Professor Nathalie Delzenne (BE)

Catholic University of Louvain, School of Pharmacy

Nathalie Delzenne is professor in Nutrition and Biochemistry, and is the leader of the research group in Experimental Nutrition in the Unit of Pharmacokinetics, Metabolism, Nutrition and Toxicology of the Université catholique de Louvain.
She is involved in international projects and scientific committees (including International Life Sciences Institute) , and is an editor and reviewer for several international journals (Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, British Journal of Nutrition…).
She is also a member of the Scientific Board of the European Academy of Nutritional Science.

Professor Ángel Gil Hernández (ES)

University of Granada, Institute for Nutrition and Food Technology

Ángel Gil Hernández is Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is a renowned scientist and researcher in the fields of biochemistry and nutrition. He is a member of the scientific committees of different organizations, including the Spanish Nutrition Society. He will preside the International Congress of Nutrition in 2013.

Professor Kurt Widhalm (AT)

Medical University Vienna, Department for Nutrition and Metabolism

Kurt Widhalm is the President of the European Childhood Obesity Group since 2003. At the Medical University Vienna he is Professor for Clinical Nutrition and Head of Department for Nutrition and Metabolism. He is also head of the Academy of Clinical Nutrition at the Austrian Nutrition Society and of the Physicians Board of Vienna.

Professor Jean-Michel Lecerf (FR)

Institut Pasteur de Lille, Nutrition Department

Jean-Michel Lecerf is the Head of the Nutrition Department at the Institute. As an expert in endocrinology and metabolism, he is also an Associate Professor at the Science and Technology University of Lille and Consultant at the Hospital Centre of the University. Professor Lecerf is the author of 350 scientific articles and of several books in the fields of nutrition, diabetes, cholesterol and obesity.

I am actually working on bone and nutrition, cardiovascular disease and nutrition and on obesity and dietary behaviour. We conducted also studies on the effect of fatty acids on cholesterol metabolism We organize each year two important congress on nutrition at the Institut Pasteur de Lille

• Researcher at the Institut Pasteur de Lille
• Professor at the "Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille"
• Clinical practice at the "Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Lille"

I have an interest for soy and soy foods since more than twenty years. Naturally I consider that each food take place in a good and balanced diet, moreover when this food has an high history in human diet such as soya. Furthermore soya gives us new insights on nutrition with the effects of isoflavones, for example. Finally many studies have shown that soy-foods may be good for an healthy diet.

Professor Mark Messina (US)

Loma Linda University, Adjunct Associate Professor of Nutrition

Mark Messina is president of Nutrition Matters, Inc., a nutrition consulting company located near Seattle , Washington, in the United States and is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition at Loma Linda University , Loma Linda, California. He is also the chairperson of the editorial advisory board of The Soy Connection, a quarterly newsletter that is received by more than 100,000 dietitians and other health professionals in the United States .

Dr. Messina has organized and chaired 8 international symposia on soyfoods and health and has organized smaller meetings in several countries including China , India and Brazil. He is considered a world expert on soy having co-authored more than 50 papers and chapters. Dr. Messina has also co-authored 3 books and has given more than 400 presentations on soy in the United States and 35 countries.

During the past 20 years I have focused my efforts primarily on communicating the health effects of soyfoods and soybean constituents such as isoflavones to a variety of audiences but especially dietitians and nutritionists. My view is that the nutritional attributes of soyfoods warrant these foods having a larger role in Western diets than is currently the case. Because of the vast amount of soy-related research published it is quite challenging for health professionals to keep abreast of the scientific literature.

Furthermore, the internet, which is increasingly a source of nutrition information for health professionals and the public, is often very inaccurate and misleading. Thus, now more than ever, there is a need for health professionals focused on soy to increase their communication efforts.

Professor Ian Rowland (UK)

University of Reading, Department of Food Biosciences

Ian Rowland is the Head of Human Nutrition Unit within the Department of Food Biosciences of the University of Reading. He is a Registered Nutritionist and is on the editorial boards of 5 journals and is the author of over 200 scientific publications. Dr Rowland is Vice-Chairman of the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. Dr Rowland's research interests lie in the area of dietary prevention of cancer of the colon, prostate and breast, with a focus on plant foods and phytochemicals. The techniques used range from in vitro mammalian cell systems that model various stages of carcinogenesis to human dietary intervention trials using novel biomarkers of cancer risk.

I have a long standing interest in the potential anti-cancer effects of soy foods and their components, in particular the mechanisms of action of isoflavones at the cellular and molecular levels. In addition, I have researched the metabolism and bioavailability of isoflavones, with especial reference to the role of equol.

My reason for being part of the ENSA panel is that as a nutritionist, I am concerned to promote the advantages of consuming whole foods rather than isolated phytochemicals in the form of supplements. This is partly because use of whole foods mitigates against over-consumption of bioactive phytochemicals with potential adverse effects at high doses and in part because epidemiology suggesting benefits is usually based on whole foods. In addition, there is emerging evidence that the combinations of phytochemicals found in plants may act synergistically.

Professor Anna Arnoldi (IT)

University of Milano, Department of Agri-Food Molecular Science

Anna Arnoldi is professor of Food chemistry and Functional foods at the School of Pharmacy of the University of Milan. She is authors of more than 130 papers on international journal or books, more than 130 oral communications at congresses, and 5 patents. The main research interests are the following: health promoting components of grain legumes (soybean, lupin, pea), nutraceuticals for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, toxicological and sensory consequences of the thermal treatments of food (Maillard reaction), development of innovative methods for food quality assurance based on mass spectrometry and proteomics.

She has been the coordinator of two European research projects, i.e. "Optimisation of the Maillard reaction. A way to improve quality and safety of thermally processed food" and "Optimised processes for preparing healthy and added value food ingredients from lupin kernels, the European protein-rich grain legume". She has been the vice-president of the European Association on Grain Legumes (AEP) in the period 2004-2007 and she one of founders of the academic spin-off HPF-Nutraceutics which develops new nutraceuticals from legumes.

Interest in soybean: Prof. Arnoldi collaborates from 1998 with prof. Cesare Sirtori in the area of the application of soybean protein in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. She has in general interests on vegetable proteins from legumes, including also minor crops such as lupin and pea.

Prof. Cesare R. Sirtori (IT)

University of Milano, Department of Pharmacological Sciences

Cesare Sirtori is Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Milano and from 2206 is the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy. He also Director of the University Center for Dyslipidemias at City Hospital of Niguarda that has followed more than 20,000 patients with lipid disorders/arterial disease in the past 36 years. Professor Sirtori is the author of over 500 scientific articles, more than 300 of which on highly ranked medico-biological journals, as well as of several books in the field of atherosclerosis, clinical pharmacology, nutrition and others.

I am actually working on novel treatments affecting HDL-cholesterol, particularly with the mutant apolipoprotein A-IMilano as well as with a number of nutraceuticals. A special interest, besides that in soya, is currently in lupin proteins that provide an interesting alternative.

My functions - Clinical Director of the University Center of Dysplipidemias, Niguarda Hospital Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Milano Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy

I have had a keen interest in soya and soya foods for over 30 years. I was the first to point out, in hypercholesterolemic patients, that full substitution of animal proteins with soy proteins may result in remarkable cholesterol reductions.

This finding has been recently confirmed albeit, of course, with the limitation of a selection of patients with lower lipids and not exclusive intake of soya proteins in the diet. Soya proteins offer remarkable insight into the mechanism of both cholesterol and blood pressure reduction as well as, possibly regulation of body weight. In my research group we are extremely active in this field, in the hope of identifying a number of active peptide moieties that may be of help in these disorders. Ensa has offered an important public stage providing this type of information to the public and also to political leaders.

Professor Antonio Vittorino Gaddi (IT)

Antonio V Gaddi is Professor of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of Bologna and works at the Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital (Internal Medicine Operative Unit). Prof Gaddi is also Director of the "Giancarlo Descovich" Atherosclerosis Centre, which is affiliated to the International Atherosclerosis Society.

Professor Gaddi is an expert and advisor to the Italian Health Ministry on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases prevention and is author of more than 200 international publications in the areas of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease prevention and therapy, diet effects on lipid metabolism, familial hyperlipoproteinemias diagnosis, mathematical modeling for HLP study, LDL apheresis, and eHealth.

Professor Gaddi published his first paper on soy protein effect on LDL cholesterol in familial hypercholesterolemias in the early 80s, investigating the role of aminoacids and other soy components on lipid metabolism and the effect of diet fats and protein on cardiovascular outcomes.

Diet is a complex science and it is still in its infancy. For this reason, there is a need to promote studies and research, analyze all available data several times, looking for new models of data analysis, and use innovative investigation tools. The collaboration with ENSA offers many opportunities to disseminate the results of preventive medicine and to influence on opinion leaders and public authorities on the need to improve the nutritional patterns in the European population.

Joan Trabal

Joan Trabal is a registered dietitian currently working as a researcher in clinical nutrition at the Nutrition and Dietetics Unit of the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona.

His work mainly focuses on nutritional support and diet therapy in hospital and nursing home admitted patients. His research interests include the prevention and treatment of the loss of muscle strength and functionality, and the improvement of quality of life in elderly patients, through the use of nutritional strategies and exercise.

He is involved in communicating the positive health effects of soyfoods to health care professionals, collaborating in different projects on this topic.