General Enquiries:

Institute for Global Food Security, Biological Sciences Building, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL

Email: sbsigfsoffice@qub.ac.uk 

Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 5787

Key Contacts:

Board Chair - Professor Ian Graham

Based at the University of York, Ian is Director of BioYork (https://www.york.ac.uk/bioyork/), and Weston Chair of Biochemical Genetics, with his research team based in the Department’s Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (www.york.ac.uk/biology/centrefornovelagriculturalproducts/). Ian was Director of the BBSRC funded High Value Chemicals from Plants Network in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy from 2014 - 2018 and continues in that role for the Phase II High Value Biorenewables Network, running 2019 - 2023. In 2016 Ian was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO). 

During his career Ian has made significant contributions to our understanding of plant metabolism and seed biology. Funding for his research comes from a range of sources including industry, UK Government (BBSRC), EU, UK and overseas charities.

Professor Dolores Peréz-Marín

Dolores got her PhD in Agriculture Engineering from the University of Córdoba-UCO in Spain. Since 1999, she has served as instructor and teacher in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry Engineering (ETSIAM, UCO). Currently, she holds the position of Full-Professor in Fundamentals and Technology of Livestock Production and in Non-destructive Spectral Sensors for Quality, Safety and Traceability of Agro-Food Products. She is Director of the Master Engineering and Management in the food chain and vice-dean in International Relations. She is a recognized expert in the use non-destructive spectral sensors applied to feed & food integrity.

One of her main expertise areas is linked to the processing of spectral 'Big Data' with multivariate analysis tools and nonlinear methods. This research has resulted in well over 200 publications, with 96 of these being peer reviewed papers in top quality journals.

Professor Grace Mulcahy

Grace’s research interests include the control of parasitic diseases of livestock, with a focus on developing novel vaccines and other non-chemical control methods.  

Specifically, she has worked on understanding the biology of liver fluke infection in cattle and sheep, using transcriptomic, glycomic and immunological methods, with a view to improving the prospects for a liver fluke vaccine to reduce anthelmintic use.  

Her group is also working on one health approaches to understanding gut health, and the influence of helminth infection on gut microbiota.   The Mulcahy lab is funded by the EU Commission, Science Foundation Ireland and industry.

Professor Julie Lovegrove

Julie is the Hugh Sinclair Professor of Human Nutrition, Director of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition and the Deputy Director of the Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research at the University of Reading. 

Professor Lovegrove’s research focus is the nutritional influences on cardiovascular disease risk, including nutrient-gene interactions and personalised nutrition. 

Of particular interest are the effects of dietary fats and plant phytochemicals on vascular health, insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism and the gut microbiome. She has interest in vulnerable groups including the homeless.

Professor Peter de Ruiter

Peter received his PhD in Ecology at Utrecht University in1987. He worked at the Department of Agricultural Research (DLO-WUR), before he was appointed as full professor Environmental Sciences (UU). Thereafter he was head of the Soil Science Centre  (WUR) and scientific director of  the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (UvA) where he retired on Dec 31^st 2018. At present he is part-time affiliated to Biometris (WUR).

His research interests are in the field of soil food web structure, functioning and stability, and how this relates to soil ecosystem functioning, in terms of energy and nutrient cycling, productivity and the preservation of biological diversity. A second line of research regards the occurrence of  ecological ‘tipping points’ and ‘sudden shifts’ in arid ecosystems leading to desertification and how this has impact on food security.

Professor Richard Cogdell FRS, FRSE, FRSA, FRSB

Richard is the Hooker Professor of Botany at Glasgow University in Scotland and is the Deputy Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences. As a student he studied Biochemistry and following a Post. Doctoral period in the US he took a position in Glasgow where he has been ever since.

His research is on Purple Bacterial photosynthesis, in particular on trying to understand the structure and function of the light harvesting complexes. His research is highly interdisciplinary involving protein crystallography, molecular biology, ultrafast laser spectroscopy and single molecule studies.

Professor Richard McDowell

Rich McDowell FRS(NZ) is the Chief Scientist for the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge in New Zealand, a Principal Scientist at AgResearch and a Professor at Lincoln University.

He has diverse research interests ranging from value chains to practice change and catchment management. He has a special interest in providing options and tools to mitigate water quality contamination (from a variety of land uses) while maintaining profitable farming enterprises.

He has produced around 400 journal articles, books and conference presentations on these topics and occasionally finds time to talk about them.

Professor Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr.

Rodolfo is Distinguished Professor and Tyson Endowed Chair at the University of Arkansas. He has been a faculty member at Texas A&M, Rutgers, and Massey University, New Zealand, adjunct professor in Korea University & Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, NBER research economist, Fulbright Senior Scholar at Wageningen University, Netherlands, and Research Fellow of the Waseda Institute of Advanced Studies, Tokyo.

He has published several articles in economics, behavioral science, marketing, and public health journals (H-index 56). He has been an associate editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, editor of Choices, and member of editorial board of several journals.