Mary Hickson has been Professor of Dietetics at the University of Plymouth since 2016, following over 23 years of clinical experience in the NHS. Her academic work is grounded in extensive frontline practice, and her research interests span all aspects of dietetic practice, with a particular focus on sarcopenia, frailty, and the nutritional care of older people. She has authored many scientific papers supporting evidence-based dietetic practice and is deeply committed to fostering impactful research that strengthens the profession's evidence base, through mentoring, PhD supervision, and collaboration. She is a career-long member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA), serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and is a Trustee for the Self-Care Forum.
Kate Maslin is a Senior Research Fellow in Maternal and Child Health at the University of Plymouth and a Specialist Visiting lecturer at the REALIFE (REproduction And LIFEstyle for healthier families) group at KU Leuven, Belgium. She holds a PhD in paediatric nutrition and has previously worked as a lecturer in dietetic practice and clinical paediatric dietitian. Her research focuses on preconception and pregnancy nutrition. Kate is a founding member of the Women's Health and Fertility Specialist Group of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and served as the topic expert for the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on Maternal and Child Nutrition 2021-2025.
Linda Wedlake enjoyed a distinguished career as a research dietitian in the NHS for nearly 20 years. During that time, she authored numerous research publications and contributed to several key clinical texts. Her research focussed on the efficacy of nutritional substrates in protecting the gut during therapeutic pelvic radiation therapy. She has published systematic reviews and contributed to national guidelines. Linda also served as a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) training advocate for Dietetics, a Trustee for the British Dietetic Association's (BDA) GET Fund, and a visiting lecturer for Surrey University. More recently, she led the introduction of an innovative online platform for capturing Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in cancer research.
Duane Mellor is a highly experienced clinical and academic dietitian with special interest in diabetes, particularly paediatric diabetes. He holds a PhD in Diabetes and Endocrinology from the University of Hull and has held academic positions in both the UK and Australia. He is currently a Specialist Paediatric Diabetes Dietitian at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
Adrian Brown is an NIHR Advanced Fellow and Principal Research Fellow (Associate Professor) in Nutrition and Dietetics at the Centre of Obesity Research, University College London, where he also co-leads the MSc Dietetics (Pre-registration) programme. He is a Senior Specialist Weight Management and Bariatric Dietitian with over 19 years of clinical experience and holds a PhD in Medicine from Imperial College London. His research interests include obesity, type 2 diabetes, weight stigma, ultra-processed foods, and the use of formula-based diets in different patient populations. Adrian is currently Chair of the Obesity Specialist Group for the British Dietetic Association (BDA), serves on the Scientific Council of the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), the Strategic Council of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Obesity, and is a Trustee of the Academy of Nutrition Sciences.
