2026 Technical Sessions

Laura Rokosz is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with 28 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industries. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D in Food Science from Rutgers University and completed her RDN internship in the Rutgers Individual Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) Dietetics program. Dr. Rokosz was employed with Schering-Plough, Merck and Pharmacopeia where she supported R & D efforts in drug development. She is the author of over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles including five Expert Opinion articles on Obesity and Cancer.  A number of her blogs on fitness and nutrition have been published on various syndicated websites and in online periodicals. Dr. Rokosz is currently the owner of EGGLROCK Nutrition, LLC, an Integrative Healthcare practice providing dietary and lifestyle guidance for disease prevention and health maintenance.  EGGLRock Nutrition is a well-recognized community practice serving the health needs of both adults and children. Dr. Rokosz serves as an adjunct faculty member at Rutgers University and teaches group fitness classes at the Gateway Family YMCA of Union County, NJ. Be sure to tune into her podcast, “Eat Right with Laura” which can be found on her website at www.egglrock.com.

At Nestlé Health Science, David Despain serves as a Senior R&D Manager for the Weight Management Nutrition Platform, where he leads innovation pipeline activities that advance the product innovation for consumers on GLP-1 therapy for obesity and type 2 diabetes. David holds dual master’s degrees—one in human nutrition from the University of Bridgeport and another in science communication from Stony Brook University. He is also an IFT-certified food scientist, a credential earned after more than a decade of research and development experience in the food industry.

Nayara is a Certified Food Scientist with a diverse background in food science, product development, and technical support. With a foundation of training in commercial pastry and culinary arts, Nayara went on to study Food Science at Cornell University where she received her bachelor’s degree. She has seven years of experience in product development for the consumer packaged goods industry. Currently, she works at BENEO, Inc. a global ingredient manufacturer with a focus on supplying functional, plant-based, nutrition-forward ingredients. There, she leads technical support efforts for Mexico and the Northern US, providing solutions and inspiration through recipe development, presentations and technical problem-solving.

Dr. Suketu Patel, MD, PhD, Global Chief Medical Officer at Havas Health Network.  He helps lead the GLP-1 consultancy under Havas Health (HH).  Suketu has more than 15 years of experience as a global medical director, launching and revitalizing brands, and working across a range of therapeutic areas including nutrition, immunology, oncology, neurology, genetics, and rare disease. He focuses on elevating the role of medical initiatives across the global network. HH seeks to better connect with institutions and leverage advanced data to drive effective communications in the modern marketplace.  He works with colleagues at Havas across North and South America, Europe and Asia. He has partnered closely with brands from small biotech to large pharma. Via the GLP-1 consultancy, Suketu and HH demonstrate that they are unafraid to be the company that steps first into this dynamic space.

Janice Bryson is Vice President of R&D at Mondelez International, leading a global team focused on platform development and innovation for the Biscuits & Baked Snacks category. With 30+ years in the food industry, including roles at Nabisco and Kraft, her experience spans product innovation, ingredients technology, sustainability initiatives, and digital evolution.  Janice is passionate about translating consumer insights and technology advancements into innovative products that deliver exceptional experiences for evolving consumer preferences and fuel business growth.  She has the privilege of working on iconic snacking brands such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, Ritz, Trident, Halls, and Planters.  Janice holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Food Science from Rutgers University.

Jason Goodman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Antithesis Foods. With a background in microbiology, biochemistry, and immunology, he began his career in R&D at pharmaceutical companies before pursuing a PhD in Food Science at Cornell University. His academic research investigated the intersection of taste biology, obesity, and the microbiome.

At Antithesis, he leads a team that leverages research on what makes processed food good or bad for human health to fix the food system. Antithesis reformulates classic processed foods to improve the food environment, creating high-protein, high-fiber products with lower energy density and great taste. Antithesis works exclusively with private label brands to get better-for-you food to more people, more affordably.

Rhonda Scott Witwer has been marketing ingredients in the food industry for more than two decades and has written numerous articles and expert market reports on health-promoting ingredients.  She is an expert on resistant starch and is Executive Director of www.ResistantStarchResearch.com, which explains the scientific studies supporting resistant starch’s prebiotic health benefits. She worked with the Global Prebiotic Association to update the definition of “prebiotic” and propose a new definition for “prebiotic effect”, which was published in Advances in Nutrition in 2024. During Ms Witwer’s career, she has worked for numerous companies, including Ingredion, International Agriculture Group (IAG), Beneo, Monsanto, ADM and the Functional Foods for Health Program at the University of Illinois, most of which manufactured prebiotic, fermentable dietary fibers and other bioactive ingredients. She managed NuBana^® green banana flour business for IAG and managed Hi-maize^® resistant starch for Ingredion.

She has been responsible for building recognition for resistant starch’s health benefits as a prebiotic fiber for gut health, blood sugar health, and a healthy metabolism. She has translated more than 400 published studies supporting resistant starch into understandable, credible marketing messages now being used all over the world. She was also instrumental in securing the qualified health claim that resistant starch reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2016. A graduate of Butler University with a B.S. in Chemistry, she received her M.B.A. in Marketing from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and was recently recognized by Marquis Who’s Who for her contributions in nutrition science.

Dr. Kirstie Canene-Adams is the Director of Ingredion’s Nutrition Center in Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. She translates clinical and pre-clinical nutrition research into regulatory-compliant, business-relevant claims, and innovations. Dr. Canene-Adams regularly works with cross discipline teams in R & D, governmental affairs, Legal, Toxicology, and Marketing. She advocates for science and evidence-based regulations with trade organizations and professional scientific organizations. Previously, she held positions at Mars, Tate & Lyle, and the Kraft Foods Company.

Prior to joining the food industry, she was an Assistant Professor in the Nutrition and Foods Program at Texas State University and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where her research focus was on tomatoes and broccoli for chemoprevention. Dr. Canene-Adams received her PhD in Nutritional Sciences and BS in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Martin Slayne, PhD, is Vice President, Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Innovation at Ingredion Incorporated. Prior roles heading global scientific and regulatory affairs, food safety and nutrition organizations at The Hershey Company, Mondelez International and PepsiCo.  Leading global government engagement programs and cross-sector collaboration, including past roles as Regulator on food chemical safety and feed legislation at the European Commission in Brussels, and UK Food Standards Agency in London. Extensive experience with global food standards and food policy, including Codex Alimentarius. A scientific background, with PhD and Masters, medical microbiology. Advocate for credible science, evidence-based decision-making, and rational food and health policies that tangibly benefit people. Collaborate and build consumer trust. A strong advocate for community environmental sustainability.