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Alessandro R Demaio

Alessandro R Demaio

Medical Doctor; Co-Founded NCDFREE and festival21; Associate Researcher, University of Copenhagen

Dr Demaio trained and worked as a medical doctor at The Alfred Hospital in Australia. While practising as a doctor he completed a Masters in Public Health including fieldwork in Cambodia to develop and evaluate a community-based, culturally appropriate health intervention for noncommunicable diseases, particularly diabetes.

In 2010, Alessandro relocated to Denmark where he completed a PhD with the University of Copenhagen, focusing on noncommunicable diseases. His doctoral research was based in Mongolia, working with the Ministry of Health. He designed, led and reported a national epidemiological survey, sampling more than 3500 households to better understand national knowledge, attitudes and practices on noncommunicable diseases and risk factors and provide policy recommendations to address them.

Alessandro held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard Medical School from 2013 to 2015, and was assistant professor and course director in global health at the Copenhagen School of Global Health, in Denmark. He has established and led the PLOS blog Translational Global Health, and has served on the Advisory Board of the EAT Initiative: the global, multi-stakeholder platform for food, health and environmental sustainability. To date, he has authored over 20 scientific publications and more than 80 blog articles.

In his pro bono work, Dr Demaio co-founded NCDFREE, a global social movement against noncommunicable diseases using social media, short film and leadership events – reaching more than 2.5 million people in its first 18 months. Then, in 2015, he founded festival21, assembling and leading a team of knowledge leaders in staging a massive and unprecedented, free celebration of community, food, culture and future in his hometown Melbourne.

In November 2015, Alessandro joined the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at the World Health Organization (Geneva), as Medical Officer for noncommunicable conditions and nutrition.

While a staff member of the World Health Organization, Alessandro alone is responsible for the views expressed in this column, and they do not necessarily represent the decisions or policies of the World Health Organization.

Seven essential tips to breaking up with sugar

Dec 07, 2016 23:23 pm UTC| Health

As we come to the end of 2016, many of us start to look back and reflect. The year has been defining even redefining in many ways. Politics, technology and culture have all seen major leaps and in some cases, hurdles....

Three important wins for addressing obesity

Nov 24, 2016 01:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

When it comes to obesity in Australia, the statistics are alarming - and generally getting worse. The national prevalence of obesity has increased significantly over the past few decades. Roughly three in ten...

When it comes to food, could 'reactive' sometimes be best?

Oct 06, 2016 14:35 pm UTC| Health

True for almost all situations in life, being proactive is best. And this has been a formative lesson in my time so far: whether reaching out to a potential mentor that inspired me and making time for a coffee and a chat,...

Why obesity is not a 'left versus right' issue

Aug 26, 2016 08:46 am UTC| Health

Alessandro R Demaio, Medical Doctor; Co-Founded NCDFREE and festival21; Associate Researcher, University of Copenhagen Left or right, we should all be urging action on obesity. libertarianism...

Six reasons why food is a really big deal

Jun 09, 2016 08:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Its easy to forget the power of what is on our dinner plate. Between the instagram post, or the quick fix meal, the snack at our desk or the breakfast on the run - its not a surprise we might overlook the incredible...

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Economy

Budget 2024: experts react to the UK government’s last roll of the economic dice ahead of a general election

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldnt he cut income tax? (He wouldnt.)...

From micro to macro, Andrew Leigh’s accessible history covers the economic essentials – and an epic rap battle

Andrew Leighs The Shortest History of Economics is the latest in a series of such histories, mostly focused on particular countries. It begins with a striking mini-history of household lighting, focusing on the amount...

Taxes aren’t just about money – they shape how we think about each other

Taxes raising them, cutting them, creating them are useful political tools in an election year (as Chancellor Jeremy Hunts decision to cut national insurance shows). But they are always pertinent, even if some people...

Interest rates are expected to drop but trying to out-think the market won’t guarantee getting a good deal

With most economists expecting interest rates to start falling later this year, prospective home buyers might be weighing up whether to buy now for fear of strong competition for stock, or waiting until repayments are...

Wendy’s won’t be introducing surge pricing, but it’s nothing new to many industries

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Politics

3 things to watch for in Russia’s presidential election – other than Putin’s win, that is

Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, 2024, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030. While the...

Ireland referendums: what went wrong for the government and why double defeat draws a line under a decade of constitutional reform

Ireland, more than any other EU country, has a long and colourful history of referendums. Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising...

Artdocfest is a crucial outpost of free expression on Russia’s doorstep

On the day of the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putins most prominent opponent, the biggest festival of documentary film in the former Soviet countries opened in Latvia with a minutes silence. Artdocfest Rigas...

A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season

National insurance, income tax, VAT, capital gains tax, inheritance tax… its easy to get confused about the many different ways we contribute to the cost of running the country. The budget announcement is the key...

Science

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in...

Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

Total solar eclipses have fascinated and terrified people for centuries. Today, we know that total solar eclipses like the upcoming eclipse on April 8 are caused by a cosmic coincidence when the moon comes between the...

Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration

Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the Moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travellers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the...

The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day

Scientists have no reported evidence of the true conditions in Hell, perhaps because no one has ever returned to tell the tale. Hell has been imagined as a supremely uncomfortable place, hot and hostile to bodily forms of...

The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds

In the middle of 2023, a study conducted by the HuthLab at the University of Texas sent shockwaves through the realms of neuroscience and technology. For the first time, the thoughts and impressions of people unable to...

Technology

Nvidia to Power Humanoid Robots Using Generative AI

Nvidia Corporation said on Monday that it has created a hardware and software platform for building humanoid robots. The software firm also added generative artificial intelligence (AI) features to power the robots. The...

Nvidia, Johnson & Johnson MedTech Team Up to Develop AI-Powered Surgery

Johnson Johnson MedTech and Nvidia announced on Monday, March 18, that they are working together to develop and expand new artificial intelligence (AI) applications designed for surgery. Kimberly Powell, Nvidias vice...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE Leak Suggests $800 Price Tag, Targets Market Share

Samsung is reportedly set to expand its foldable phone lineup with a budget-friendly Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, priced at just $800. This strategic move aims to boost sales and market share amidst fierce competition. Samsungs...

Ford Plans $25K Electric Pickup, SUV to Counter Chinese EV Influence

Ford shifts its focus to affordable electric vehicles, announcing plans for a new platform. CEO Jim Farley highlights the importance of competitiveness amidst Chinese rivals. Ford CEO Jim Farley Warns of Chinese...
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