Evidence Working Group and the NNHPD Technical Working group.
Ryan Bradley, Senior Investigator, Director of Research and Associate Professor, National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM), United States
Challenges and Opportunities for Naturopathy in NHP Clinical Research
Dr. Bradley is a clinician, researcher and educator with 19 years of experience at the intersection between naturopathic medicine and public health. He received his Doctor of Naturopathy (ND) from Bastyr University in 2003 and his Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from the University of Washington in 2009. After graduation, he participated in 8 years of NIH-funded clinical research training, including 5 years in the Division of Cardiology in the School of Medicine at the University of Washington. He is currently a Principal Investigator/Program Director on 3 NIH grants, including an FDA-regulated Phase II clinical trial of the polyphenolic xanthohumol in Crohn’s disease. His primary academic appointment is as a Senior Investigator, Director of Research and Associate Professor at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, OR. In addition to his roles at NUNM, he is an Associate Professor in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), an Affiliate Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Washington in Seattle, and a Visiting Professor at both the University of Technology, Sydney in Sydney, Australia and the Center for Naturopathy Research at Southern Cross University in East Lismore, Australia. Dr. Bradley has published over 75 peer-reviewed manuscripts of original research in high impact journals including: Aging, Atherosclerosis, the Journal of Translational Medicine, Nutrients, Nutrition Reviews, Trials, and others.