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Lisa Mcfarlane – The Gut Stuff

The Gut Stuff was launched in 2017 by Alana and Lisa Macfarlane, following the founders’ participation in a ground-breaking piece of research into whether gut health (your microbiome) is determined by genetics or environmental factors. The research was led by expert in genetics and nutrition Professor Tim Spector of Kings College London. It was here their gut journey began.

It was in sharing 100% of their DNA that made Alana and Lisa’s participation vital to the results, which culminated in the finding that, despite being identical, the bacteria in their guts were just 30% the same. If the gut bacteria in identical twins can be so different from each other, then what does this mean for the rest of us?

It has been their mission from the beginning to bring together all the experts in the space including scientists, nutritionists, dietitians, doctors, brands and industry, making The Gut Stuff the global thought leaders in the space.

Julie Thompson – Guts UK

Julie Thompson Information Manager at Guts UK charity has over 12 years’ experience as a Health Care Practitioner in gastroenterology dietetics. She has worked within the NHS before joining the charity in 2020. As the Information Manager, she answers queries on a wide range of topics around gut health, diseases of the digestive tract, liver and pancreas and is the content writer for the information leaflets that are available from Guts UK. Author and writer, she has written content for the Guardian, The Daily Mail, British Journal of Nursing, Nurse Prescribing Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, Network Health Dietitians Magazine, Guts UK biannual magazine and many others.

Cristian Costas – Specialist Gastroenterology Dietitian

Cristian Costas Batlle is a gastroenterology dietitian specialising in coeliac disease and works both in the NHS and in private practice. In the NHS he runs a dietetic-led coeliac service with the support of the gastroenterologists and in 2021 he was a double award winner for the national CN awards as Clinical Nutrition Professional Of The Year as well as Social Media Personality Of The Year.  In 2020 he was also awarded with the national Guts UK and Dr Falk dietitian recognition award for improving patient care in gastroenterology through the dietetic-led coeliac service he has constructed. Cristian has worked in a variety of clinical areas with regards to digestive health including liver disease, IBS, IBD and coeliac disease. He has practiced as a dietitian in the UK for more than 5 years.

Linda Thomas PhD FIFST FRSB – Scientist and Gut Microbiota for Health Group member

After graduating in microbiology from University College London, Linda worked in the Enteric Reference Laboratory, Colindale where she completed a PhD on pathogenic Escherichia coli. Then, as a Senior Research Associate at Cardiff University, she expanded her research to include ‘friendly bacteria’ (lactic acid bacteria), which resulted in a move to Danisco where, as Principal Senior Scientist, she led a research team developing novel antimicrobials for food.  Linda then became Science Director at Yakult UK where she led their clinical research and headed HCP outreach and education on probiotics. Since ‘retiring’, she has done a stint as Chief Editor of the International Journal of Dairy Research and for many years was a Trustee of the Society for Applied Microbiology and Council member of the Society of Dairy Technology. She currently organises the Gut Microbiota for Health expert panel of the British Society of Gastroenterology and does some consultancy work. Over the course of her career, she has authored a great many papers, patents and book chapters, edited a book, and was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology as well as the Royal Society of Biology.