Christine Edwards (PhD) is Professor of Nutritional Physiology at the University of Glasgow where she has worked for 29 years. She has been studying the gut microbiota bacteria and its role in health for over 30 years. She has focused on early colonisation and the role of environment and early diet as well the role of gut bacteria in gut disease, obesity and human metabolism. In addition she is leading an ILSI Europe working group to evaluate the evidence for the transfer of bacteria from mother to infant through the placenta and via breast milk.

Simon graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BSc in Nutritional Biochemistry, after which he spent 18 months working as a researcher within the Medical Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research unit in Cambridge. After recently completing a PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Surrey in September 2018, focussing on the impact of fructose sugar on cardiovascular disease risk, Simon joined the British Nutrition Foundation as a Nutrition Scientist.

Mike Woolridge was appointed Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, University College London in 2015. He holds several positions including: Member of Faculty of the Global Breastfeeding Initiative (GBI), and Co-Director of the BrightStart Foundation for Mother & Child Health. Prior to 1993, he researched the basic physiology of breastfeeding (in Oxford). After moving to Bristol, he ran an outpatient clinic to support breastfeeding women, applying his earlier knowledge to resolve common problems of breastfeeding. He has been a member of the Royal College of Midwives’ Breastfeeding Working Party, producing the handbook "Successful Breastfeeding" and between 1993 & 1995 he was Director of UNICEF-UK’s “Baby Friendly Initiative”. He co-authored (with Mary Renfrew) a structured review of practices which promote or inhibit breastfeeding, with evidence-based guidelines, entitled “Enabling Women to Breastfeed” (HMSO 2000), and has collaborated on the production of several videos. He has coordinated two large-scale research studies: · ‘LIFT’ (Looking at Infant Feeding Today), which focused on the feeding intentions of socio-economically disadvantaged women, exploring the psychological factors underlying their choice and whether these are open to modification; · ‘SUREmilk’ (SUrveillance of REsidues in human milk’) which comprised a set of pilot studies aimed at testing the feasibility of establishing a regional archive of breast milk samples, to explore possible contamination in breast milk. Most recently he has undertaken two fresh series of 2D ultrasound studies, the first being largest series of breastfeeding studies undertaken to date, and a second one of bottle-feeding by breast-fed babies.

Prof. Catherine Stanton is Senior Researcher at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Ireland, and Research Professor at University College Cork. Her research addresses probiotics that influence human health and the developing gut microbiota in early life. Her publications have accumulated in 22,376 citations since first publication in 1987 and a H-index of 80. She was awarded D.Sc. from National University of Ireland (2009) for published work, received the ELIE METCHKNOFF AWARD (2010) for research on the application of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in fermented dairy products to improve health and was elected member of the Royal Irish Academy (2019).

Bahee Van de Bor is a specialist paediatric dietitian with 12 years of clinical experience at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH). She has recently specialised in the dietary management of ketogenic diets and has also worked in the areas of inborn errors of metabolism, renal and gastroenterology. Bahee regularly teaches at national and international level and has successfully authored three articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has recently developed an app for families following the ketogenic diet and is actively involved with her podcast "Healthy Eating for Kids" and her private clinic at 10 Harley Street.

Amy Noakes is a Senior Lecturer in the LSBU's School of Children's Nursing. She specialises in public health and community care for children and young people. After qualifying, Amy spent four years in acute practice within both neurosurgery and general surgery/medical before moving into the community as a Family Nurse. In addition to working at LSBU, Amy also works at the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a registrant panel member in addition to writing a monthly column for the Journal of Health Visiting.

Jacque Gerrard is the former Royal College of Midwives’ (RCM) Director for England now working freelance in a midwife consultancy capacity. She led on the RCM’s professional agenda and the Maternity Transformation Programme at RCM. Jacque has 40 years of nursing and midwifery experience as a clinician, manager and professional leader. Jacque is a patron of Mummy’s Star, a charity supporting pregnancy in cancer, and she is the Patron of the Sheffield charity Forging Families. She is an ambassador for the Mariposa Trust “Saying Goodbye” and a Trustee for the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust. She is also a member of the BJM editorial board.

Kathy has been a self employed freelance dietitian for many years. Before going totally freelance, she combined this with part-time Public Health or Community Nutrition work in the NHS in North Nottinghamshire and in Scotland. The work then was focused mainly on pregnancy and early years working with other health care professionals in Sure Start/Children’s Centres in Mansfield and Langold (Nottinghamshire). This included nutrition training for health care professionals, training parents to provide cookery courses in the community, and other early years project work. Previous to the children’s centre work she enjoyed Community Dietetics in Stirling, Edinburgh and general health promotion work in Glasgow. Her freelance work has combined some consultancy work with PR agencies, the food industry, writing for professional magazines, providing updates for health care professionals and consultancy work with Nutrition and Dietetic or Public Health departments in the NHS. She received her dietetic training in Canada and also worked as a teacher in Zambia and Botswana. She is registered with the UK Health and Care Professionals Council and is a Member of the British Dietetic Association.