SFN 2.0 Champions & Liaisons
We were extremely lucky to engage 12 SFN Champions who focused on the intersecting topics of the SFN for our first Network term. They helped reach out to those of you in their areas of research and interfaced their areas with the other Champions to ensure a lively cross-fertilisation of ideas. Have a look at our blog post from 16/10/2017 to find out more about these intersecting topics and how our Champions worked within and across them.
In addition to our Champions we also appointed 11 liaison positions to help recognise and facilitate the work of connecting the many interesting agrifood challenges to some of the STFC Facilities, and to increase our engagement with the global Agrifood sector.
You can find out more about all of these people below:
In addition to our Champions we also appointed 11 liaison positions to help recognise and facilitate the work of connecting the many interesting agrifood challenges to some of the STFC Facilities, and to increase our engagement with the global Agrifood sector.
You can find out more about all of these people below:
STFC ChampionsData Science
Dr Jens Jensen - Champion for Data Science
Jens a researcher in STFC’s scientific computing department (SCD). His research interests include large scale data science, bringing data science to the edge, data security, and enabling multi-disciplinary global data processing. With a wide background in mathematics, computing, statistics, and research software engineering, he has worked on data projects from petascale to IoT and currently works with SCD’s machine learning group and the European EOSC projects. He is keen to work with SFN+ to promote STFC’s wide range of data science expertise, to help improve animal welfare and food quality/safety and reduce food waste and environmental impact.
Dr Hugh Dickinson - Liaison for Data Science
Hugh is an astrophysics researcher working at the Open University in the UK. He has several years’ experience working in several subfields of astrophysics and astronomy with a focus on analysis and interpretation of extensive observational datasets. Modern astrophysical instruments provide high-quality data in unprecedented volumes and with increasing complexity and diversity. Analysing these data is a significant challenge facing modern astrophysics research. In a rapidly crowding World, advanced statistical methods and data intensive analyses used by Hugh and other STFC researchers can provide critical tools help to address the many challenges linked with feeding over 7.5 billion people. Innovative Technology
Dr Anthony Brown - Champion for Innovative Technology
Anthony Brown is an Assistant Professor in Durham University’s Centre for Advance Instrumentation. Anthony’s research experience is in the field of observational astroparticle physics, a rather unique field of astronomy where the astronomer first has to build and operate their telescopes, before analyzing the noise-dominated data sets they record. Since his doctorate, Anthony has worked on the World’s leading neutrino and gamma-ray telescopes, using them to study some of the Universe’s most extreme particle accelerators, from supermassive black-holes to stellar binary systems. Building on his experience pioneering the use of UAV’s to calibrate ground-based gamma-ray telescopes, Anthony participated in all UAV-based research projects of SFN+ 1.0, focusing on ensuring the accuracy of the UAV-based measurements. 
Patrick Stowell - Liaison for Innovative Technology
Patrick is a researcher in the University of Sheffield Physics & Astronomy department. He is interested in novel applications of low cost detector instrumentation to solve industrial problems. Cosmic rays provide a unique way for industrial users to access energy scales comparable to world-leading particles accelerator facilities from their own back yard. Alongside research into cosmic ray tomography in the nuclear sector, Patrick helped found a startup company offering cosmic ray muon radiography systems to the civil engineering sector for imaging railway tunnel overburdens. Recently he has turned his attention to the possibility of using cosmic ray neutron detectors to monitor surface soil moisture in arid regions. In particular he is interested in whether combining neutron detector arrays with other STFC technology such as hyper spectral cameras make it possible to map soil moisture on much finer resolutions than currently achievable using cosmic rays alone. STFC Facilities
Sarah Rogers - Champion for STFC Facilities
Sarah has been the ISIS-STFC SANS Team Leader since September 2015 and the Instrument Responsible for Sans2d beamline since May 2010. She has been a facilities scientist on small-angle beamlines since August 2006, firstly as a junior beamline scientist on I22 at Diamond Light Source (DLS) Ltd and later joining ISIS as a member of the SANS team in February 2008. Before arriving at Diamond she was at the University of Bristol in the School of Chemistry, where she was undertaking an EPSRC funded PDRA position in the lab of Professor Julian Eastoe, studying the formation of gold nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide. Prior to this she completed her PhD in the same lab in 2005. Sarah also obtained her MSci in Chemistry from the University of Bristol in 2002. In addition to her duties as an instrument scientist, Sarah has an active research program in the areas of surfactant chemistry, ferrofluids, nanoparticle synthesis, ionic-liquids and supercritical carbon dioxide and is currently a co-investigator on several grants in these areas. Sarah is a named author on over 90 scientific publications and currently has an H-index of 19. 
Dave Clarke - Liaison for Central Laser Facility
Dave joined the LSF in 2008 after a number of years at the Synchrotron Radiation Source, Daresbury Laboratory, where he was responsible for the construction and operation of the circular dichroism beamline CD12. His career has been focussed on the development of instrumentation and techniques for the study of biological systems using laser and synchrotron radiation. Dave’s research interests are in development of imaging and spectroscopy techniques and their application to biological questions along with cellular and structural biology, including cell signalling, protein folding, and biomaterials 
Claire Pizzey - Liaison for Diamond Light Source
Claire Pizzey is Deputy Head of Industrial Liaison at the Diamond Light Source, supporting companies across a wide range of sectors to access the facilities and expertise at Diamond. She works closely with the other members of Industrial Liaison team to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to solving complex real-world problems. A physical chemist by training, Claire was previously a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Prior to joining the Industrial Liaison Group in 2010, she was a staff scientist for the SAXS beamline I22. Her work with clients often focuses on microstructure and self-assembly in solutions, gels and soft solids, typically addressing formulation issues across pharma, food, consumer products, oil and gas and energy sectors. |
Food Champions - UK
Food & Supply Chains
Dr Lorraine Fisher - Champion for Sustainable Production
Lorraine (or Lori) is a plant physiologist working at the University of Kent where she focuses on reducing food waste, firstly, through targeted research on postharvest storage and packaging of perishables (e.g. modified atmospheres) and secondly through knowledge transfer. Her previous research includes response to abiotic stress during crop production and maintaining quality of minimally processed leafy vegetables. As an Industry Research Fellow in Agri-biotechnology at the University of Kent she actively engages with stakeholders across the food chain in the development of strategies for sustainable agriculture and food delivery, including informed approaches to meet UK Plastics Pact targets 
Dr Ximena Schmidt Rivera - Champion for Consumer Behaviour
Ximena is a Global Challenges Research Fellow at Brunel University London. As a chemical engineer and a life cycle sustainability expert, she has vast experience working on multi-stakeholder and interdisciplinary projects assessing the sustainability aspects of food consumption as well as production. Ximena’s current research expands from sustainable and healthy diets and cooking practices to waste valorisation and circular economy. Communicating science and understanding public knowledge are key aspects of Ximena’s research, hence her collaborations in food citizen science research and public engagement project such as “Take a Bite out of Climate Change”[1] 
Dr Wayne Martindale - Champion for Nutritional Security (UK based)
Since 2018, Wayne has led the Food Insights and Sustainability Research Group at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, a Research Centre at the University of Lincoln. The NCFM is an integrated food and beverage research facility with a factory, laboratories, sensory suite and development kitchen. The food innovation portfolio we lead on at NCFM delivers applied research with manufacturers and technology integrators who operate across the global food system. My post-doctoral biotechnology research was completed in the mid 1990’s at the University of Florida, Durham and Rothamsted. Following this I entered commercial research with Levington Agriculture leading technical communications for what is now the Agricultural Industries Confederation. I have worked at the Australian Government’s science agency- CSIRO, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the OECD across food supply and security agendas. At NCFM, I develop geo-intelligence, traceability and digital solutions that take traditional consumer insights much further into product development and nutritional spaces. My career began as a BTEC apprentice with British Sugar plc, Bush Boake Allen Group and Ford Motor Company in the 1980's and obtained my doctorate in biochemistry in 1993 at the University of Sheffield. 
Dr Manoj Menon - Liaison for Soil Sustainability
Manoj is the group leader of Environmental Soil Science at the Department of Geography, The University of Sheffield. He has been associated with the network since 2018 through three STFC Food network+ scoping grants. He has extensive experience in using Dimond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon source in his soil-water-plant investigations. He is currently the chair of the Northern Soil Network (British Soil Science Society) and an associate editor of European Journal of Soil Science. He is the international coordinator of Arsenic in Rice Research Network. Impact and Knowledge Exchange
Dr Ifeyinwa Rita Kanu - Liaison for Knowledge Exchange (UK)
Ifeyinwa is the Founder/Director of IntelliDigest Limited. She has a PhD in Environmental Engineering involving application of Artificial Intelligence and omics analysis to optimize anaerobic process. At IntelliDigest, her vision is to combine biotech and deep tech in solving global food waste challenge by developing novel technologies that eliminate edible food waste and convert inedible food waste at the earliest possible time to climate friendly chemicals, thereby, reducing the need for growing industrial crops in boosting bio-economy. Ifeyinwa presented a keynote speech on Food Waste at Venture Jam 2019 and organised events on using Tech/Data to enhance sustainability. 
Rakesh Nayak - Liaison for Manufacturing Industry
Rakesh is a Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Hull University Business School (HUBS). He is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from KPMG with over 15 years of hybrid experience in management consulting and process management. He is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute, Certified PRINCE 2 Practitioner, Certified ScrumMaster (agile coach) and ITIL professional. Prior to joining HUBS, Rakesh was associated with many leading global corporations such as Accenture, Moody’s, Thomson Reuters, Lloyds Banking Group where he delivered several large scale global programs within technology transformation, process improvement, business process reengineering, quality function deployment (QFD) and change management domains. Within a short stint in academics, he has published 6 papers related to sustainability, food consumption and operational excellence in high ranking international journals and conferences. He also serves as a reviewer to many international journals. With a strong experience in manufacturing operations and wide industry network, he aims to build synergies by providing “Food-for-Thought” for future cross-industry collaborations within the STFC Food Network+. Dr Raymond Obayi - Liaison for Food Policy Raymond is a researcher and lecturer in Project, Operations, and Supply Chain Management and works at the Alliance Manchester Business School. He has prior experience in retail and investment banking operations and project risk management. His current research interests include exploring management and public-private policy innovations for governance, data trust, traceability, interoperability, and digital transformation in food supply chains. |
Champions for Africa
Dr Pedram Rowhani - Champion for Africa (Sustainable Production)
Pedram Rowhani is an Associate Professor at the University of Sussex where he works as a land system scientists on sustainability issues around agriculture, climate, and the environment. He is a board member of the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme. His current research focuses on forecasting impacts of drought on food security for early warning systems in East Africa and on sustainable agriculture and forest conservation in the Peruvian Amazon.
Pedram Rowhani is an Associate Professor at the University of Sussex where he works as a land system scientists on sustainability issues around agriculture, climate, and the environment. He is a board member of the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme. His current research focuses on forecasting impacts of drought on food security for early warning systems in East Africa and on sustainable agriculture and forest conservation in the Peruvian Amazon.
Dr Manoj Dora - Champion for Africa (Resilient Supply Chains)
Manoj is Chair in Sustainable Production and Consumption at Anglia Ruskin University. Manoj’s current research aims to map the circular pathway for food supply chain and its impact across the different stakeholders using “lean thinking” principles. He has significant experience working with various stakeholders in African food supply chain, specifically Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. He has been involved in many capacity building initiatives focusing on an efficient, sustainable and resilient food supply chain in Africa, South America and Asia.
Manoj is Chair in Sustainable Production and Consumption at Anglia Ruskin University. Manoj’s current research aims to map the circular pathway for food supply chain and its impact across the different stakeholders using “lean thinking” principles. He has significant experience working with various stakeholders in African food supply chain, specifically Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. He has been involved in many capacity building initiatives focusing on an efficient, sustainable and resilient food supply chain in Africa, South America and Asia.
Dr Joshua Wesana - Champion for Africa (Nutritional security & Consumer Behaviour)
Joshua is a Senior Fellow in Fish and Food Systems (Nutritional Outcomes) at Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich. He works with partners from WorldFish to implement the CGIAR Research Program FISH - Fish in Regional Food Systems. His research aims to strengthen the evidence on the role and impact of fish in food systems on diets and nutritional outcomes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. He specifically focuses on consumer behaviour, post-harvest losses, fish meal and fish oil as well as the interaction between fish research, policies and programs. Before joining NRI, he worked on various agri-food based institutional strengthening and research projects in East Africa. He was a program manager for a long-term institutional collaboration between Ghent University (Belgium) and Mountains of the Moon University (Uganda), overseeing two projects aiming to strengthen livelihoods, food security and nutrition of actors in fish and dairy sectors. He has also developed and implemented projects in Uganda and Kenya on; food losses at farm level, agronomic iodine biofortification, insects-based complementary foods, fish farmer business skilling and aquaculture education development.
Joshua is a Senior Fellow in Fish and Food Systems (Nutritional Outcomes) at Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich. He works with partners from WorldFish to implement the CGIAR Research Program FISH - Fish in Regional Food Systems. His research aims to strengthen the evidence on the role and impact of fish in food systems on diets and nutritional outcomes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. He specifically focuses on consumer behaviour, post-harvest losses, fish meal and fish oil as well as the interaction between fish research, policies and programs. Before joining NRI, he worked on various agri-food based institutional strengthening and research projects in East Africa. He was a program manager for a long-term institutional collaboration between Ghent University (Belgium) and Mountains of the Moon University (Uganda), overseeing two projects aiming to strengthen livelihoods, food security and nutrition of actors in fish and dairy sectors. He has also developed and implemented projects in Uganda and Kenya on; food losses at farm level, agronomic iodine biofortification, insects-based complementary foods, fish farmer business skilling and aquaculture education development.
Bronson Eran'ogwa - Liaison for Knowledge Exchange (Africa)
Bronson is the Executive Director of The Source Plus where he has been leading projects. He is also a member of Community Network for African Vector-Borne Plant Viruses, AFAAS, TAAT, Climate change adaptation planning, research and practice, FAO (Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition) and Young Professionals for Agricultural Development.
His focus is on networking, exploration and scientific refinement solutions to solve the current Food security and Climate change issues in ensuring agricultural sustainability. Recognised for collaborative leadership style and active approach he has vast network in food, energy and technology industry.
Bronson is the Executive Director of The Source Plus where he has been leading projects. He is also a member of Community Network for African Vector-Borne Plant Viruses, AFAAS, TAAT, Climate change adaptation planning, research and practice, FAO (Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition) and Young Professionals for Agricultural Development.
His focus is on networking, exploration and scientific refinement solutions to solve the current Food security and Climate change issues in ensuring agricultural sustainability. Recognised for collaborative leadership style and active approach he has vast network in food, energy and technology industry.
Champions for Asia
Prof Chungui Lu - Champion for Asia (Sustainable Production)
Chungui is a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture in the School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). He gained his PhD in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Nottingham (UoN). Prior to joining NTU, Chungui was Director of the Centre for Urban Agriculture at UoN.
He leads Sustainable Agriculture Research Group at NTU. His research focuses on vertical farming and sustainable food (enhanced nutritional value in crops using different LED light spectra and nutrients), whilst optimising crop performance. His research also focuses on understanding genetic control for crop improvement by post-genomic technologies. Recently, he has been awarded £4.8m grants funded by Innovate UK, BBSRC and GCRF. His research has extended internationally through joint research projects with partners in Asia countries.
Chungui is a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture in the School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). He gained his PhD in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Nottingham (UoN). Prior to joining NTU, Chungui was Director of the Centre for Urban Agriculture at UoN.
He leads Sustainable Agriculture Research Group at NTU. His research focuses on vertical farming and sustainable food (enhanced nutritional value in crops using different LED light spectra and nutrients), whilst optimising crop performance. His research also focuses on understanding genetic control for crop improvement by post-genomic technologies. Recently, he has been awarded £4.8m grants funded by Innovate UK, BBSRC and GCRF. His research has extended internationally through joint research projects with partners in Asia countries.
Prof Wantao Yu - Champion for Asia (Resilient Supply Chains)
Wantao is Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Roehampton. His research interests include digital supply chain, supply chain analytics, supply chain integration and resilience, sustainable supply chain management, and food production and supply chain management. His work has been published in leading journals such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management and British Journal of Management. He has successfully completed several agri-tech projects on data innovations, resilience and sustainability in agri-food supply chains in China’s agricultural industry, which were funded by Agri-Tech in China: Newton Network+ and STFC Food Network+. He is currently conducting several research projects with partners in China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Wantao is Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Roehampton. His research interests include digital supply chain, supply chain analytics, supply chain integration and resilience, sustainable supply chain management, and food production and supply chain management. His work has been published in leading journals such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management and British Journal of Management. He has successfully completed several agri-tech projects on data innovations, resilience and sustainability in agri-food supply chains in China’s agricultural industry, which were funded by Agri-Tech in China: Newton Network+ and STFC Food Network+. He is currently conducting several research projects with partners in China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Spencer Leung - Liaison for Knowledge Exchange (Asia)
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Spencer is based in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2015, graduating from the Rotary Peace Fellowship Program, Spencer set up a social enterprise in Thailand, focusing on supporting smallholder farmers in moving them towards sustainable organic farming. The social enterprise works with hotels, restaurants, families, individuals, and other social enterprises and NGOs, in creating an effective market place for farmers in selling their organic produce. In 2020, Spencer founded GO Organics Peace International, a not-for-profit organization in Hong Kong, promoting peace education and sustainable, regenerative agriculture across Asia.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Spencer is based in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2015, graduating from the Rotary Peace Fellowship Program, Spencer set up a social enterprise in Thailand, focusing on supporting smallholder farmers in moving them towards sustainable organic farming. The social enterprise works with hotels, restaurants, families, individuals, and other social enterprises and NGOs, in creating an effective market place for farmers in selling their organic produce. In 2020, Spencer founded GO Organics Peace International, a not-for-profit organization in Hong Kong, promoting peace education and sustainable, regenerative agriculture across Asia.
SFN 1.0 Champions
Details of Champions from the first phase of the SFN are available here
