Meet Our Speakers
Andrew Hebard
From Field to Impact: Scaling Regenerative Solutions for Global Health
President and CEO, Nature Crops International
Andrew Hebard is President and CEO of Natures Crops International, where he has led the company’s evolution from a startup founded in 2008 into an international leader in specialty oilseed crops and plant-based ingredient innovation for the human and pet markets and for the personal care industry. Driven by a mission to deliver plant-based omega-3 solutions that don’t cost the earth, he has led the research, development, and commercialization of Ahiflower®, NCI’s proprietary regenerative omega ingredient. Under his leadership, Ahiflower has become recognized for its innovative approach to plant-based omega nutrition and sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Rinat Ran Ressler
Senior Principal Nutritionist
The Omega Gap: A Global Deficiency Hiding in Plain Sight
Dr. Ran-Ressler is a registered dietitian with clinical experience and a PhD in Human Nutrition from Cornell University. During her graduate studies, she advanced understanding of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) in gut development under the mentorship of Dr. Tom Brenna, uncovering the nutritional relevance of these rare fatty acids. Dr. Ran-Ressler is an R&D expert in Lipid Science at Nestlé, leads the Nestlé Lipids Network, and serves as a Senior Principal Nutritionist on the Science and Technology team within the Nestlé Nutrition and Health business category. Dr. Ran-Ressler also chairs the Health & Nutrition Division of the American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS).
Dr. Chris Parrish
University Research Professor
Beyond Fish Oil: The Future of Scalable, Sustainable Omega-3
Dr. Chris Parrish is a University Research Professor in the Department of Ocean Sciences at Memorial University of Newfoundland and in 2025 he was awarded the John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professorship. His research focuses on the production, transport, fate and effects of lipids in the marine environment, and he has made key research contributions in fields ranging from aquaculture to marine ecology to lipid nutrition. As an Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholar in Dalhousie University, he pioneered the use of lipid class analysis of aquatic samples and then, as a Medical Research Council Fellow at the University of Toronto, he showed that dietary fish oil limits fat accumulation in adipose tissue. His integration of diverse approaches from different disciplines has provided powerful tools for problems that cross boundaries and is reflected in his having had simultaneous appointments in different academic departments nationally and internationally. Working at the interface of chemistry and biology, Dr. Parrish has developed analytical methods and numerical approaches that have been widely used by ecologists to trace formation and consumption of energy and essential nutrients in marine and, recently, terrestrial systems. He has mentored 36 graduate students in six academic programs, establishing diverse teams that have produced key findings on the ecological importance of marine lipids as energy sources and as essential nutrients, and on effects of marine oils in aquaculture leading to ways to minimize environmental impacts of aquaculture and to maximize the healthfulness of the food product. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 64) in top journals in fields encompassing marine biology, oceanography, aquaculture, food science, toxicology, and most recently lipidomics.
Amy Symington
Professor & Culinary Nutrition Specialist
From Confusion to Clarity: Untangling the Acronyms
Amy Symington, MSc, PhD Candidate, is a nutrition professor, researcher, and culinary nutrition specialist based in Toronto, Canada. With more than 15 years of teaching experience and over 25 years in the food industry, her work bridges nutritional science, culinary practice, and public health education. Amy holds a Master of Science in Applied Human Nutrition with a specialization in functional foods and is currently completing her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. Her doctoral research focuses on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, conducted in collaboration with internationally recognized clinicians and researchers in the field. In addition to her academic work, Amy leads culinary nutrition programming at Gilda’s Toronto, a not-for-profit cancer support organization. She also serves as Culinary Nutrition Specialist for Forward Food, where she develops and delivers chef training programs across Canada for institutional food service settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, shelters, and universities, with an emphasis on implementing Canada’s Food Guide. Amy works closely with the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank (TVFB) as a chef and nutrition consultant, providing culinary nutrition education and programming for community members. She is also involved in health-focused recipe development and food writing for publications in Canada and internationally. Throughout her career, Amy has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to both the health and nutritional sciences and the culinary arts. She is a strong advocate for evidence-based, plant-forward nutrition approaches that support both human and environmental health. Amy is also the author of the award-winning cookbook The Long Table Cookbook: Plant-Based Recipes for Optimal Health.
Dr. Richard Bazinet
Professor, University of Toronto
Plant + Fish: How Science is Rewriting the Human Omega-3 Conversion Narrative
Dr. Richard Bazinet received his BSc from the University of Western Ontario (1998) and completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Cunnane at the University of Toronto in 2003. Dr. Bazinet then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Stanley Rapoport’s Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bazinet joined the University of Toronto in 2006, where he is currently a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism as well as the Associate Chair of Research and Innovation. Dr. Bazinet was the acting Chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences in 2023-2024. Dr. Bazinet is the recipient of several awards, including, Early Career Award from the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (2008); the Jordi-Folch-Pi Memorial Award from the American Society for Neurochemistry (2010); the Future Leaders Award from the International Life Sciences Institute (2011), Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (2011), the Young Scientist Award for the American Oil Chemists’ Society (2012), the Early Researcher Award from the Canadian Society for Nutrition (2016), the Chinese Association for Health Promotion and Education (2018), the Ralph Holman life time achievement award from the Oil Chemists’ Society (2020), the Chevreul Medal from the French Society for the Study of Lipids (2023), the Supelco American Oil Chemists’ Research Award (2025) and the International Award from Society for Chemical Industry Research (2025). Dr. Bazinet has also received the Faculty of Medicine Early-Career (2011) as well as the Mid-Career (2021) Excellence in Graduate Teaching Awards from The University of Toronto. Dr. Bazinet sits on several editorial boards and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids and was previously a Senior Associate Editor of Lipids. The overall goal of Dr. Bazinet’s research program is to identify the mechanisms that regulate brain lipid metabolism (signaling) and to identify the role of brain lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Bazinet’s research is multidisciplinary but focuses on novel approaches to measure the turnover of lipids with an emphasis on translational research. Dr. Bazinet has published over 250 papers and given over 150 invited lectures, largely in the field of brain fatty acid metabolism and is co-author of the joint WHO/FAO joint expert consultation on dietary fats and the central nervous system during aging and disease and was previously the President and in 2023 became a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids.
Dr. Wendy Bazilian
Doctor of Public Health
Rethinking How Consumers Get Their Omegas
Wendy Bazilian is a Doctor of Public Health, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Exercise Physiologist, educator, author, and nationally recognized nutrition and health communicator. She earned her Doctorate in Public Health Nutrition from Loma Linda University, where she graduated summa cum laude and received the Chancellor’s Award, the university’s highest academic honor. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, and graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Tufts University. For more than 25 years, Dr. Bazilian has worked at the intersection of nutrition science, public health, healthcare, industry, and consumer education. Her work focuses on translating complex scientific evidence into practical, evidence-based strategies that help people make informed decisions about food, health, and well-being. She has developed continuing education programs for healthcare professionals, advised food and health organizations on nutrition science and communications, and presented at scientific, medical, corporate, and public health conferences throughout North America and abroad. Dr. Bazilian has a long-standing professional interest in the role of dietary fats, plant-based nutrition, and sustainable food systems in health promotion. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with researchers, healthcare organizations, commodity groups, scientific-advisory teams, and food industry partners on topics including omega-3 fatty acids, nuts, seeds, plant-forward dietary patterns, consumer food and nutrition trends, and sustainable nutrition. Her experience spans scientific research, clinical practice, health communications, and consumer behavior, providing a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges of improving omega-3 intake at a population level. Increasingly, her work focuses on bridging the gap between scientific discovery and real-world adoption, helping consumers, healthcare professionals, organizations, and industry translate emerging nutrition science into meaningful action and measurable public health impact. Her contributions to nutrition science communication, professional education, and leadership have been recognized through honors including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Distinguished Lecture Award in recognition of her exemplary career and contributions to the profession, Today's Dietitian's 2026 TD10 honoring influential leaders helping shape the future of nutrition and dietetics, and Nutrition Entrepreneur of the Year recognition from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Nutrition Entrepreneurs practice group. She is the host of the podcast 1,000 Waking Minutes and has served for more than 15 years as a frequent nutrition expert on national television, frequently the nutrition expert on LIVE with Kelly and Mark, and national media resource helping bring evidence-based nutrition science to millions of consumers. https://wendybazilian.com/podcast
Dennis Neville
Beyond the Softgel: How Innovation Is Redefining Omega-3 Delivery for consumers
Founder & CEO of CoreFX Ingredients
Afif Ghannoum
What Consumers Really Want: Data-Driven Opportunities in Omega Nutrition
Founder and CEO CPG Radar
Denis Neville is an Irish entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of CoreFX Ingredients, a science-driven nutrition company specializing in advanced technologies for food, beverage, and nutraceutical applications. Raised on a dairy farm in County Kerry, Ireland, Denis is a scientist by education, holding an MSc in Food Chemistry from University College Cork. He founded CoreFX in the U.S. in 2009 with a vision to modernize how nutrients and bioactives perform in everyday products. Today, through the launch of CoreNhanced™, he is helping pioneer a new category focused on nutrient bioefficacy, controlled biorelease, and food-grade biotechnology. Known for combining entrepreneurial drive with technical innovation, Denis has led the company through international growth, acquisition, and a successful return to founder-led ownership in 2024. His work continues to focus on advancing the future of functional nutrition through scalable science and commercially viable innovation.
Afif Ghannoum is the founder and CEO of CPG Radar, which helps consumer brands and ingredient suppliers accelerate innovation using big data and AI. CPG Radar works with some of the largest ingredient companies and brands in the industry. Since 2010, Afif has developed and licensed products in the OTC and supplement space, with launches in more than 27,000 retail locations, and licensed IP from his work has resulted in products now found in over 100,000 stores. He holds multiple US and international patents, has received industry awards for innovation, and has been featured on platforms including QVC, NPR, and leading industry publications.
Dr. Michael Zaugg
MD MBA FRCPC
Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition: New Advances in Omega-3 Provision
Dr. Zaugg was raised in Zurich, Switzerland, where he attended Medical School and completed his training in Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Intensive Care Medicine. He completed a clinical fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesiology with Dr. J. Kaplan at Mount Sinai Medical Center and Icahan School of Medicine, New York (USA), and subsequently two fellowships in Experimental Anesthesiology (Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. J. Cottrell) and Cell Biology (Department of Cell Biology, Dr. MAQ Siddiqui) at the State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York (USA). He is the 2005 winner of the IARS Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award and has published numerous original papers resulting in over 10,000 citations. He completed his Master in Business Administration in 2011, at the Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta, Edmonton. Dr. Zaugg joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Alberta, in 2008 where he is working ever since as a clinician-scientist leading his own CIHR-funded laboratory. His main research focus is cardiac transplantation and more recently parenteral nutrition where he and Dr. Eliana Lucchinetti invented a novel lipid emulsion, which is on its way to commercialization.
Lorna Vanderhaeghe, MSc
Closing the Gap: the Importance of Omegas Early On
Lorna Vanderhaeghe has been a leader in the nutrition industry for over 40 years. She holds degrees in biochemistry and nutrition. Her passion and commitment to the integrity of evidence-based nutrition inspired her 13 books, including A Smart Woman's Guide to Hormones, several of which became national and international best sellers. She was the founder, CEO and creator of a top-selling line of women’s nutritional supplements dedicated to hormonal support under her own brand, later rebranded Smart Solutions. From inception, her business has made Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies list. Jamieson Wellness, the largest consumer packaged goods company in Canada, acquired her brand. Lorna is dedicated to helping women achieve optimal emotional, mental and physical wellness.