Dear Chronic diseases section members,

We are excited to share our latest updates, upcoming events, and opportunities for collaboration as we continue our work in 2025.

1 /  Webinar Series – Successful Start & February Session Reminder

Our 2025 webinar series kicked off with great success last month, and we would like to thank all those who participated and contributed to the engaging discussions.

We now look forward to our next session on Thursday, 27 February at 4:00 PM CET, where Dr. Virginia Solitano will deliver a talk on:

Topic: Shaping the Future of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Global Research Agenda for Better Management and Public Health Response
Speaker: Dr. Virginia Solitano
Date: Thursday, 27 February 2025
Time: 4:00 PM CET

We encourage all members to join this insightful session. Register here.

Final Slot Available for November 2025!

Our webinar series is nearly fully booked, with just one slot remaining in November 2025. If you or your students/colleagues would like to present their work, please reach out as soon as possible to secure the last available slot by contacting Dr. Sarah Cuschieri on: sarah.cuschieri@um.edu.mt

2 / International Symposium – Registration Now Open!

Preparations for our International Symposium titled “Society, Nutrition and Chronic Disease Prevention: Time for a Paradigm Shift” are well underway, and we are pleased to announce that registration is now open!

Location: IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Molise Region, Italy
Date: 5–6 June 2025
Format: In-person & online
Registration: Free and register here

We look forward to welcoming you to this important event, which will explore multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches to chronic disease prevention, including One Health, Environmental Sustainability, and Nutrition Science.

Preliminary program Day 1 – June 5

Welcome – Registration

09:30 – Welcoming remarks
Giovanni de Gaetano (Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy), Ivan Gentile (Federico II University, Naples, Italy)

09:45 – Introduction to symposium
EUPHA Chronic Disease Section – Saverio Stranges (Western Uni Canada/Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
EUPHA Food and Nutrition Section – Giuseppe Grosso (Uni of Catania, Italy)

SESSION 1 – Nutritional Epidemiology: Past, Present, Future

10:00 – Licia Iacoviello (LUM Uni, Casamassima, Italy/Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy)
Twenty years of the Moli-sani Study Experience: Lessons Learned and Way Forward

10:30 – Elio Riboli (Imperial College, London, UK)
The EPIC Study Experience: Lessons Learned and Way Forward

11:00 – Valentina Andreeva (Sorbonne Paris Nord Uniand Uni of Paris, France)
15 years of the NutriNet-Santé experience: advancing the field of nutritional epidemiology

11:30 – Eliseo Guallar (New York Uni, NY, USA)
Nutritional Supplements and Chronic Disease Prevention: Mith or Reality?

12:00 – First Panel Discussion – Current Perspectives across Europe and beyond
Valentina Andreeva, Giovanni de Gaetano, Eliseo Guallar, Licia Iacoviello, Elio Riboli

13:00 – 14:00 – Lunch Break & Networking

SESSION 2 – Hot Topics in Public Health Nutrition

14:00 – Sabina Sieri (Italian National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy)
Modifiable risk factors for NCDs in Italy: Preliminary findings of the YouGoody study

14:30 – Sarah Cuschieri (Uni of Malta)
Nutrition, Obesity and Chronic Disease: Perspectives from a Small European Country

15:00 – Valeria Pala (Italian National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy)
Are there still Italian dietary patterns? Initial results of the YouGoody study

15:30 – Marialaura Bonaccio (Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy)
Ultra-processed Foods Consumption and Chronic Diseases

16:00 – Mariana Di Lorenzo (Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
Ultra-processed Foods Consumption, Adiposity and Obesity Risk

16:15 – Maria Serena Lonardo (Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
Is the vegetarian diet an effective tool in preventing the progression of CKD?

16:30 – Augusto Di Castelnuovo (Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy)
Alcohol and Chronic Disease: Reconciling Evidence with Public Health Policy

17:00 – Second Panel Discussion
Marialaura Bonaccio, Sarah Cuschieri, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Valeria Pala, Sabina Sieri

18:00 – Social Activities
20:00 – Dinner

Preliminary program Day 2 – June 6

09:00 – Welcome Coffee & Networking

SESSION 3 – From Research to Policy to tackle diet-related chronic disease

09:30 – Annalisa Giosuè (Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
Dietary Patterns and Chronic Disease Prevention within the One Health Approach

10:00 – Jason Gilliland (Western Uni, London, Ontario, Canada)
Smartphone-based interventions to improve food literacy and diet quality

10:30 – Gabriele Riccardi (Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
Novel Approaches to Promoting Healthy Dietary Patterns

11:00 – Marilena Vitale (Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
The Switch Project to improve dietary habits across Europe

11:15 – Lanfranco D’Elia (Federico II Uni, Naples, Italy)
Dietary Salt Restriction and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet to Reduce CVD Risk

11:30 – Alessandro Gialluisi (LUM Uni, Casamassima, Italy/Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy)
Machine learning approaches for the estimation of biological aging

12:00 – Third Panel Discussion
Annalisa Giosuè, Jason Gilliland, Licia Iacoviello, Gabriele Riccardi, Marilena Vitale

13:00 – 14:00 – Lunch Break & Networking

SESSION 4 – Need for Multisectorial Approaches and Future Perspectives

14:00 – Simona Castaldi (Uni of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy)
Sustainable Food Systems: An Ecological Perspective

14:30 – Ludovica Principato (Roma Tre Uni, Rome, Italy)
Food waste and sustainable food systems management

15:00 – Franca Barbic (Humanitas Uni, Milan, Italy)
Diet and Health Promotion Programs in the Workplace

15:20 – Julian Mamo (Uni of Malta)
Dietary and lifestyle interventions for Chronic Disease Prevention in Primary Care

15:40 – Cheryl Currie (Western Uni, London, Ontario, Canada)
The role of social determinants in shaping health behaviour

16:00 – Giuseppe Grosso (Uni of Catania, Italy)
Public Health Nutrition: Assessing Evidence to Determine Policy and Practice

16:20 – Saverio Stranges (Western Uni Canada/Federico II University, Naples, Italy)
Revisiting Public Health Policies on Diet and Chronic Disease

16:45 – Fourth Panel Discussion
Franca Barbic, Simona Castaldi, Cheryl Currie, Maria Donati, Julian Mamo, Ludovica Principato

17:45 – Summary of Symposium & Next Steps (Saverio Stranges & Giuseppe Grosso)

18:00 – Social Activities

20:00 – Mediterranean Dinner

3 / EPH Conference 2025 – Abstract Submissions Open!

Preparations for the European Public Health Conference in Helsinki (12–15 November 2025) are now in full swing, with abstract submissions open until 1 May 2025.

We strongly encourage all members to not only attend but also actively contribute to the scientific program by submitting abstracts for oral/poster presentations and workshops.

The Chronic Diseases Section is happy to collaborate and support members interested in organizing workshops or working together on abstract submissions. Please let us know how we can assist you in bringing your ideas to the EPH stage!

Looking Ahead

We have an exciting year ahead filled with engaging webinars, a major international symposium, and the opportunity to make an impact at EPH 2025. We look forward to working with you all to advance chronic disease research and prevention.

For any questions, collaboration ideas, or to secure the last webinar slot for 2025, feel free to reach out.

Best regards,
Sarah and Saverio
o.b.o the Chronic Disease Section Steering Committee