These are the biographies of some of our accepted speakers. Not all our speakers are listed here.
Adeel Ahmad, Consultant Family Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Jeddah, Birmingham, Saudi Arabia
Dr Adeel is a Consultant in the Family Medicine Department at KFSHRC – Jeddah. He completed his General Practice training, Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and DRCOG from UK. He holds a Masters (MSc Sports and Exercise Medicine) from University Of Nottingham, UK and is Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) USA. He is Director, Family Medicine Residency Training Program and Chairman, Evidence Based Practice Committee KFSHRC – Jeddah. His interests include research, evidence based medicine, musculoskeletal medicine, obesity and physical activity. He is member of the scientific advisory board and reviews research articles for international journals.
Richard L. Atkinson, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
Richard Atkinson is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Affiliate Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University; Executive Director, Virginia Obesity Research Institute; and President of Obetech, LLC. He is Editor of the International Journal of Obesity and of Nutrition and Diabetes; and Past President of NAASO (now TOS), the American Obesity Association, and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition. His recent research focuses on virus-induced obesity. He first reported that a human adenovirus (Adv36) produces obesity in animals and is associated with obesity in humans. He has >200 publications and >250 abstracts in the medical literature.
Shafqat Ahmad, Lunds university, Malmo, Sweden
Dr. Shafqat Ahmad is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University USA. Dr. Ahmads long term research interests involve the development of a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology and how genes in interaction with different lifestyle exposures including dietary factors contribute to cardiometabolic and cardiovascular related diseases. Dr. Ahmads research also focus on ethnic and socioeconomic variations in obesity and related metabolic diseases.
Kiera Buchanan, Centre for Integrative Health, Brisbane, Australia
Catherine Christie, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, United States
Dr Catherine Christie is Associate Dean and Professor in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida. She is co-author of four books including The Latino Food Lovers Glossary, Fat is Not Your Fate, Eat to Stay Young and Id Kill for a Cookie.
A Registered Dietitian and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dr Christie earned her Masters and Ph.D. in nutrition from Florida State University. She recently received the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award and the Excellence in Practice Award for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Anne M. Davis, University of New Haven, West Haven, United States
Jane Deville-Almond, British Obesity Society, United Kingdom
Jane has a career spanning over 40 years working at the cutting edge of innovation having had much national and local press coverage and appearing on many TV and radio shows. Since 1997 she has run mens health surgeries and weight management clinics in many unusual places including pubs, barbers shop, Harley-Davidson show room, truck stops, crown green bowling clubs, working mens clubs and fishing fairs. Her research on diabesity and male truck drivers was presented at the IDF World Diabetes Congress in Montreal and published in the American Journal of Mens Health.
Ellen Govers, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Shelley Gorman, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Australia
Dr Shelley Gorman is a Senior Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute. Her research aims to better understand the health effects of sun exposure and vitamin D. She is focused on determining how ultraviolet radiation modulates metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and immunity. Dr Gorman was awarded the Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation Al and Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship beginning in 2016 to investigate how safe sun exposure might be harnessed to reduce obesity development.
Caz Hales, Victoria University of Wellington, United Kingdom
Dr Caz Hales has a research background in health care practices and service provision for obese patients, health-related social stigma, and attitudes and perceptions of health care professionals towards obesity. Caz is the co-founder and researcher for the Bariatric Management Innovation (BMI) initiative which supports the development and delivery of safe, appropriate, equitable care and service provision for very large patients. Currently, Caz is taking time out from her role at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and is working in the UK as a Senior Research Nurse at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust.
Dimitrios A. Koutoukidis, UCL Institute for Womens Health, London, United Kingdom
Dimitrios Koutoukidis holds an MSc in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition from UCL. He undergone his dietetic internship in general and oncological hospitals and has been involved in national and European research projects focusing on obesity and dietary patterns. His PhD, funded by UCL Grand Challenges Scheme, investigated the role of nutrition and physical activity in endometrial cancer survivors. He is currently working on evaluating behavioural lifestyle interventions in cancer survivors.
Daniel Stein, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
Prof. Daniel Stein, M.D. is a certified psychiatrist and child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is the emeritus director of the Pediatric Psychosomatic Department, The Edmond and Lily Safra Childrens Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. He is a full Professor (clinical) and Head of the Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, University of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. Prof. Stein has written over 150 articles and book chapters published in prominent international journals and books. He is has recently completed, as a co-editor, the publication of three books on eating disorders
Karen Knapp, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
Karen Knapp is an Associate Professor in Musculoskeletal Imaging at the University of Exeter. Combining a passion for research and education with her clinical background, Karen utilises research-led teaching to inspire students. With a background in teaching undergraduate and post-graduate students from masters through to professional doctorates and supervising PhD students, Karen is keen to engage at all levels of higher education. Karens primary research interest is in bone health, osteoporosis and associated pathologies, along with developing and testing computer aided detection (CAD) software in vertebral fracture patients. Karen is actively involved in the National Osteoporosis Society and the Society and College of Radiographers.
Clare Llewellyn, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Clare Llewellyn is a Lecturer in Behavioural Obesity Research at UCL. Her research interest is understanding how genes and the environment interact to promote excessive weight gain, with a focus on obesogenic behaviours, including eating behaviour and sleep. In 2007, with Professor Jane Wardle she established Gemini, the largest population-based birth cohort of twins ever set up to study genetic and environmental contributions to early life growth. Clare currently leads the Gemini study. She is also an elected Trustee for the UK Association for the Study of Obesity, and an honorary Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool.
Anne-Thea McGill, Massey University, Brisbane, Australia
Dr Anne-Thea McGill BSc.MBChB.FRNZCGP a General Practitioner (GP), now lives in Australia. She is applying to the RACGP to continue primary care weight & eating disorders management. She completed a PhD in Novel Clinical Metabolic Markers and Causes of Obesity-Related Metabolic Syndrome at the University of Auckland, taught at the GP dept & publishes articles. She continues obesity/nutrition related research & academic conference & community presentations. Her passion is linked biological & systems modelling theory, evolutionary human nutrition, addiction behaviours, & sustainable food production in healthy environments. Dr McGill plans to set up Human Ecology Consortia in a multi campus institution.
Graham MacGregor, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom,
Professor MacGregor trained as a nephrologist but became interested in blood pressure control mechanisms, particularly where salt puts up blood pressure.
In 1996 he set up Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), to try to get the food industry to add less salt to the food, thereby reducing the population salt intake. This resulted in a successful salt reduction programme being implemented and the UK now leads the world in salt reduction.
He later set up Action on Sugar which aims to reduce added sugar in processed foods in the same way as has been done with salt.
Sharon Robertson, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
Sharon is a strong advocate for the scientist practitioner model and holds a PhD and Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Adelaide. She has worked in both hospital and private clinical settings, as well as facilitating group work for weight loss programs. She is passionate about researching and developing innovative and engaging programs designed to facilitate weight loss and maintenance in obese populations, in the service of achieving symptom reduction and improving quality of life.
Debra Waters, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand