Food and Drink Innovation

Wendy is the Gut Health theme lead and Professor of Molecular Nutrition at the Rowett Institute. Her research focuses on developing healthy foods as part of a resilient food supply chain. This includes identifying the potential of plant-based crops, particularly in protein provision for the future and the exploitation of underutilised species to improve both nutrition and agrobiodiversity. Wendy works closely with both Scottish and Global Food Producers, as well as the wider Food and Drink Industry to identify new opportunities and was awarded FDF ‘Scientist of the Year’ for this work.

I am a principal investigator and the research in my laboratory is focused on advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the diet. During food processing AGEs are formed as the result of the Maillard reaction and are absorbed by the body during digestion. To investigate how dietary AGEs contribute to diet induced conditions such as type 2 diabetes and dementia, we are using human intervention studies to test the effects of highly processed foods high in AGEs on sensitive measures of metabolic health and cognition.

I am a microbiologist and molecular biologist at the Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen. My research focusses on the metabolism of dietary food compounds by the microbes present in large intestine (the gut microbiota) and how this influences human health. Within the strategic programme, I am investigating how different microbes work together to ferment dietary non-digestible carbohydrates (fibre) to health-promoting products, which will help to provide scientifically sound dietary advice as well as aid the development of novel food ingredients.

Derek is the Business Sector Lead: AgriFood at the James Hutton Institute and is responsible for developing the research opportunities on agriculture, food and drink supply and value chains, production systems, biomass, waste valorisation and the (bio)circular economy. 

Luiza is an applied economist based at SRUC and specialises in agri-environmental economics. Her main research interests are behavioural economics applied to food waste and recylcing, land and water use, climate change, consumption of higher welfare and healthy food products, uptake of animal disease control technologies; economic modelling of the linkages between trade, animal health and welfare, and the environment; and analysis of environmental efficiency of knowledge and innovation transfer.

Gary is a Human-Natural Systems research scientist at the James Hutton Institute, and has worked on various international and interdisciplinary projects using agent-based modelling to study agricultural systems, lifestyles, and transitions to more sustainable ways of living.

Faical is an applied economist at SRUC who specializes in consumer behaviour, demand analysis, consumer research methods and econometric modelling. His research helps answer many questions in economics such as food marketing, environmental economics, health economics, welfare economics and development economics.