WASHINGTON, DC, US — The Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) has expanded its scientific advisory board with the addition of Ginnefer Cox and Wesley Tucker.

The two join a multidisciplinary group of nationally recognized experts in nutrition, exercise physiology, public health and food science who guide GFF’s research priorities and oversee the scientific accuracy of its public-facing education programs.

“Our scientific advisory board is what sets GFF apart as an independent expert voice on the role of grain foods in a healthy dietary pattern,” said Erin Ball, executive director of the Grain Foods Foundation. “Their expertise allows us to ground every message in credible, peer-reviewed science rather than opinion or trend. Drs. Cox and Tucker strengthen that voice at a moment when the science on nutrition, exercise and health continues to evolve. Dr. Cox’s sensory science and culinary expertise and Dr. Tucker’s work in exercise physiology and cardiovascular health sharpen our ability to turn research into guidance people can use.”

Cox is an associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Georgia, where she also directs the Culinary Science and Nutrition Program. A registered dietitian with a culinary arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America, her research applies sensory evaluation methods, including in community-based settings, to improve acceptability of health-focused foods and recipes. Her work spans federal nutrition education programs, school lunch recipe development and food products for vulnerable populations.

“I am honored to join the Scientific Advisory Board,” Cox said. “Grains not only provide key nutrients that are needed for health but also offer a diversity of sensory characteristics that consumers look for when selecting food products. There are a variety of choices in consuming grains, along with numerous cooking and preparation techniques when utilizing grains, which result in appealing textures and delicious flavors for recipes and food products.”

Tucker is a faculty member in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A registered dietitian nutritionist and exercise scientist, his research focuses on nutrition and exercise interventions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, including hypertension, heart failure and stroke. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications on nutrition, exercise physiology and cardiometabolic health.

“I am incredibly excited to join the Grain Foods Foundation Scientific Advisory Board and to contribute to its continued efforts to communicate evidence-based nutrition science to health professionals and the public,” Tucker said. “As a registered dietitian nutritionist and researcher, I look forward to bringing my expertise in nutrition, exercise and cardiovascular health to the board and working alongside an outstanding group of scientists to help translate nutrition research into practical dietary guidance.”

With the addition of Cox and Tucker, the Scientific Advisory Board includes:

• Siddhartha Angadi, University of Virginia
• Heather Eicher-Miller, Purdue University
• Glenn Gaesser, Arizona State University
• Stephen Lindemann, Purdue University
• Richard D. Mattes, Purdue University
• Nicola McKeown, Boston University

The GFF is the grain foods industry's independent source of evidence-based insight, working alongside its research arm, the Grain Foods Research Institute (GFRI), and the SAB to keep its programs, resources and public messaging grounded in current, peer-reviewed evidence. 

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Susan Reidy is senior editor with World Grain and editor of the Grain & Milling Annual. She has 21 years of experience covering the grain handling and milling industries, the past 17 years with Sosland Publishing Company. She received a bachelor’s of journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Connect with Susan Reidy on LinkedIn or via email.