Chairman - Professor Charles Daly
The Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, Professor Daly is Head of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences.
The Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, Professor Daly is Head of the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Food Science and Technology, and a member of the Governing Body of University College Cork (UCC).
Originally from Newmarket in North Cork, he holds BSc and MSc (Dairying) degrees from UCC and a PhD in Food Microbiology from Oregon State University. He is also a member of the Board of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
Vice Chairman - Professor David McDowell
Prof. David McDowell is Professor of Food Studies at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown (UUJ).
Prof. David McDowell is Professor of Food Studies at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown (UUJ), where he leads the Food Microbiology Research Group. Holding an MI Biol, C Biol and a PhD in microbial biochemistry, David is a member of the Advisory Committee of the FSANI and of the UK FSA's Food Borne Disease Strategy Consultative Group.
He is also a member of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan Implementation Group and of the Regional Communicable Disease Committee's Hospital Acquired Infection Unit.
Dr. John Egan
Dr. John Egan is currently a Senior Superintending Research Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL).
Dr. John Egan is currently a Senior Superintending Research Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL), Abbotstown, Dublin where he leads its Bacteriology / Parasitology Division. He qualified in veterinary medicine from UCD in 1977. He worked with the Agriculture and Food Development Authority at the Moorepark Research Centre, Co. Cork from 1977 to 1982 investigating antibiotic residues in milk and mastitis control. He was awarded a masters degree by University College Dublin (UCD) in 1983 and a PhD by Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
In 2001, John was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London for a study on alternative medicines. In his current post, he leads a team of scientists who provide diagnostic, research, advisory and consultancy service to the veterinary profession, and the dairy, livestock and poultry industries.
Mr Gerry McCurdy
Mr Gerry McCurdy is the Director of the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland (FSANI) where he has responsibility for food safety, enforcement and consumer choice.
Mr Gerry McCurdy is the Director of the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland. He has responsibility for Consumer Protection, including Food Safety Policy, Enforcement, Audit and Incidents Management and manages a team of Veterinarians, Environmental Health Officers, Scientists, as well as senior administrative staff.
Gerry was previously the Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer at DHSSPS before transferring to the FSA and had responsibility within the Chief Medical Officer’s command for providing advice on a range of environmental health issues, including food safety and food standards. He was previously with the Environmental Health Unit within the Department of Environment and before that worked in local government for Belfast City Council and Carrickfergus Borough Council.
Gerry qualified as an Environmental Health officer in 1978 and obtained an MSc in Environmental Health in 1990. He has 30 years experience in the profession, the last 18 being within central government. He has represented central government at various levels, including European, UK, All-Ireland and locally.
Gerry also lectures on European food law, structures and organisations, at Queen’s University Belfast.
Dr Ken Baird
Dr Baird is a consultant in food safety and technology and was, until recently, Technical Director of Moy Park Ltd. He holds a BSc in Microbiology, a BAgr in Agricultural Bacteriology, and a PhD, all from the Queen's University Belfast (QUB).
Dr Baird is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science Technology (IFST); and of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA).
He is a member of the advisory board of the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE) at University of Ulster and of both the Food Safety Promotion Board and of the Scientific Advisory Committee of safefood.
Ms Catherine Foye
Ms Catherine Foye has been Principal Environmental Health Officer for the Health Service Executive since 1994.
Ms Catherine Foye has been Principal Environmental Health Officer for the Health Service Executive since 1994, specialising in Food and Tobacco control since 1997. Catherine holds a BSc in Environmental Health and is a member of the Environmental Health Officers Association.
Dr Derval Igoe
Dr Derval Igoe is a Specialist in Public Health Medicine at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin.
Dr Derval Igoe is a Specialist in Public Health Medicine at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin. She graduated with a degree in medicine, holds a masters degree in Public Health, and is a Fellow of he Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine in Ireland. She is also National Specialty Director for Higher Specialist Training in Public Health Medicine.
Mr Jim Buckley
Mr Jim Buckley MVB MVM MRCVS is the Chief Veterinary Officer in Cork County Council, where his main responsibilities include the enforcement of veterinary public health/food hygiene and animal welfare legislation.
Mr Jim Buckley MVB MVM MRCVS is the Chief Veterinary Officer in Cork County Council, where his main responsibilities include the enforcement of veterinary public health/food hygiene and animal welfare legislation.
He is an Honorary Associate of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UCD and a member of the safefood all island Scientific Advisory Committee. He is a founder member of the Cork Zoonoses Committee and was elected Executive President of the Local Authority Veterinary Officers Association form 2002-2004. He was also President of Veterinary Ireland’s Public Health Committee 2002-2004. He has a particular interest in veterinary surveillance and is currently responsible for developing and managing a number of national/regional surveillance programmes on matters related to veterinary public health and ambient environmental quality.
Ms Patricia McCusker
Ms Patricia McCusker is a member of the Northern Ireland Advisory Committee of the Food Standards Agency and is a Catering Advisor for the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.
Ms Patricia McCusker is a member of the Northern Ireland Advisory Committee of the Food Standards Agency and is a Catering Advisor for the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.
Previously, Patricia was a facilities manager in the Hospital sector and was a Client Catering Manager for an Education and Library Board. Patricia originally trained at the Granville College of Home Economics in Belfast.
Dr Brian Gaffney
Dr Brian Gaffney joined the Health Promotion Agency as Chief Executive in 1996. Dr Gaffney has broad experience of the Health Service and has a number of specialist research interests including child health, health behaviour and cardiovascular disease.
Dr Brian Gaffney joined the Health Promotion Agency as Chief Executive in 1996. He has broad experience of the Health Service and has a number of specialist research interests including child health, health behaviour and cardiovascular disease.
Brian is Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborative Centre based at the Health Promotion Agency. As head of leading health promotion organisation in Northern Ireland, he is working to tackle major health issues and determinants of good health especially to reduce inequalities in health.
Mr Barny Heywood
Mr. Barny Heywood is the Group Chief Environmental Health Officer for Western Group Environmental Health (EH) Service, an organisation designed to coordinate service delivery and ensure consistency and quality of environmental health functions across the five district councils of Derry, Fermanagh, Limavady, Omagh and Strabane. Together with the other three Group EH Committees in Northern Ireland, it provides a strategic link between the Environmental Health Service and central government departments and a range of national and regional agencies.
Barny is a member of a multi-disciplinary committee that advises the Chief Medical Officer on matters of communicable disease control and of a subgroup of that committee focussing on zoonoses. He has been closely involved in the development of performance indicators for the environmental health service and with regulatory improvement initiatives. As a previous food and health & safety specialist, Barny maintains a close interest in these regulatory functions and in the wider health improvement agenda as a member of the Western Investing for Health Partnership.
Since September 2002 Barny Heywood has been the Secretary of the Northern Ireland Chief Environmental Health Officers Group. This group provides a single point of contact for the Environmental Health Service in Northern Ireland, assisting coordination of policy and practice and facilitating communication.
In April 2007 Barny took on an additional appointment as the Chief Environmental Health Officer for Omagh District Council.
Professor Barbara Livingstone
Barbara Livingstone is a Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ulster and has been a member of academic staff at the University since its inception in 1984.
Prof Barbara Livingstone is a Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ulster and has been a member of academic staff at the University since its inception in 1984.
Prior to this, she was a member of the academic staff at the Ulster Polytechnic. She holds qualifications in Biology and Human Nutrition and is a registered Nutritionist with the Nutrition Society. Barbara has a special interest in the areas of development of evidence based dietary guidelines; dietary and lifestyle risk factors for obesity, particularly childhood obesity and the development of innovative educational strategies for the prevention of obesity in children and adolescents.
Mr Bert Houston
Bert Houston was appointed Chief Veterinary Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2002.
Mr Bert Houston was appointed Chief Veterinary Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2002. Bert joined government service in 1983 where he has held a wide variety of posts in veterinary service, covering all elements of its work, both in policy development and service delivery, including the delivery of a unique holistic veterinary public health service covering the food chain from primary producer through the processor, to production of the final product for consumers.
Bert holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Dr Emer Shelley
Dr Shelley is a Specialist in Public Health Medicine with the Health Service Executive, based in Population Health, HSE East. Her main role is to advise on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and on the development of high quality services for those who develop a stroke.
Dr Shelley is a Specialist in Public Health Medicine with the Health Service Executive, based in Population Health, HSE East. Her main role is to advise on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and on the development of high quality services for those who develop a stroke. Dr Shelley is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Previously Dr Shelley served as Medical Director of the Irish Heart Foundation and more recently as National Heart Health Advisor in the Department of Health and Children. She is Convenor of Examinations for the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, is a Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Ireland and serves on some of the Councils of the Irish Heart Foundation.
Mr Martin Mullane
Mr Martin Mullane is the Group Technical Manager for Glanbia Foods plc in Kilkenny and has responsibility for Food Safety, Product Quality and Environmental Management for Glanbia plants located in Europe and USA.
Mr Martin Mullane retired in May 2006 as Group Technical Manager for Glanbia Foods plc in Kilkenny where he had responsibility for Food Safety, Product Quality and Environmental Management for Glanbia plants located in Europe and USA. Martin holds an MSc in Food Science from University College Cork & diplomas in Marketing and Environmental Management. Martin also serves on the Consultative Council of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. He is currently a Food Industry Consultant.
Professor Seamus Fanning
Prof Seamus Fanning was appointed as Professor of Food Safety & Zoonoses to University College Dublin in 2002.
Prof Seamus Fanning was appointed as Professor of Food Safety & Zoonoses to University College Dublin in 2002. Seamus is a molecular biologist and has an established reputation as a researcher in the molecular epidemiology of zoonotic pathogens. A former Fullbright Scholar, he has extensive links with researchers in the USA and Europe. Seamus is the Director of the Centre for Food Safety and is affiliated to the UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre at the School of Agriculture, Food Science & Veterinary Medicine.
Dr Wayne Anderson
Dr Wayne Anderson joined the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in 1999 as Chief Specialist: Food Science.
Dr Wayne Anderson joined the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in 1999 as Chief Specialist: Food Science. Previously he spent 11 years working directly for the food industry. Wayne’s role in the FSAI involves all aspects of risk analysis, industrial liaison and HACCP. He holds a primary degree in biochemistry and a PhD in predictive microbiology.
Dr Brian Smyth
Dr Brian Smyth was appointed Regional Epidemiologist in 1999 to establish the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Northern Ireland).
Dr Brian Smyth was appointed Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the Northern Health and Social Services Board in 1989, and Regional Epidemiologist and Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre of Northern Ireland in 1999. This unit is now part of the UK Health Protection Agency. He graduated in Medicine from Queens University Belfast, holds an MSc in Community Medicine, and is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians of London and Edinburgh and the Faculty of Public Health, UK. Part of his training was at the former Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre in London (now named the HPA Centre for Infections).
He is a member of the NI Regional Advisory Committee on Communicable Disease Control, the NI Zoonoses Committee, the UK Human and Animal Infection Risk Surveillance Group (HAIRS) and the FSA UK Epidemiology of Infection Group (EFIG). Brian has been a member of the safefood Scientific Advisory Committee since its inception in 2001.