Rodolfo Juliani (Ph.D. in Plant Biology, National University of Cordoba, Argentina) is Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University. He is a former Fulbright scholar, and a recipient of many awards, including the Outstanding Researcher Award provided by the Association for the Advancement of IndustrialCrops. His research is centered on the biology and chemical diversity of plants, including volatile and
non-volatile secondary metabolites, and the safety and effectiveness of natural plant-based products for human well-being (food, nutrition, health, cosmetics, and industrial uses) and environmental sustainability.
He has contributed to developing the natural plant product industry for income generation and contributed to expanding research infrastructure and human capacity of non-profit, research, and higher education institutions in Africa and other parts of the world. Dr. Juliani has published more than 100 research papers, books, book chapters, and book reviews.
James E. Simon (Ph.D., University of Massachusetts) is a Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology in the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University. Simon was a Professor at Purdue University for 17 years and in 2000 relocated his program to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he is the Director of the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program and the Director of the Center for Agricultural Food Ecosystems, New Jersey Institute for Food,
Nutrition and Health.
His research focuses on plant genetics, genetic diversity, natural product discovery and characterization, botanical authentication, quality control, and metabolomics. His current research interests focus on new sources of flavonoids, anthocyanins, spices, and new compounds as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial compounds, neuroprotective agents, and animal and insect pest repellents to improve human health and nutrition. Dr. Simon has published over 350 papers, books, and book chapters and has
been the recipient of many academic, national, and international awards.
Chi-Tang Ho (Ph.D., Washington University) is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University. Dr. Ho has published over 960 refereed journal articles and 228 book chapters and edited over 39 professional monographs. He is an elected Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Food Technologists, and the International Academy of Food Science & Technology.
He has won numerous reputable awards including the American Chemical Society Award for the Advancement of Application of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the Stephen S. Chang Award in Flavor and Lipid Science from the Institute of Food Technology, and the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) Excellence in Flavor Science Award. His current research interests focus on flavor chemistry, including the identification of aroma-active compounds in foods and the mechanism of flavour
compound formation in process flavor; and anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective effects of functional food bioactive compounds.
