Dr. Pingfan Rao
China
President
Pingfan Rao is Honorary Vice President of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) and Professor and Director of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences (SIBS)-Zhejiang Gongshang University Joint Center of Food and Nutrition Research. Professor Dr. Rao chairs the food division of Chinese National Committee for Future Earth (CNC-FE), a committee of the International Science Council (ISC) and is editor-in-chief of Science of Food, a Nature Partner Journal. Dr. Rao received B.Eng from Fuzhou University of China, MS from Hiroshima University and PhD from Osaka University of Japan. He is a fellow of International Academy of Food Science and Technology. Dr. Rao, Past President IUFoST, has been Hon. Treasurer of the Union, 2022 - 2024.
Dr. Fereidoon Shahidi
Canada
Past President
Dr. Shahidi is University Research Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Founder and Director of the International Society of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF), Disciplinary Group of IUFoST; Founder and Editor-in-Chief of related publications (Journal of Food Bioactives, etc), one of the most cited authors in Food Science and Technology. He is Immediate Past Chair of the IUFoST Scientific Council and a Fellow of IAFoST. Dr. Shahidi was distinguished with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd IUFoST World Congress of Food Science and Technology, Rimini, Italy in September 2024.
Dr. Hongda Chen
USA
President Elect
Dr. Hongda Chen is the National Program Leader of Bioprocess Engineering and Nanotechnology at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA. He leads the national portfolio of food science, engineering and technology in research, education and extension for advancing food processing and manufacturing technologies, and value-added products. He also provides the national leadership for nanoscale science and nanotechnology for agriculture and food systems. Dr. Chen is a Fellow of IAFoST.
Dr. Cesarettin Alasalvar
Türkiye
Councillor
Cesarettin Alasalvar (PhD, FIAFoST, ISNFF, FIFT, FRSC) is a Senior Chief Researcher at TÜBİTAK-Marmara Research Center (State Owned) and also a Professor of Food Science and Engineering. He has served as a chair of International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF). He has been very active in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Programmes as Turkish Delegate. Alasalvar was on the Scientific Advisory Board Member (2018-2020) of PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area - Horizon 2020) and is serving on the Academic Committee and World Forum for Nutrition Research and Dissemination Committee of International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) since 2015. He was the principal founder of Food Innovation Platform of Türkiye (TÜGİP), a member of IUFoST. Alasalvar served on the International Scientific Advisory Committee for IUFoST 2024 Congress. He has received numerous awards from different societies, including IFT, ISNFF, and INC in recognition of his pioneering achievements and as a leader in food science and technology with emphasis on functional foods and nutraceuticals. Dr Alasalvar has been listed continuously (years 2000-2024) among the World’s Top 2% Scientists List by Stanford University/Elsevier. He is a Fellow of IAFoST and served on the International Scientific Advisory Committee for IUFoST 2024 Congress.
Dr. Cristina Silva
Portugal
Councillor
As an Associate Professor at Universidade Católica Portuguesa – College of Biotechnology (ESB, Cristina Silva leads the Laboratory of Food Engineering and Packaging at the CBQF research center.
She founded the ISEKI Food network, a global initiative connecting institutions across Europe and beyond, and currently serves as the assistant director for Internationalization and Coordinator of 3rd cycle degrees and the Master on Food Engineering at ESB.
Scientific excellence and the global respect given her as an innovative leader in food science education by her peers and students demonstrates the benefits of her dedication, vision, expertise and leadership to IAFoST.
