Technologies and Climate Change: Shaking up 21st Century Food Systems – Promises and Pitfalls
Clearwater, Florida, USA | 21-24 January 2024
ILSI's Annual Meeting and Science Symposium provides researchers and industry leaders with unparalleled networking opportunities, cutting edge scientific presentations, as well as professional development – all at a great beach location in Florida. Escape the chill of January and register today!
ILSI is an international, nonprofit organization that fosters cooperation and collaboration among researchers in government, academia and industry. Since its inception 45 years ago, ILSI has convened crucial public-private partnerships for the sole purpose of improving global public health.
ILSI's signature Annual Meeting and Science Symposium is a forum for multi-sectoral collaboration, knowledge sharing and networking. By hosting scientific presentations on nutrition, food safety and sustainability, ILSI empowers meaningful information exchanges among preeminent experts.
Register today for the ILSI 2024 Annual Meeting and Science Symposium in Clearwater, Florida! Join us January 21-24, 2024, as we hear from expert presenters at the top of their fields discuss technology and AI, cultivated meats, space exploration and food systems, healthy aging, food safety and nutrition, as well as climate change and soil health.
For a preview of the high caliber of scientific presentations you will see at an ILSI Annual Meeting, you can view recordings from the ILSI 2022 Annual Meeting and Science Symposium.
Science Symposium
Symposium Co-Chairs:
Symposium Schedule
Opening of the Symposium
Monday, January 22, 2024 | 9:00 – 10:10 a.m.
9:00 – 9:10 a.m.
Welcome by the Symposium Co-Chairs:
- Louise Dye, PhD, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Todd Abraham, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice-President at Mondelēz (Retired), USA
9:10 – 9:30 a.m.
Presentation: USDA Science and Research Strategy – Cultivating Scientific Innovation
- Deirdra N. Chester, PhD, RDN, Director, Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS/OSEC) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
9:30 – 10:10 a.m.
Keynote Presentation on the Role of Technologies in Improving Nutrition, Food Safety and Food Systems
- John G. Keogh, M.B.A., M.Sc., Shantalla Insight Partners LLC, Canada
10:10 – 10:40 a.m. Coffee Break
Session 1 – Cultivated Meats: Pioneering Safety in Next-Gen Proteins
Monday, January 22, 2024 | 10:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Session Co-Chairs:
- Melanie Abley, PhD, Senior Advisor for Food Safety, Nutrition and Human Health, Office of the Chief Scientist, USDA, USA
- René Viñas, PhD, Senior Manager, Toxicologist, UPSIDE Foods, USA
This session will include two roundtable discussions focused on:
- Food Safety and Quality.
- Technological Advancements, Future Prospects and Consumer Perception.
Panelists will include:
- David Kaplan, PhD, Tufts University School of Engineering, USA
- Mathew Lau, PhD, A*STAR, Singapore
- David Prescott, PhD, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada
- David B. Schmidt, AOAC International, USA
12:40 – 2:00 p.m. Lunch
Session 2 – Deep Space Food Challenge: Insights into the Future of Food Production Systems
Monday, January 22, 2024 | 2:00 – 5:10 p.m.
Session Co-Chairs:
- Leila Saldanha, PhD, RD, Independent Scientist, USA
- Todd Abraham, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice-President at Mondelēz (Retired), USA
Featuring the following speakers and presentations:
- Planning for the Ultimate Road Trip: NASA's Innovative Approach to Feeding Future Exploration Crews – Ralph Fritsche, Jacobs contractor for NASA and the Centennial Challenges Program for the Deep Space Food Challenge, USA
- Overview of the Canadian Space Agency's Food Production Initiative – Matthew Bamsey, PhD, Manager, Deep Space Food Production (Acting); Lunar Exploration Program, Canadian Space Agency, Canada (remote participation)
- ESA Space Food Activities – Sonja Brungs, PhD, Crew Support Engineer at DLR for European Space Agency, Germany
3:20 – 3:40 p.m. Coffee Break
- Barbara Belvisi, Founder & CEO at Interstellar Lab, France
- Food Out of Thin Air – Microbial Protein Production via Gas Fermentation with CO2 and H2 – Arttu Luukanen, Senior Vice President, Space and Defense, Solar Foods, Finland
Roundtable Discussion with All Speakers:
Moderator: Todd Abraham, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice-President at Mondelēz (Retired), USA
6:30 p.m. – Gala Dinner
Session 3 – Advances in Healthy Aging: Innovative Approaches and Technological Breakthroughs for Promoting Health Span
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Session Chair:
- Roger Fielding, PhD, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, USA
Featuring the following speakers and presentations:
- Targeting Senescent Cells for Healthy Aging – Roger Fielding, PhD, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, USA
- The WHO ICOPE Program: Focusing on the Nutritional Domain – Philipe de Souto Barreto, PhD, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, France
- Short-term Periodic Restricted Feeding Elicits Sex-specific Benefits that Persist Long Term in Non-human Primates – Isabel Beerman, PhD, Stadtman Investigator, National Institute on Aging, USA
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Coffee Break
Session 4 – Artificial Intelligence: Enhancing Food Supply, Nutrition and Health into the Future
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session Co-Chairs:
- Jan-Willem van Klinken, MD, PhD, Brightseed, USA
- Geoffry Smith, Essential Micronutrients Foundation, Singapore
Featuring the following speakers and presentations:
- AI in Food Systems: A Farm-to-Fork Approach – Ilias Tagkopoulos, PhD, University of California, Davis, USA
- Artificial Intelligence and Biological Networks: A Pioneering Approach for Microbiome Data Integration in Biomarker Discovery – Enrique Carrillo de Santa Pau, PhD, IMDEA, Spain
- Wearables, Images and AI for Food Intake Monitoring – Edward Sazonov, PhD, University of Alabama, USA
12:00 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch
Session 5 – Food Safety and Nutrition: Current and Future Trends in the Context of Global Climate Change and Sustainability Initiatives
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 1:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Session Chair:
- Lee-Ann Jaykus, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University, USA
Featuring the following speakers and presentations:
- Food Safety: Future Trends in the Context of Science, Sustainability, and Climate Change – Lee-Ann Jaykus, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University, USA
- Addressing Complexity in a Complex World - Approaches to Understanding the Intersection of Climate/Environmental Change (CEC), Food Systems, Diet, Nutrition and Health – Daniel J. Raiten, PhD, FASN, NIH Office of Nutrition Research, USA
- Connection Creates Impact: The Challenges and Opportunities for Industry to Collaborate and Create Change Together – Sarah Ludmer, RD, WK Kellogg Co, USA
2:45 – 3:05 p.m. Coffee Break
Session 6 – Climate-Resilient Soil Management Strategies
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 3:05 – 4:05 p.m.
Session Chair:
- Louise Dye, PhD, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
Featuring the following speakers and presentations:
- Leveraging Novel Technologies to Increase the Resilience of Agricultural Systems to Abiotic Stress – Holly Croft, PhD, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Smart Soil Management for Soil Revitalization Resulting in Healthy and Climate-resilient Cropping Systems – Koen Willekens, Dr. ir., PhD, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Belgium
Closing of the Symposium
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 | 4:05 – 4:15 p.m.
Symposium Co-Chairs:
- Louise Dye, PhD, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Todd Abraham, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice-President at Mondelēz (Retired), USA
Venue: Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa, Florida, USA
Why Attend
ILSI's mission is to generate and advance scientific research that improves human health and well-being and safeguards the environment. Each year, we join our scientific colleagues from academia, government, industry and civil society for state-of-the-science symposia, keynote lectures, networking events and ILSI entity meetings.
The ILSI 2024 Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium is an excellent platform to engage with international audience members who are very interested in hearing about technologies and innovations that can provide solutions to the challenges of creating sustainable food systems for the future. Attend ILSI's Annual Meeting for:
Testimonials
ILSI's Annual Meeting is "...a convivial atmosphere designed to share knowledge and understandings and expand our networks."
- Philip C. Calder, Professor of Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton
"I hope you'll join us – and experts from around the world – in exploring the science behind our global future's health and sustainability."
- Stéphane Vidry, ILSI Global Executive Director
Join the conversation on social media: #ILSI2024
Questions? Email annualsymposium@ilsi.org