Patrizia Gnagnarella, RD, PhD
Dietitian. I graduated in Dietology and Applied Dietetics at the University of Pavia (1990). I graduated (I level degree) in Dietetics in 2004 and obtained Laurea Magistralis in Health Professionss in 2006 from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Pavia, and more recently I obtained a PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience and Data Science again at the State University of Pavia.
I am involved, as a research dietitian, in methodological aspects of nutritional epidemiology and in developing tools for the assessment of nutritional habits and food composition databases. Since 1997, I work at the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, and I am currently the project manager of the Italian food composition database (BDA). This collaborative project has lead to the publication of the book “The Food Composition Database for Epidemiological Studies in Italy” (funded by the Italian Association for Cancer Research) in 1998, and the most recent updated, activity that continues in collaboration with University of Udine.
I took part in numerous studies among which the EuroFIR Network (European Food Information Resource) within the Sixth Framework Program of the European Commission, the EuroFIR – Nexus project, the COST Action 927, Studio COSMOS I and II, Eurocancercoms. I am also a member of the international non-profit association EuroFIR AISBL (Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif), as representative for the BDA Working Group, that originates from the EuroFIR project (European Food Information Resource), a network of excellence focusing on food information resources.
I am an author or co-author of numerous scientific publications and book chapters, member of the Technical Scientific Association of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics (ASAND) and the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU).
Simonetta Salvini
Research dietitian, I graduated in 1981 at the University of Pavia and obtained a Laurea Magistralis in 2006 (Pisa University). I worked in the field of nutritional epidemiology at the Cancer Institute of Milan (1982-1986), at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham & Womens Hospital, Boston USA (1986-90), at the European Institute of Oncology – IEO in Milan (1991-98), and at ISPO – Cancer Prevention and Research Institute in Florence (1999-2011). Here I collaborated with activities related to the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) and with other research activities on diet and physical activity, among which an intervention trial of life style modification. In collaboration with the University of Florence, Milan and Udine I have been in charge of a randomized trial on extra virgin olive oil and oxidative damage, for which I received AIRC funding (Italian Association for Research on Cancer).
Member of the BDA group – Food Composition Database for Epidemiological Studies in Italy, for which I obtained a three-year grant in 1994 from the AIRC. With the University of Udine, I collaborate to the NUTRIRETE.lab project. Collaborations with the international study DO-HEALTH, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC Lyon) and with the Florence section of LILT (Italian League against Cancer) are also ongoing.
Co-author of numerous scientific publications on international peeer-reviewed journals. Member of ANDID (National Association of Dietitians), of ADA (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics), of SINU (Italian Human Nutrition Society), and EuroFIR AISBL (European Food Information Resource).
I currently works as a free lance dietitian, in research, clinical and educational settings.
Maria Parpinel
I graduated in Food Technology at University of Udine in 1991. From 1992 until 2004, I carried out research projects at the Unit of Epidemiology of the National Cancer Institute, Aviano, with Dr. Silvia Franceschi (at the time, head of the Unit). I was involved in nutritional aspects and in food composition issues within a multicentric retrospective study focussing on the analysis of the relation between nutrition and cancer.
Since 2004, I have been working on research projects at the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the University of Udine, chaired by Prof. Fabio Barbone. I am involved in surveys on food habits and aspects of food composition within a study on the effects of mercury intake on neurological development of children, as well as in the update of the Food Composition Database for Epidemiological Studies in Italy.
I take part in the EuroFIR Network (European Food Information Resource), within the Sixth Framework Program of the European Commission.
From 2005 to 2007 I collaborated with the Regional Health Agency of Friuli Venezia-Giulia on a finalized project for the prevention of childhood obesity coordinated by Burlo Garofalo Institute in Trieste. Currently, I am part of a multidisciplinary working group on the same issues, coordinated by the Local Health Agency n.6 (ASSn6) in Pordenone. I have also been involved in food educational programs targeting both the general population and the school environment, as well as in disseminating such programs to the general public.
Qualified as professional food technologist since 1998, I teach at the Faculty of Agriculture and Medicine and Surgery of the University of Udine.
I have co-authored many scientific publications. Member of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU), the Italian Association for Food Technology (AITA) and the Italian Association of Epidemiology (AIE).