Keynote Speaker: Dr. Cornelia Loechl
Dr. Loechl joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2010 as a nutrition specialist and has been heading the Nutritional and Health-related Environmental Studies Section since June 2015. Before joining the IAEA, she was a scientist with the International Potato Center (CIP) and a post-doc research fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). She has extensive programme management experience which she gained through her work at the World Food Programme and the German Agency for International Cooperation. A German citizen, Dr. Loechl earned her Ph.D. in international nutrition from the University of Giessen, and her M.Sc. in human nutrition from the University of Bonn. Her current research focuses on the use of nuclear and related techniques in nutritional assessment and for monitoring and evaluation of nutrition interventions to combat all forms of malnutrition.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Brent Ruby
Dr. Ruby obtained his Ph.D. in exercise science from the University of New Mexico in 1994 where his research focused on hepatic glucose production during exercise in amenorrheic females. He started as an assistant professor in 1994 with the University of Montana and as the Director of the Human Performance Laboratory from 1994-2007. He now serves as the Director of the Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism (Montana WPEM). His research interests include nutritional strategies during ultra-endurance work/competition, muscle metabolism during and after exercise, and heat stress during arduous work. He has worked closely with the Air Force Research Laboratories, the Office of Naval Research, US Special Operations Command, US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, DARPA, the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, and the US Forest Service.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Cinthia Goldman
Dr. Goldman is a Professor in the Physics Department at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Universidad de Buenos Aires. She coordinates the courses in Radiophysics for Nuclear Medicine Technologists and Application of Radioisotopes for Medicine and Biomedical Sciences for medical doctors and other biomedical professionals. Dr. Goldman also acts as the Co-Director of the Stable Isotopes Laboratory Applied to Biology and Medicine within the same department and is a Research Scientist at the Argentine Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET).
Dr. Goldman’s research focuses on Helicobacter spp. infections in both human and animal hosts. Her work includes the diagnosis of these infections using stable isotope methodologies and molecular biology techniques, as well as epidemiological studies, treatment approaches, and investigations into the impact of H. pylori on nutrition and hormonal regulation of food intake. Her current research interests also involve the development of biochemical markers for gastroenterology and nutrition through the application of stable isotope techniques
Expert Speaker: Dr. Daniel Wilkinson
Daniel Wilkinson is a Principal Research Fellow within the Centre of Metabolism, Ageing and Physiology (CoMAP) at the University of Nottingham in the UK, where he co-manages the Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) facility. His key research focus is on the development and application of novel analytical techniques for monitoring metabolism in vivo in both health and disease, specifically through the use of stable isotope tracers. In addition to this, he has been at the forefront of development for implementation of quantitative and dynamic (stable isotope tracer based) omics techniques, to expand analytical capabilities and develop a more holistic understanding of skeletal muscle metabolism in health and disease.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Diane O’Brien
Dr. Diane O’Brien is the Director of the Institute of Arctic Biology and a Professor of Biology and Wildlife at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In the spring of 2024, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. Dr. O’Brien has been specializing in stable isotope measurements since the mid-1990s, beginning as a graduate student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. Her research focuses on stable isotope ecology, nutritional physiology, and the development of biomarkers for nutritional epidemiology. Dr. O’Brien utilizes dietary tools based on natural stable isotope ratios to study the impact of changing diets on the health of Alaska Natives and other populations.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Rood
Dr. Jennifer C. Rood is the Associate Executive Director for Cores and Resources at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. An expert in clinical chemistry, mass spectrometry, and energy expenditure measurement. Her primary focus is on measuring energy expenditure in various conditions, including weight gain/loss and intense exercise. Dr. Rood’s research, funded continuously by the Department of Defense since 1993, focuses on energy expenditure and protein metabolism during weight changes and exercise. She co-directs the Center for Military Performance and Resilience, is board certified by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry,and she holds the distinction of being a Fellow in the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry. She serves on the IAEA’s Doubly Labeled Water database management committee. With over 170 publications, her work significantly impacts military nutrition and energy metabolism.
Expert Speaker: Dr. John Speakman
Dr. John Speakman, a British biologist, is a professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and serves as the Director of the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenzhen, China. His research focuses on energy balance, exploring factors influencing food intake and energy expenditure, and their implications for fat storage (obesity) and other physiological parameters such as oxidative stress and aging.
Dr. Speakman also chairs the Global Doubly Labeled Water (DLW) Database, a comprehensive repository comprising over 11,000 measurements of daily energy expenditure using the DLW technique. This database spans 38 countries and encompasses diverse demographics from individuals aged 8 days to 101 years. Data are meticulously gathered from DLW laboratories worldwide, rigorously cross-checked and recalculated for utmost accuracy and reliability, and hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Matthew Brook
Matthew Brook is an Associate Professor within the Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham. Matthew’s research has centered on the development of strategies that utilize stable isotope tracers in combination with mass spectrometry for measuring metabolism in humans. Matthew has played a key role in the development of novel stable isotopic methods using deuterium oxide to make multi-substrate measurements (i.e. Protein, RNA, DNA) across multiple tissues in vitro, animal models, and humans. Matthew is now implementing these methods to unravel the intricacies of the musculoskeletal system and muscle mass regulation during health, aging, and chronic disease.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Manuel Ramirez-Zea
Manuel Ramirez-Zea, Guatemalan, MD, PhD in exercise physiology and nutrition (Pennsylvania State University). Head of the Department of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases, Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama and director of the Research Department of the Faculty of Medicine, Francisco Marroquin University. Dr. Ramírez-Zea has led research projects in epidemiology and interventions for primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases related to nutrition, obesity, physical activity, energy expenditure, body composition, cognitive development, mental health and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adults. He has mentored more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students and has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and book chapters. He was recently awarded the Medal of Science and Technology, the highest distinction awarded by the government of Guatemala to professionals who excel in areas of scientific research or technological development of national interest.
Expert Speaker: Dr. Sherry Tanumihardjo
Dr. Sherry Tanumihardjo is a Professor of Nutritional Sciences and the Director of the Undergraduate Certificate in Global Health Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Her research focuses on vitamin A and carotenoid metabolism in both animals and humans, employing a translational, molecules-to-man approach. Dr. Tanumihardjo’s work includes the application of stable isotopes to assess vitamin A status. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, including international experiences. With over 200 publications to her name, Dr. Tanumihardjo has presented at more than 300 domestic and international venues. She has also served on editorial boards and as a reviewer for numerous journals.
