Provocations Public Lecture

Is my food killing me? 

Date: Wednesday, 16 April

Time: 6 pm. The public lecture will be between 6 pm and 7 pm. 

This online lecture is free to attend. 

Abstract

Food-related diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. The incidence of cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer can be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet. However, these diseases still rank among the top 10 causes of death globally.

According to social media platforms like Facebook, wheat breeders are blamed for the rise in celiac disease due to the development of toxic varieties. Additionally, food processors are accused of stripping nutrients from our food, the livestock industry is said to be responsible for elevated cholesterol levels, and multinational companies are allegedly poisoning us with glyphosate through genetically modified crops.

But is Facebook correct, or are there other reasons for the high prevalence of food-related diseases? This presentation will explore the impact of diet on health and examine how our research is challenging some of the food-related myths circulating on social media.

Speaker 

Chris Blanchard holds an honours degree in medical science and a PhD in molecular biology. He has been an academic at Charles Sturt University for the past 25 years and currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Food Sciences. Prior to joining Charles Sturt University, Chris worked at the CSIRO Grain Quality Research Lab and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Throughout his career, Chris has focused on the functionality of various grains, including wheat, rice, canola, and pulses. In recent years, he has led several large research projects funded by the GRDC, Agrifutures, Food Agility CRC, ARC, and ACIAR. He has held numerous leadership roles, including Director of the Functional Grain Centre, Chair of the Australasian Grain Science Council, Member of the GRDC Southern Regional Panel, Non-executive Member of the GRDC Board, and Member of the Academy of Sciences National Committee for Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries.

Chris’s recent projects include:

• Investigating the benefits of legumes in cereal rotations.
• Evaluating food and beverage opportunities for Australian-grown sorghum.
• Improving the profitability of pulse production for small landholder farmers in Pakistan.
• Evaluating bioactive compounds and their anti-cancer properties.
• Predicting rice quality using machine learning.
• Enhancing cybersecurity in agriculture

In his spare time, Chris owns and operates one of the pubs in his hometown of Junee.

The Provocations Public Lecture is co-hosted by the Royal Society of New South Wales (Western Branch) and Charles Sturt University.