Get to know our Stakeholder Advisory Board Members!

Joanna is the MD at SHCN. She founded SHCN in 2008 after it running it initially as an Interreg IIIC network operation (2005-2007). It is in its 3rd iteration. She has built and leads a multinational and interdisciplinary team that is a partner in EU funded projects/assignments and also act as: external evaluators and advisers to various European and international organisations/ programmes; mentors for start-ups and SMEs. In addition, Joanna is asked to co-write proposals to secure funding to: (i) develop and test novel solutions in cancer care that lead to better prevention and less invasive treatments (ii) maturation funding for non-profit organisations growing as European leaders in under-funded health fields (iii) securing added value from health spending. She is also: Professor at the Centre for Health & Technology, University of South Eastern Norway; Senior EU Advisor at Norway Health Tech; Senior Expert in interregional innovation with REGIO-CEI-AMI. Previously she was: Co-founder and MD of the Stichting Integrate Think Tank (2012-2018); Special Professor for Health & Public Policy, School of Community Health Sciences University of Nottingham (2001-2010); Lay Member of the University Court at Edinburgh Napier University (2008-2011); Executive Director of CCL Associates (2001-2007); Director of Research and Evaluation at Health Education Board for Scotland (1996-2001); Visiting Professor of Public Health Policy, University of York (1999-2001).

Antonis is a Register Dietitian-Nutritionist with 10-year experience in the study of the role of foods and food processing on health. He has worked in academic institutions in Greece and the UK, is a member of expert boards, works as an FAO-consultant and has experience from private research institutes in the food industry. His research interests focus on the cardioprotective mechanisms of food bioactives, the creation of nutrition research infrastructures like food composition databases (branded and for specialized compounds) as well as the design and evaluation of food policy interventions in the general population and/or sensitive groups. He studies the pathways for successful nutrition policy interventions with an aim to combat chronic diseases and malnutrition in every form. He is particularly interested in the study and promotion of the Mediterranean Diet beyond the food pyramid with a focus on eating and cultural habits, the study of the Mediterranean food chain and their role on human and planetary health. He is passionate about science communication and leadership and organizes training events (summer schools, masterclasses and seminars) for young scientists. He is a member of various professional and scientific bodies and an Honorary Research Fellow in the University of Glasgow. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the Hellenic Dietetic Association.

Sandra is a nurse specialist (non-practicing) and head teacher at the Master Advanced Nursing Practice at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. She works as a professor in Positive Health, Lifestyle and Leadership at Saxion University of Applied Sciences and Medisch Spectrum Twente (L.INT professor). Her expertise lies in the field of Positive Health, lifestyle, nutrition, delirium in the elderly and practice-oriented research. She has a holistic view of health. She is involved in various interdisciplinary research and innovation projects from the Positive Health Approach focused on lifestyle and competences of professionals, including leadership. The connection between practice, education and research and interdisciplinary collaboration are central to this.

Rodolfo is currently Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. His research interests include the economics of food consumption, policy, and health. He has focused his work on critical issues such as poverty, nutrition, obesity, and novel food technologies. He has examined issues related to how people comprehend and use food and nutritional labels and how these would then influence a number of important health related outcomes such as diet quality and obesity. He has also analysed the effects of important federal food programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program on food consumption and obesity. His work in this area provided crucial information on the causal effects of important federal food programs/policies on health outcomes of various segments of the population including children and historically disadvantaged groups. Another strand of his research is on the application of stated and revealed preference elicitation methods to study how people would value novel food products, food programs, and policies. According to Google Scholar, his work has been cited more than 18,000 times, with an H-index of 74 in journals. He has received roughly $34 million in research grants and contracts from USDA, NIH, USAID, FAO, National Bureau of Economic Research, EU Research Framework, Norway’s National Research Council, Korea’s National Research Foundation, and WK Kellogg Institute.

Simona is a MD and associate professor in Clinical Nutrition. She is working at the Dietetic and Clinical Nutrition Unit of the “Città della Salute e della Scienza” Hospital of Torino (Italy). She has a post-graduation in “Endocrinology and Metabolism” and one in “Internal Medicine”, both obtained at the University of Torino. Her areas of expertise are related to the organization of lifestyle intervention trials in patients with obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus, the study of the role of foods and nutrients on dysmetabolic diseases and research in the area of clinical nutrition. She is the author of more than 200 publications in international journals, which received >20.000 citations, resulting in an h-index equal to 52.

Mercedes is an accomplished Senior Innovation Programme Manager at the European Institute of Innovation & Technology in Food (EIT Food) and a recognized expert in the field of food innovation. At EIT Food, Mercedes provides strategic vision and guidance on food system innovation and sustainable resource management, at both a European and international level. She supports EIT Food in making the food system more sustainable, healthy, and trusted on a global level. She currently leads the Sustainable Aquaculture focus area at EIT Food. During her 24-year career, Mercedes has worked closely with national and European organisations and institutions, including the University of Oxford, large corporates and start-ups. While managing the European Common Agricultural Policy in northern Spain, she worked with farmers on food safety, quality, and the importance of sustainability and environmental impact. Mercedes is currently completing a master in Sustainable Aquaculture at St Andrew's University in the UK and holds an MA in Nutrition and Agricultural Engineering, focusing on agri-food industries, along with certificates in Open Innovation from University of Oxford, and Design and Management of European programmes. Above all, she is passionate about driving real change, believing that NOW is the time to act to build a better world for all.