Inaugural Science Atlantic Nutrition and Foods Conference
Welcome to the Science Atlantic Nutrition and Foods Committee Inaugural Conference Website!
Science Atlantic Nutrition and Foods Committee was founded in 2016 (by its current members) and will be hosting its inaugural conference on February 28th – March 1st, 2019 at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia (SAC Multi-purpose Room). You can find a map of Mount Saint Vincent University Campus here.
Registration for the Inaugural Science Atlantic Nutrition and Foods Conference is now open! Please click on this link to register for the conference, pay the fees and/ or submit an abstract.
Delegates are welcome to attend even if they do not have original research to present. See below for our exciting conference schedule.
What is Science Atlantic?
Science Atlantic is a registered charitable organization for scientists, faculty, and students in Atlantic Canada. Science Atlantic, formerly Atlantic Provinces Council on the Sciences, was founded in 1962 with the aim of advancing post-secondary science education and research in Atlantic Canada. Science Atlantic activities include annual academic conferences, lecture tours by notable scientists, awards recognizing research and science communication skills, travel assistance for students to attend conferences, and managing the Atlantic Facilities and Research Equipment Database (AFRED). Currently, Science Atlantic hosts ten annual discipline conferences in a variety of fields, including chemistry, physics & astronomy, mathematics & computer science, biology, psychology, and others.
Abstract submission
Science Atlantic is a student conference and it provides an excellent opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to present the results of their research.
Abstract submission is now open! Abstracts can be submitted in English or in French. You can find a call for abstracts/appel de proposition here.
Please follow this link to submit an abstract.
Logo competition
Calling all creative nutrition and foods scientist trainees!
Science Atlantic Nutrition and Foods committee is organizing its first-ever conference and it is in need of a logo! You can find more information here.
Please email your submissions to us at science.atlantic2019@msvu.ca
Volunteering
In order to ensure the conference runs smoothly, we need student volunteers to help out during the event. Volunteering allows free access at the Science Atlantic conference, however, abstract submission requires a $10 fee. You can find more information and available positions here.
If you have questions regarding the conference or want to sign up as a volunteer, please contact your Student Representatives at science.atlantic2019@msvu.ca
All inquiries regarding abstract submission and student awards should be sent directly to Dr. Shannan Grant, Conference Chair, at shannan.grant2@msvu.ca
Tentative schedule:
| February 28th, 2019 – Registration and Opening Ceremony | |
| 4:00 – 6:30 pm | Conference Registration |
| 6:30 – 7:00 pm | Reception |
| 7:00 – 7:30 pm | Opening Ceremony (Orientation and Welcome) |
| 7:30 – 8:30 pm | Keynote Presentation
Developing Trustworthy Dietary Guidelines: From Good to Great! |
| March 1st, 2019 – Full Conference Day | ||
| 7:30 – 8:00 am | Registration | |
| 8:00 – 9:00 am | Learning Breakfast
Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: Then and Now
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| 9:00 – 9:30 am | Opening Remarks | |
| 9:30 – 10:30 am | Session A: Nutrition (Oral Presentations)
Faculty Facilitator Student Speaker 1 Student Speaker 2 Student Speaker 3 |
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| 10:30 – 11:00 am | Nutrition Break | |
| 11:00 – 12:00 pm | Student Poster Presentations | |
| 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Lunch | |
| 1:00 – 2:00 pm | Session B: Foods (Oral Presentations)
Faculty Facilitator Student Speaker 1 Student Speaker 2 Student Speaker 3 |
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| 2:00 – 3:00 pm | Knowledge Mobilization Upskilling Workshop
Designing Effective Education Materials (Infographics) |
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| 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Nutrition Break and Trade Show Exhibit | |
| 4:00 – 5:00 pm | Awards Ceremony (Closing) | |
Keynote Presentation
Developing Trustworthy Dietary Guidelines: From Good to Great!
Dr. Bradley Johnston (PhD) is an Associate Professor with the Department of Community Health & Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. His work involves the application of evidence synthesis and randomized trial methods to a wide range of areas, with a particular interest in the principles and practice of evidence-based nutrition.
As the Director and Co-founder of NutriRECS, he leads an international consortium of researchers and research trainees aiming to develop trustworthy and novel nutritional guideline recommendations on major nutrition, food and dietary pattern questions. He is also a tutor in the annual Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Workshop at McMaster University, and is an Associate Editor with BMC Medical Research Methods.He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, including articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association, British Medical Journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Afflilations
Associate Professor – Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University
Adjunct Professor – Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University
Presentation
Learning objectives:
– To learn about the strengths and limitations of contemporary dietary guideline recommendations
– To learn about assessing the quality of evidence
– To explore methods for engaging consumers, the users of dietary guidelines
– To illustrate realistic reductions in foods associated with adverse health outcomes using dose-response meta-analysis
– To learn about moving from systematic summaries of the evidence to guideline recommendations
Background: Many nutritional guidelines do not adhere to internationally recognized standards set forth by the Institute of Medicine (IoM) and Guidelines International Network (GIN) for trustworthy guidelines. Limitations of existing guidelines include inadequate handling of conflicts of interest, limited involvement of key stakeholders particularly patient and community members (consumers), limited high quality systematic reviews using dose-response and dietary pattern meta-analysis, and the endorsement of strong recommendations based on low quality evidence.
Objective:To provide an overview of trustworthy and novel methods for developing nutritional guideline recommendations, setting an example for other organizations involved in nutrition-related guideline development.
Methods: As a solution, Dr. Johnston’s team has proposed NutriRECS, an international consortium developing consumer-centred nutrition recommendations. Rather than endorsement by an institution, NutriRECS aims to independently publish in a top-tier journal. The BMJ Rapid Recommendations project has demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. As an example in action, Dr. Johnston will present the first NutriRECS project on the health effects of red and processed meat consumption. He will highlight key methodological processes in the development of trustworthy recommendations, including the assembly and composition of the systematic review team and guideline panel, where he will emphasize consumer engagement in developing the research question, including the choice and prioritization of outcomes and subgroup analyses. He will provide an overview of the systematic review methods, including risk of bias assessment for individual studies, dose-response and dietary pattern meta-analysis, methods for assessing the overall certainty (quality) of evidence, and a novel method the NutriRECS team has developed to further explore the potential causal association between red and processed meat intake and adverse health outcomes (e.g. cancer). He will also present on systematic review methods for assessing consumers’ values and preferences to inform food-based recommendations, and how values and preferences can be used in making guideline recommendations. Finally, he will discuss methods for moving from systematic evidence summaries to recommendations for the public.
Implications for guideline developers/users: NutriRECS represents a new independent model of developing trustworthy guideline having previously shown to be feasible.
Conclusion: It is hoped that NutriRECS can serve as a model for other topic-related organizations wishing to develop trustworthy, independent guideline recommendations
Learning Breakfast
Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: Then and Now
Presented by Andrew Samis, MD, PhD
In today’s world one can find studies, guidelines, and popular press articles both espousing the benefits of reduced saturated fat as a means of reducing cardiovascular disease, as well as advocating that saturated fat is unrelated to heart attack and stroke or in some cases even beneficial in preventing these diseases.
It comes as no surprise that these strongly expressed opposing viewpoints create a sense of confusion. But what is the evidence? This presentation takes a step-by-step historical approach to review how the concept of reducing dietary fat became world-wide public policy, starting in the early 1900’s until today.
With an evidenced-based approach, the consumption of dietary fat and its relationship to cardiovascular disease is being reevaluated, as will specific dietary elements such as cholesterol, dairy saturated fat, butter, and eggs. Current food guidelines are reviewed, including the recent Heart and Stroke Foundation position statement on saturated fat which shifts away from an isolated macronutrient-restrictive approach towards a food-based paradigm.
Learning objectives:
· To understand the history of dietary guidelines advising lowering total dietary fat and saturated fat
· To review some of the evidence relating to specific dietary components and cardiovascular disease
· To discuss what we should tell our patients about a healthy diet and cardiovascular risk from an evidenced-based perspective
Knowledge Mobilization Upskilling Workshop
Designing Effective Education Materials (Infographics)
Facilitated by Kaitlin Roke, PhD, Flora Wang, PhD, Shannan Grant, PDt/RD, MSc, PhD
Learning objectives:
- Enhance knowledge about infographics
- Enhance skills to create graphic representations of data
- Build skill using Infographic tools for nutrition and foods information dissemination
- Work to make scientific concepts target audience appropriate
- Provide insight into the education tool development process
- Create a draft of an infographic!
Click here to open the conference program
Awards
There will be two award categories at the inaugural Science Atlantic Nutrition and Foods Conference, held at Mount Saint Vincent University. To be considered, applicants must submit their abstract by the deadline, February 1, 2019.
For more information about awards (except for travel awards), please contact Conference Chair Dr. Shannan Grant at Shannan.grant2@msvu.ca. Please contact us at science.atlantic2019@msvu.ca if you have any questions about travel awards.
1) General Undergraduate Awards
These awards are presented to undergraduate students who have demonstrated outstanding research and presentation skills. The research must significantly advance the discipline of food science or nutrition. The contribution may be applied or fundamental in nature, and must advance science or improve human condition. The awards consist of a cash prize and a letter of commendation. Both oral and poster presentations are eligible.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Abstract (statement of problem, objective, and principal findings)
• Presentation (clarity, visual aids, and organization)
• Scientific merit (experimental design, innovative approach, and interpretation of the data)
• Overall knowledge and response to questions
• Demonstrate potential to pursue graduate studies and research
1st Place: $200
2nd Place: $125
3rd Place: $75
2) Clara Jefferson Award
Clara Jefferson was a student within the School of Home Economics at Acadia University (’48). In 2010, Mrs. Clara Jefferson, a longtime Acadia supporter, received a Doctor of Civil Laws. In 2018, Mrs. Jefferson donated her historic cookbook collection to the Acadia University Archives, and it will benefit students for years to come.
This award will be presented to an undergraduate research student who significantly advances the discipline of food science and nutrition. The award consists of a $300 prize and a letter of commendation.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Presentation (clarity, visual aids and organization)
• Scientific merit (experimental design, innovative approach, and interpretation of the results)
• Overall knowledge and response to question
3) General Graduate Awards
These awards are presented to graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding research and presentation skills. The research must significantly advance the discipline of food science or nutrition. The contribution may be applied or fundamental in nature, and must advance science or improve human condition. The awards consist of a cash prize and a letter of commendation. Both oral and poster presentations are eligible. Both oral and poster presentations are eligible.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Abstract (statement of problem, objective, and principal findings)
• Presentation (clarity, visual aids, and organization)
• Scientific merit (experimental design, innovative approach, and interpretation of the data)
• Overall knowledge and response to questions
• Demonstrate potential to pursue graduate studies and research
1st Place: $200
2nd Place: $125
3rd Place: $75
4) Science Communication Award
The Science Atlantic Science Communication Award is offered at each of the annual Science Atlantic sponsored student conferences. The prize is awarded to the student who is best able to communicate a science topic to his or her peers. The award consists of a cash prize ($200), a letter of commendation and an opportunity to work collaboratively with the Atlantic Student Research Journal team to write and publish an article about their research.
Eligibility Criteria:
• Abstract (statement of problem, objective, and principal findings)
• Presentation (clarity, visual aids and organization) including either an oral presentation with a question and answer period or a poster presentation with an informal (one on one with a judge) question and answer)
• Scientific merit (experimental design, innovative approach, and interpretation of the data)
• Overall knowledge and response to questions
Judging
Each conference organizing committee determines the judging committee membership. Some committees involve non-competing students, some have a ballot vote of all conference attendees, and some are professors in the discipline. The judging committee has the right to withhold an award in any competition. If there are fewer than three students eligible to compete for this award at any conference, the award may not be disbursed. The decision of the judges is final.
Travel Awards
Two travel awards ($500) are available for trainees registered for the Science Atlantic Nutrition Conference in Halifax on February 28 to March 1, 2019.
In order to be eligible for a travel award, applicants should be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student from one of the institutions participating in Science Atlantic Nutrition Conference. Applicants must have submitted an abstract. Late applications will not be considered.
Eligible expenses include travel and accommodation. Travel expenses can be claimed for gas mileage $0.37 per km or bus, train, ferry or airfare (economy class) or their combination. The accommodation cost cannot exceed the rate of $114 per night (plus tax). The cost of taxi, tolls, bridges are eligible as well. The reimbursed cost of travel cannot exceed the travel award.
The application for travel award must include the following components:
1. A two-page CV/ resume
2. The abstract
3. Reference letter from supervisor or faculty from sponsoring institution
4. 500 word cover letter explaining why attending the conference is important to you
Applications for travel award should be submitted to science.atlantic2019@msvu.ca by February 1, 2019. All applicants will be notified via email about the results of the competition by February 11, 2019.
Please contact us at science.atlantic2019@msvu.ca if you have any questions about travel awards. All questions about any other awards (except for travel awards) should be sent directly to Conference Chair Dr. Shannan Grant at Shannan.grant2@msvu.ca.
Accommodations
Delegates for Science Atlantic’s Nutrition and Food Conference, at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, can reserve under our group booking at Château Bedford Hotel and Suites.
Rooms will cost $114.00 CAN per night (+ tax). This rate includes breakfast, parking, Wi-Fi and local phone. In order to book a room, please contact the hotel directly and mention Science Atlantic Nutrition & Foods.
