Keynote Speakers 2025
Kathleen Hefferon
University of Toronto
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Kathleen Hefferon completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine. She worked as a PostDoc in the Department of Food Science at Cornell and now teaches in the Department of Microbiology at Cornell University. Kathleen is the Founder and CTO of Forte Protein, a biotech company that can generate any protein using plant (as well as other) production platforms. Kathleen was the Fulbright Canada Chair of Global Food Security in 2018 and is the author of several books.
Alison Van Eenennaam
Distinguished Professor of Cooperative Extension in the field of Animal Genomics and Biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California.
Alison Van Eenennaam is a Distinguished Professor of Cooperative Extension in the field of Animal Genomics and Biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis where she has been on faculty for over 20 years. She received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Melbourne, and both an MS in Animal Science, and a PhD in Genetics from UC Davis. Her research and outreach program focuses on the use of animal genomics and biotechnology in livestock production systems. She has a multifaceted research program that has included work on the uses of DNA information and biotechnologies in beef cattle production systems, and the development of genome editing approaches for cattle and sheep. She has given over 800 invited presentations to audiences globally. She frequently provides a credentialed voice on controversial scientific topics, and has appeared on national media including “The Dr Oz Show”, Science Friday, Nova: The Realities of Gene Editing with CRISPR, the Intelligence Squared debate series, and Food Evolution. A passionate advocate of science, Dr. Van Eenennaam received the 2014 Borlaug Communication Award, and the American Society of Animal Science 2019 Rockefeller Prentice Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics. Twitter: @BioBeef
Kai Purnhagen
Professor of Law, Chair of Food Law, University of Bayreuth, Campus Kulmbach and Faculty of Law and Economics. Director Research Center for Food Law and Chair of the University‘s Ethical Committee. Broad expertise in EU Law, International Economic Law and the interdisciplinary Analysis of Law.
Co-author of EU Food Law (OUP) and over one hundred book chapters, articles and annotations in law journals, natural science and social science outlets including the Yearbook of EU law, Common Market L Rev, Eur L Rev, Eur L J, The Rabel J of Comparative and International Private L, The J of World Trade, Nature Biotech, Nature Plants, Eur Rev of Private L, J of Consumer Policy, Eur Business L Rev, Eur J of Risk Regulation, Trends in Biotec, Risk Analysis, Appetite, The New Phytologist and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policies.
Founder and co-editor of the book series European Economic Law and Regulation (Springer), co-editor of Towards a European Legal Culture (Beck, Hart, Nomos, 2014), Varieties of European Economic Law and Regulation (Springer, 2014) and Transformation of Economic Law (Hart, 2019). Editorial boards: European J of Risk Regulation (Cambridge University Press), the J of Consumer Policy (Springer) and the book series Economic Analysis of Law in European Legal Scholarship (Springer).
PI of the project „Innovate Food Law“ funded by the DFG and the Oberfrankenstiftung. Responsible for the regulatory parts In the HorizonEurope projects GeneBEcon and DETECTIVE. Smaller third-party projects on FoodTecReg concerning precision fermentation and mycelium products.
Previously I served as Assistant and Associate Professor at Wageningen University, Akademischer Rat aZ at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, post-doc researcher at the Faculty of Law of the University of Amsterdam and lecturer at various universities, including the University of Lucerne. Previous positions include a Fellowship at the Law School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, at the University of Amsterdam and a visiting scholarship at the London School of Economics.
Regular reviewer for national Science foundations in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Austria, and the Netherlands, ERC starting and consolidator grants and for publication outlets such as OUP, CUP, Nature Food, Eur L Rev, Food Policy, J of Consumer Policy.
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