GSSC
The Gluten Safety and Standards Committee (GSSC) is aiming to address the evolving landscape of gluten safety thresholds in the context of celiac disease and gluten mediated disease. Celiac disease management relies on strict adherence to a gluten free diet, making the regulation and testing of gluten in food crucial for patient long term health. Gluten challenge has a role in celiac disease diagnosis and an emerging role in clinical trials of novel drug therapies but lacks standardized approaches. Recent advances in immune biomarkers potentially simplify studies informing standards for safe gluten exposure in celiac disease, while advances in analytical chemistry and immunology allow precise measurement of gluten peptides responsible for gluten immunity in celiac disease. These developments provide new opportunities for food scientists and the food industry as well as for diagnostics and biopharmaceutical companies and may necessitate revision of food standards related to gluten. For further detail please see the 'Terms of Reference'.
co-Chair: Prof Jason Tye-Din (Australia)
Associate Professor Jason Tye-Din is an adult gastroenterologist who heads the Coeliac Research Lab in the Immunology Division of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, Australia. His research focuses on examining the basis for gluten immunity to improve the diagnosis, treatment and management of people with coeliac disease. In addition to research he runs a dedicated coeliac disease clinic at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and chairs the Medical Advisory Committee of Coeliac Australia, working closely with them to promote evidence based practice and medical and public awareness of coeliac disease.
co-Chair: Prof Katharina Scherf (Germany)
Prof Katharina Scherf leads a team at the TUM School of Life Sciences, Germany. Prof. Scherf's main research interests are the protein composition of food crops as well as wheat related disorders including celiac disease and wheat allergy. Together with her team, her mission is to develop new analytical strategies to study the complex interplay between structure, functionality, immunological and chemosensory activity of food proteins and peptides. The fundamental insights help to improve food security, food quality and food safety..
She leads the research group Food Biopolymer Chemistry at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TUM and also holds the Professorship of Food Biopolymer Systems at the TUM.
Carlo Catassi
Carlo Catassi, MD, is professor of pediatrics at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy and adjunct faculty at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. He is past president of the Italian Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and scientific consultant for the Instituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome, Italy, for the D1Ce pilot study on pediatric screening for celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. His primary research interests are celiac disease and other gluten related disorders, particularly the worldwide epidemiology, the clinical spectrum, pediatric screening and safe threshold of gluten intake.
Alessandra Costigliola
Alex Costigliola, MSc, is an accomplished scientific and regulatory affairs professional with a background in dietetics, bringing nearly two decades of expertise within the food industry. During her career, defined by a blend of technical expertise and strategic advocacy, she has consistently provided critical insights to support the review of relevant legislation and guidance. As the Head of Food Policy at Coeliac UK, Alex champions the interests of individuals with celiac disease, striving to ensure their needs are accounted for in regulations at both national and international level. In addition to her policy work, she oversees the UK Gluten Free Accreditation scheme within the hospitality sector, helping to raise standards and ensure a safe dining experience for celiac consumers.
Penny Dellsperger
Penny Dellsperger is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, she has dedicated nearly 20 years to Coeliac Australia, leading the organisation's policy, advocacy, research, and knowledge translation efforts. Her lived experience with celiac disease fuels her commitment to empowering those affected by the condition. She provides expert, evidence-based support to Coeliac Australia's education and advocacy programs, while working closely with the food industry, legislators, and enforcement bodies to champion consumer focused food policies.
Marilyn Geller
Marilyn G. Geller is the CEO of the Celiac Disease Foundation, USA where she has led the organization’s efforts for over a decade to accelerate research, improve diagnosis, and enhance patient support for the millions affected by celiac disease. With a background in health technology and patient advocacy, Marilyn has been a pioneering voice in advancing patient centric research and forging strategic collaborations to drive progress in celiac disease treatment and potential cures globally.
Dan Leffler
Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, AGAF is a gastroenterologist caring for patients with celiac disease and other gastrointestinal disorders and is a founding member of the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has received multiple National Institute of Health, foundation and industry sponsored grants and has published over 200 articles in peer reviewed literature. Dr Leffler joined Takeda Pharmaceuticals in 2016 where he serves as the global clinical lead for celiac disease.
Jacqueline Pante
Jacqueline Pante has been the Global Director Nutrition Service at Dr Schär for nearly 30 years. Aiming to become a vet, she jumped during her studies into the fascinating world of nutrition and dietetics. With a team of dietitians, nutritionists and other professionals, she is connecting healthcare professionals (HCP), patient advocacies and retailers within the food industry. Focused on identifying evidence based solutions and strategies to promote awareness and knowledge of gluten related disorders. An ultimate aim to connect and bring back "joie de vivre" to patients and create accessible information for HCPs to master the diagnosis of gluten related disorders and the gluten free diet.
Jennifer Sealey-Voyksner, PHD
Jennifer is an analytical chemist and entrepreneur. She has more than 30 years of experience in government and industry-based R&D, traversing pharmaceutical, food and environmental sciences. She is a pioneering mass spectrometrist focused on allergenic protein marker discovery and analysis. She received her honors B.Sc. in Chemistry from McMaster University, Canada and her MSc and Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Most recently she served as SVP for R&D for Entero Therapeutics. Previously, she co-founded and served as Chief Scientific Officer for ImmunogenX and co-founded and served as Senior Director for R&D for LCMS Limited in North Carolina, an independent analytical laboratory.
Jennifer was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002. Since her diagnosis, she has dedicated both her professional and personal lives to bettering the lives of those who suffer from food-related diseases.
Ludvig Sollid
Ludvig Sollid is a Professor at the University of Oslo and a senior consultant at the Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet. Also director of the KG Jebsen Coeliac Disease Research Centre, Norway. Professor Sollid’s research interests are focused around genetics and immunology of autoimmune diseases in general and celiac disease in particular. His group has made important contributions to the understanding of the molecular basis of celiac disease, in particular the role of HLA genes, the existence of gluten reactive (HLA-DQ restricted) T cells in the celiac intestinal lesion, the identification of immunotoxic gluten peptide sequences and the involvement of the transglutaminase 2 in the pathogenesis of the disease. His group is currently working on the characterization of the antigen receptors of T cells and B cells that recognize the celiac disease relevant antigens gluten and transglutaminase 2.
Markus Lacorn
Markus Lacorn is a Research & Development department Head Deputy, overseeing all internal and external validation studies on R-Biopharm products from the food & feed area. His interdisciplinary team works collaboratively to validate products prior to launch.
He also works for and within various approval bodies such as AOAC and ICC to achieve external certifications for R-Biopharm products and represents the perspective of method developers within key groups such as AOAC, ICC, Eurachem, OIV, ISO, CEN, DIN, and Codex Alimentarius. For nearly two decades, Markus has belonged to an international network on allergen and gluten analysis which seeks to improve the quality of life of patients.