Congress Programme - Keynote Speakers

The scene for the Congress will be set on the opening day with presentations from four keynote speakers who will each cover and explore the three key themes of the Congress.

Professor Ian Crute | Professor Peter J Lillford
Dr Christine Bruhn | Dr Dick Potts

Professor Ian Crute
After gaining a first class honours degree and PhD in plant pathology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, Ian Crute spent 13 years as research leader in plant pathology at the National Vegetable Research Station (now Horticulture Research International). His research covered the genetics of plant-pathogen interactions and studies of fungicide resistance. After a spell at the University of Wisconsin on a Fulbright Fellowship, he returned to the UK to work with Horticulture Research International at East Malling as head of the Crop and Environment Protection Department. Here he established a research group to work on the pathology of Arabidopsis – exploiting the molecular genetic definition and tools available from this model species to study genes for resistance.

In 1993 Ian moved back to HRI at Wellesbourne, as head of plant pathology before becoming director with overall responsibility for the direction of research at the site. In 1999 he became director of Rothamsted Research.

He was awarded the Research Medal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England in 1992 and became president of the British Society for Plant Pathology in 1995. He holds a visiting professorship at the University of Oxford, is chairman of the BBSRC Plant and Microbial Sciences Committee and is a member of the BBSRC Strategy Board.

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Professor Peter J Lillford
Educated in chemistry at King’s College, London, Peter Lillford gained a PhD in physical organic chemistry before going to Cornell University, New York, USA, for his post-doctoral research. In 1971 he joined Colworth Laboratory of Unilever Research and retired from his post as Chief Scientist (Foods) in 2001. His main research interests have been in the field of colloid and emulsion science, food biopolymers, vegetable and muscle tissue foods and flavour release.

From 1993 to 1997, Peter chaired the Food & Drink Panel of the Office of Science and Technology’s Technology Foresight Programme and from 1998 to 2000 was chairman of the BBSRC Agri-Food Committee and also a member of the BBSRC Strategy Board.

Currently, he holds several positions including, visiting chair of public awareness of science at the University of York; president of the International Symposium of the Properties of Water in Foods (ISOPOW); immediate past-president of the Institute of Food Science and Technology; chairman of LINK Advanced Manufacturing for Defra and chairman of the National Centre for Non-Food Crops.

In 1991 Peter was awarded the Senior Medal by the Foods Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry and in 1998 was awarded a CBE for services to the food industry and science in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. He was also honoured by Birmingham University with a DEng (Hons) in recognition of services to food engineering.

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Dr Christine Bruhn
Educated at the University of Davis, California, USA, Christine Bruhn gained a BS and MS, before attaining a PhD in consumer behaviour. Christine’s expertise lies in consumer behaviour, food science and consumer economics. She began her career in 1970 as lecturer in food science and on consumer courses at the University of California and California State University, before joining Co-operative Extension in 1986. As a consumer food marketing specialist, Christine studies consumer’s attitudes towards food safety and quality and conducts educational programmes that inform consumers about new products and technologies.

Now, as director for the Centre of Consumer Research, she is involved in research that generates knowledge that lays the basis for effective decision making by consumers at a personal level, and for effective policy by public and private organisations. Christine has authored over a 100 papers on consumer attitudes towards food. Amongst her most recent recognitions, she was awarded Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology in 2002, and in 2001 gained the R E Engel award for outstanding contribution and dedication to food irradiation.

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Dr Dick Potts
The son of a farmer, Dick Potts studied zoology at the University of Durham before gaining a PhD for his research on the dynamics of insecticides in marine ecosystems. His research continued whilst he was a lecturer at Durham, where he became more and more interested in the use of pesticides on farm and he switched his research to the ecology of the grey partridge (Perdix perdix).

In 1968 he accepted a post at The Game Conservancy Trust to explore the causes for the decline of the grey partridge. Here he began a unique study of the indirect effects of pesticides on wildlife on farmland flora and fauna - a continuing programme which is now in its 36th year. In 1976 he was appointed director of research and moved to the Trust’s headquarters at Fordingbridge, UK. In 1991 he became chairman of the Allerton Research and Educational Trust Farm Management Committee and the following year was appointed director general of The Game Conservancy Trust and managing director of Game Conservancy Ltd. Although now officially retired, Dick continues research as an independent consultant to The Game Conservancy Trust as well as undertaking farmland advisory work.

Author of more than 100 scientific papers as well as many articles, his book The Partidge; Pesticides, Predation and Conservation, published in 1986, gained Book of the Year prize by The Wildlife Society. He has served on many committees and working parties. In 2001 he was presented with a Special Award of the International Union of Game Biology and in 2002 was elected associate of The Royal Agricultural Society and received the Country Landowners Association Award for Services to the Countryside. Earlier this year he was awarded the Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship.

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