Agriculture, Nutrition, and Resilience

Dr. Shikha Saxena holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Nutrition from the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2019). Specialising in Household food security and women's nutrition, and mixed method, she investigates the determinants of household food security and their impact on the nutritional status of women in slums in India. She was awarded a DAAD fellowship in Germany during her PhD studies. She concluded her NIHR-funded Postdoctoral Research at the National Institute for Cancer Prevention and Research, ICMR, in 2022. She has over thirteen years of experience as a faculty member, nutritionist, and consultant for India's reputed education, health care, and research institutions. She has been actively engaged in community-based projects, demonstrating proficiency in quantitative and qualitative analysis. She has worked as a consultant on interim projects for WHO and Jhpiego. Additionally, she has worked for the Centre for Policy Research and Public Health Foundation of India. She authored a book titled Women Nutrition in Developing Countries: A Mixed Method Study. She has also presented her research at national and international conferences. She is a member of the Nutrition Society of India, the Indian Dietetic Association, the Canadian Obesity Network, and the Nutrition Society of the United Kingdom. She has also served as an online academic Expert at Australia's Victoria University. At present, she is working as an Associate Professor at the School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.

Dr. Chhavi Taliwal is a distinguished nutritionist and academician with over 15 years of experience in Food and Nutrition. She has made significant contributions to nutritional analysis, meal planning, food product development, and public health. Dr. Taliwal holds a M.Sc. in Foods & Nutrition from C.C.S University, an M.Phil. in Home Science from D.A.V.V University, Indore, MP and a Ph.D. from Amity University, Noida, UP, where she researched supplementary food for lactating mothers. Currently, Dr. Taliwal serves as a Project Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), ICMR, in Hyderabad. Her role involves mentoring students in Applied and Sports Nutrition, coordinating courses, and developing innovative food products. Prior to this, she worked as a Dietician at Shivam Clinic in Delhi and held academic positions at Amity University, Gurgaon, Haryana and Ginni Devi Modi Girls Post Graduate College in Modinagar, UP. Dr.Taliwal's research focuses on optimizing nutritional products for vulnerable populations. She has published extensively in Scopus-indexed journals and presented her work at national and international conferences, earning several awards. Additionally, she has been an invited speaker for the Poshan Program, contributing to government efforts to improve nutrition in schools and colleges.Her commitment to research, education, and public health has made a lasting impact, benefiting students, professionals, and the broader community. Dr. Taliwal is a respected figure in the field, actively contributing to the advancement of nutrition science.