Keynote Speakers
Abd Karim Alias
Professor
Food Biopolymer Research Group
Food Technology Division
School of Industrial Technology
Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia)
Dr Abd Karim Alias is a Professor and currently a Deputy Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia). He obtained his Master in Food Process Engineering and PhD from University of Reading (UK) on extrusion cooking of starch and then joined the university as a lecturer since 1994. His research interests are mainly on the fundamental aspects of structure-property relationships and technological applications of starch (particularly sago starch) and non-starch polysaccharides (particularly konjac glucomannan). He is a group leader of Food Biopolymer Research Group, a virtual research group established in 1999 to undertake extensive research on food biopolymer, particularly sago starch. He has published more than 80 papers in international journals and proceedings. Currently his research work is directed at developing new ways of modifying starch by chemical or physical modifications with the ultimate aim to develop gelatin alternatives. He has great interest in using internet as an alternative medium for learning and teaching. He has developed a comprehensive e-learning course and a special website called “Virtual Food Science & Technology Library”. In 2002, he received the inaugural "USM Excellent Educator Award" and Hall of Fame Award under the same category from the university. He has also been nominated by the university for a National Academic Award (teaching) in 2006.
Les Copeland
Professor of Agriculture
Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
University of Sydney (Australia)
Les Copeland is Professor of Agriculture in the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources in the University of Sydney. After obtaining BSc and PhD degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Sydney, and after postdoctoral research in the USA at Yale University and the State University of New York, he took up an academic appointment in the University of Sydney, where he has been since 1974. He was Head of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science from 1993 to 2000, and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources from 2001 to 2007. He is currently Chair of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture. Professor Copeland has published extensively and taught courses in a wide range of areas of agricultural, food, plant and environmental chemistry and biochemistry. A major focus of his current research is on the relationship between form and functionality of cereal grain starches and proteins. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of the Editorial Board of Plant Science, and a member of the Research Advisory Board of the Australian Farm Institute. He has been a Fulbright Fellow in the University of California in Davis, USA, and a Visiting Fellow in the Australian National University.
E. Allen Foegeding
William Neal Reynolds Professor of Food Science
North Carolina State University (USA)
Dr. Foegeding has been a faculty member in the Department of Food Science at North Carolina State University since 1982. He conducts research and teaches in the areas of protein functionality and polymer and colloidal properties of food products, with emphasis on whey proteins and dairy products. In 1995 and 1996, he was a Visiting Scientist at the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute. Current research on gels and cheese is directed at understanding sensory texture based on non-linear rheological and fracture properties. A recent major research effort has been directed at understanding factors regulating stability and flavor of whey proteins in beverages. This research has focused on modifying proteins to increase thermal stability at neutral pH and reducing astringency at acidic pH. Dr. Foegeding has supervised over 40 graduate students and published over 100 refereed journal articles.
Mike Gidley
Director
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences
University of Queensland (Australia)
Professor Mike Gidley is Director of the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland, based in Brisbane, Australia. The Centre is linked with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries for whom Prof Gidley acts as Research Mentor. The Centre has the aim of promoting nutrition and food sciences across the two organisations, and has research programmes in the areas of naturally-structured foods, biopolymer materials science, micronutrient metabolomics, and the behaviour of food in the digestive tract. Professor Gidley was trained in chemistry at the Universities of London (BSc) and Cambridge (PhD), and worked on food-related research for more than twenty years in Unilever's R+D laboratory at Colworth House in the UK, before moving to Brisbane in 2003.
Nazlin Karmali Howell
Professor
School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences
University of Surrey (United Kingdom)
Nazlin Karmali Howell BSc, PhD CChem FRSC FIFST FRSA is Professor of Food Biochemistry in the School of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) First Class and PhD in Food Science from the University of Nottingham. After working as a senior research scientist at Lyons Central Laboratories, London and Leatherhead Food Research International, she joined the University of Surrey in 1983. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada (2003-2007). Her research is focused on the structure, physicochemical properties and interactions of proteins with a view to improving the organoleptic and nutritional quality and safety of foods. Her current interests include interactions of food proteins with polysaccharides and lipids including oxidised lipids and natural antioxidants using rheology, DSC, spectroscopy, LC-MS, MALDI-TOF, microscopy and cell culture. Her research has been funded by the EC, BBSRC, EPSRC, DTI-LINK and industry to the tune of 3.4 million British Pounds. She has coordinated four EC projects and a LINK project and collaborated with 27 partners in 13 countries, including Africa and Asia. She has over 240 papers including 75 research papers, several refereed book chapters, reports and conference papers.
Ian T Norton
Professor of Microstructural Engineering
University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)
Professor Norton has recently left his role as Chief Scientist at Unilever to take a Chair of Microstructural Engineering at the University of Birmingham. His doctorate was in the Physical Chemistry of polysaccharide conformational transitions were he focused on fast reaction kinetics and thermodynamics. Once he joined industry he moved into the area of colloids and interfaces and developed a microstructure approach. This approach is were the material properties are designed by choosing the ingredients and the way they physically interact and then designing the process to physically structure and trap the microstructure. Professor Norton used this approach to design foods and home and personal care products, resulting in a large number of new inventions (he has more than 60 granted patents). In his new role at the University Professor Norton has continued his approach and study a wide range of soft solids which are used extensively in: Foods, Personal Care, Cosmetics, Paints, Pharmaceuticals and Home Care. Professor Norton has authored more than 100 original refereed papers on biopolymers, fat physical chemistry, kinetics, emulsions, rheology and material science.
Amos Nussinovitch
Professor
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
Prof. Amos Nussinovitch studied chemistry at the University of Tel Aviv, for his B.Sc as well as food engineering and biotechnology for his B.Sc., M.Sc. and D.Sc. degrees at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He has worked as an engineer in several companies and has been involved in several research and development projects, in both the United States and Israel, dealing in particular with the physical properties of liquids, semi-solids, solids and powders. Nussinovitch has also spent three years at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst working as a member of three different research groups. Currently, Prof. Nussinovitch is at the Biochemistry and Food Science Department at the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the leader of a large group of researchers working on theoretical and practical aspects of hydrocolloids, including: coating of cells and foods, hydrocolloid glues, hydrocolloid cellular solids and water-soluble polymer uses in foods, cosmetics, medicine, biotechnology and agriculture. He is the sole author of two books: Hydrocolloid Applications, Gum Technology in the Food and Other Industries and Water-Soluble Polymer Applications in Foods. He has written more than 120 papers on hydrocolloids and the physical properties of foods and has about 30 patent applications. Moreover, Prof. Nussinovitch has been invited to speak and attend many conferences, and is an esteemed lecturer of physical properties of foods, food processing and water soluble polymer applications in foods, at the Hebrew University and around the world.
Hongbin Zhang
Prof.of Polymer Physical Chemistry
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
Hongbin Zhang is Professor of polymer physical chemistry in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China. He graduated from Fudan University (China) in radiochemistry with a B.Sc. Degree in 1987 and holds his Master Degree in applied chemistry in 1995 and Ph.D.in polymer materials in 1998 from SJTU. Dr. Zhang has postdoctoral experience at Osaka City University, Japan, and shortdated research experience at Unilever Research, Bedford, Uk. His research interests are mainly on polysaccharide hydrogels, rheology of polymer materials, polymer processing and electrochemical technology. Dr. Zhang has supervised 8 Ph.D. and 8 Master Course students, tought course on the areas of biopolymer gels and high polymer science at SJTU and published more than 60 research papers on biopolymers and synthetic polymers. The major focuses of his current research are on the physico-chemical properties of curdlan and its derivatives and the voltammetric characterization on the gelation mechanisms of some tipical polysaccharides. He is currently acting as an editorial board member of Food Hydrocolloids. In 2006, he received the “Shanghai Meiji Dairy Life Science Award”.
Gregory R. Ziegler
Professor
Penn State University (USA)
B.S. in Food Science from Penn State University, 1980. M.S. in Food Science from Clemson University, 1982 - research on the heat-induced aggregation and gelation of muscle proteins. Ph.D. in Food Engineering from Cornell University, 1988 - research on the thermodynamics of mixed protein gels and the impact demixing has on their rheological properties. Joined Penn State as Assistant Professor in 1988, currently Professor of food science and Director of Penn State's Center for Food Manufacturing. Research focus is the material nature of foods. Physical properties and processing of polymeric and particulate foods, with emphasis on chocolate and confectionery products. Recent emphasis on crystallization phenomena, especially spherulitic crystallization, in lipids and starches. His research has been supported by the William and Lois Dietrich Endowment in Food Bioprocessing.
