Keynote Speakers 2025
Kathleen Hefferon
University of Toronto
Comming Soon
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