Meet the team

The team

This course was created by scientists coming from three institutions: the University of Torino, the Polish Academy of Sciences – IARFR and the University of Reading. We specialize in different fields: neurosciences, psychology, biology, and chemistry, and we hope that our different skillsets allowed us to produce a course able to combine different points of view and different topics, while providing useful and interesting information to all our learners.

The educators of this course are:

Alessandro Cicerale, Ph.D.. Alessandro is a Research Fellow at the University of Torino, Department of Psychology, and he previously worked at the Department of Neurosciences of the University of Torino, and he was a visiting scientist at the University of Sarajevo and at the Weizmann Institute of Science – Israel. During his career, he studied topics such as motor control, imitation and, more recently, the neuroscience and neuroimaging of eating disorders and the effectiveness of different approaches to diet modification.

David. T. Field, Ph. D.. David is an associate professor at The University of Reading. He studied Psychology at Nottingham University, followed by an MSc in Psychological Research Methods at The University of Exeter. He achieved a Ph.D. on human time perception at The University of Surrey and since then he has diversified his research into visual perception and brain imaging, most recently adding a focus on the effects of dietary nutrients on the brain and cognition. Michał Janiak, Ph.D.. Michał is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Chemical and Physical Properties of Food. He graduated from Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland). His scientific work is focused on antioxidants, mostly polyphenolic compounds from such plants as tea, herbs and fruits. He represents his institution as a member of FoodForce network.

Other lecturers and authors of the content of the course include:

Urszula Krupa-Kozak, DSc. Habil. Urszula is a food biochemist/food technologist currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences. She studied biotechnology at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (Poland) and biology at the University Blaise Pascal in Clermont-Ferrand (France). Urszula has an interest in the gluten-related disorders but her research focuses on the impact of prebiotics on nutritional status, intestine permeability and gut microbiota profile in paediatric patients with coeliac disease. She is also involved in basic research focused on functional food and improvement of technological/nutritional properties of gluten-free products.

Anna Ogrodowczyk, Ph.D. Anna Ogrodowczyk is a researcher at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Her primary area of studies is immunobiotechnology. She currently works to develop the formula that can support the immune system of people suffering from food allergies so that they can develop the tolerance to what they are hypersensitive to. At work, she uses a multidisciplinary approach to food allergies topic, starting from working with patients, through the technology of food production, and microbiological and immunological assessment of food safety.

Anna Michalska, Ph.D. Anna has over 10 years of professional experience in conducting interdisciplinary research projects in the area of agricultural science. It concerns mainly the development of new food products or their contents, in the context of preservation of biologically active components, including polyphenolics and antioxidants. Currently, her main scientific interest is related to production and the quality evaluation of fruit powders that could be successfully used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Małgorzata Starowicz, Ph.D. She is an Assistant at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Her scientific work focused on the elaboration of an analytical strategy for the measurement of the antioxidant capacity formed by natural and neo-formed antioxidants in varied food products e.g. spices. She was also a leader of a project dedicated to the elaboration of buckwheat cookies with high antioxidant activity, supported by the Polish National Science Center.

Our educators and will be involved in discussions and we hope that our contribution will help you in the understanding of superfood and their effects on our body. To have quicker access to our inputs and contributions, please consider following our profiles, which you can find using the links given above.

We introduced ourselves, but what about you? What brought you here and what aspect of superfoods interests you the most? Please introduce yourself in the next step!

The Educators won’t be able to join the discussions themselves or respond to individual comments, but the course encourages a strong learning community. The learning is focused around debate and discussion – supporting other learners, sharing your own experience and knowledge, and listening to new perspectives. We hope that you will enjoy interacting with and learning from each other in this way. Don’t forget to comment, reply to other learners and ‘like’ comments.