Board of Directors 2021-2022

 

President

Alison Duncan, PhD, RD, FDC

Professor, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph

Bio:

Alison Duncan is a Professor and Associate Director of Research at the Human Nutraceutical Research Unit, in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. Alison’s academic training is all in nutrition with an undergraduate degree in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph, training to become a Registered Dietitian at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a M.Sc. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Minnesota. Her teaching and research relate to the biological effects of functional foods on chronic disease risk-related measures evaluated in human intervention studies, with a particular focus on the agri-food-health continuum. Alison currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Nutrition and as Vice President-Research and President-Elect for the Canadian Nutrition Society and was recently named a Fellow of the Dietitians of Canada.

 

Past-President

Guylaine Ferland, PhD

Department of Nutrition, Université de Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre

Bio:

Guylaine Ferland is a professor of nutrition at Université de Montréal and scientist at the Research Centre of the Montreal Heart Institute. She is an expert in vitamin K metabolism and her team has made significant contributions to the role of this nutrient in brain function and cognition. In addition to her work in vitamin K, Dr. Ferland conducts research on the general role of nutrition in cognitive health during aging. In recent years she has been PI of the CIHR-funded NutCog Study, a Quebec cohort study aimed at better understanding the modulatory role of nutrition and metabolic states in cognitive aging. She is also the lead of the Nutrition, Exercice and Lifestyle team of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, a nation-wide research initiative on Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases in aging. Dr. Ferland’s research activities include both animal models and human studies and are currently supported by CIHR and CCNA. Dr. Ferland is the author/co-author of >120 peer-reviewed publications and totals >95 guest presentations. Dr Ferland has served as nutrition expert on various panels, notably the DRI Micronutrient Panel [Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences] and the working group that lead to the Policy Recommendations on the Addition of Vitamins and Minerals to Foods]. She is a regular reviewer for nutrition journals (e.g. J Nutr, AJCN, Adv Nutr, JAND, Nutrients) and regularly serves as a member of the CIHR-NUT committee. She is currently president of the Canadian Nutrition Society.

 

Vice-President - Research / President-elect

Lindsay Robinson, PhD 

Associate Professor, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph

Bio:

Lindsay Robinson, PhD Associate Professor of Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences University of Guelph, Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Lindsay Robinson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. Her academic training includes a B.Sc. (Honours) in Biology from Acadia University and a Ph.D. in Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of Alberta. Following this, she held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Guelph and was a visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre in Denmark. Dr. Robinson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the biological concepts of health, nutritional science and exercise physiology/metabolism. Her research program is focused on the modulation and function of inflammatory proteins secreted from adipose tissue and/or skeletal muscle with an emphasis on the mechanisms by which bioactive nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, and/or exercise modulate immune and inflammatory processes in obesity. Dr. Robinson has trained many highly qualified personnel, including undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. In terms of service, Dr. Robinson is currently Associate Chair of the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences and is a member of the Board of Graduate Studies and University Senate. She also has many years of experience on the College of Biological Sciences Tenure and Promotion Committee, as well as many department level committees, including the Graduate and Awards Committees. Dr. Robinson has been involved in the grant review process, including her role as Scientific Officer for the CIHR NUT Committee, she regularly reviews manuscripts for several journals, and served as Associate Editor for Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism for several years. Dr. Robinson also served for many years as Awards Chair of the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) and as a member of the CNS Executive and Advisory Councils.

 

Vice-President - Clinical

Mei Tom, RD

Director - Nutrition Services, Edmonton Zone, Alberta Health Services

Bio:

I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta and was accepted into the Dietetic Internship Program at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta.

I started my career as a Dietitian at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and then moved to the University of Alberta Hospital – I have worked in a variety of settings but mainly in the area of Medicine and had a strong interest in Pulmonary and GI. After 12 years of clinical experience, I went into a clinical leadership role and over the years, my work has broadened and the job continues to challenge me both professionally and personally.

I am a conservative “foodie” and am always on the hunt for a great cup of coffee!

It is a constant challenge to develop and provide great education opportunities to clinicians. I hope my past experience will help in contributing to the development of strong education programs in CNS!

 

Treasurer

Catherine Chan, PhD

Professor, Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta

Bio:

Cathy Chan is a member and former Director of the Division of Human Nutrition in the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. She has a broad-based nutrition focused research program including nutritional biochemistry studies of the health benefits of consuming foods such as pulse grains, egg and cheese, development, implementation and evaluation of nutrition interventions for people with type 2 diabetes (including collaboration with primary care networks and First Nations to do this, funded by CFDR and ADI, respectively), development of a childhood obesity model in piglets in a collaboration with B Willing; co-investigator on clinical trials of foods and nutraceuticals. She with Dr. RC Bell is the author of "The Pure Prairie Eating Plan"; application to ongoing research projects such as developing menus for women with gestational diabetes. In addition to her active research program and teaching duties at the University she is currently Scientific Director of the Diabetes, Obesity and Nutrition Strategic Clinical Network of Alberta Health Services where she directs and coordinates research in the province. She regularly attends the CNS annual meeting. She has served as treasurer for the Canadian Physiology Society and is on several advisory committees on health behavior-related team grants, such as the BETTERWISE project, a pan-Canadian intervention in primary care led by Dr. Donna Manca.

 

Director at Large

Stéphanie Chevalier, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Human Nutrition, McGill University

Bio:

Stéphanie Chevalier is an Associate Professor and the Graduate Program Director of the School of Human Nutrition, McGill University, Associate Member in the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Medical Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.  A registered dietitian, she earned her Ph.D. degree in nutrition, from the University of Montreal and then completed postdoctoral studies in nutrition and metabolism at the former McGill Nutrition and Food Science Centre. She teaches Clinical Nutrition to future dietitians. Her main area of expertise is protein metabolism and the role of dietary protein, amino acids and other nutrients in muscle and function loss observed in aging and metabolic disorders such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.  More recently, she has expended her interests to investigate the interplay between nutrition, muscle health and cognition in older individuals from observational studies and clinical trials. Her research program is currently funded by the CIHR, Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Dietetics Research.  She serves as a member of the Canadian Nutrition Society-Education Committee, the Québec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Aging (NuAge)-Steering Committee, the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging - Team 5 on Lifestyle, and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging – Lifestyle Working Group. 

 

Director at Large

Sukhinder Cheema, PhD

Professor, Memorial University

Bio:

Dr. Sukhinder Cheema is a Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry in the Department of Biochemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). She held the CIHR New Investigator Award (2001‐2006) and has received several other awards for her research. Dr. Cheema has been a member of the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) since the inception of this society. She is a long‐standing member on various CNS committees, such as the Awards committee, Ethics committee, Advisory Council, and the newly formed EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) committee. She was the Co‐Chair and organizer of CNS conference held in St. John's in 2014 and has chaired scientific sessions at CNS. Dr. Cheema serves on the Advisory Board for the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes. Her research focuses on how maternal diet influence pregnancy outcomes, and the regulation of metabolic pathways associated with metabolic disorders, and brain health of offspring. Her research incorporates both basic science and clinical research; she collaborates with clinicians on the importance of maternal nutrition, breast milk composition, and future health of the newborn. Dr. Cheema has received funding from CIHR, NSERC, CFI, the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), hospital foundations and industry for her research. She has served on CIHR, NSERC, and HSFC grant review panels, and is on the editorial board of peer reviewed journals. Dr. Cheema has played a key role to establish collaborations between MUN and several universities in India, where she is promoting nutrition research and community outreach programs on healthy eating in order to improve outcomes of impoverished and vulnerable communities. As a scientist who is a racialized woman, she is dedicated to highlighting the barriers faced by historically excluded or marginalized groups working both within the field, and most impacted by nutrition‐based discrimination. She is also involved in several community outreach programs in St. John's to promote healthy eating, and access to restorative justice.

 

Director at Large

Rajavel Elango, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, and School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia

Bio:

Dr. Rajavel Elango is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and School of Population and Public Health, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He is also an Investigator at the Research Institute, BC Children's Hospital. Dr. Elango’s research program focuses on identification of dietary requirements for protein and amino acids, and protein quality of foods during key stages of growth and development, such as pregnancy, lactation and in childhood malnutrition using state-of-the-art stable isotope techniques. His research also focuses on disease/inborn errors of metabolism, and how non-invasive stable isotope based techniques can be used as diagnostic tools to measure effectiveness of new treatment and management modalities. Dr. Elango’s involvement with the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) dates back to when it used to be the Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences (CSNS), as a graduate student. Since then he has attended several annual meetings, chaired sessions, presented research seminars, and encouraged his graduate students to attend and participate in CNS meetings. He has served on the CNS Awards Committee and the Education Committee for 5 years and currently Chairs the CNS Ethics Committee (2013-present). At BC Children’s Hospital, Dr. Elango serves on the Nutrition Committee of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He takes great pride in this, as it allows creation of feeding guidelines, and several clinical-nutrition practice guidelines to impact positive change to the tiniest of humans. Dr. Elango is currently a Deputy Editor (Reviews) for the British Journal of Nutrition, and a Section Editor for the Journal, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. Globally, he was part of the United Nations - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Expert Working Group in 2014 and 2017 to advise on methods to assess protein quality of foods, and assessment of Follow-up Formula for Young Children and Ready to use Therapeutic Foods.


 

 

 

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