Ranawana, Viren, Dr

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Dr Viren Ranawana

BSc MSc PhD FHEA

Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health

Senior Lecturer

Viren.Ranawana@sheffield.ac.uk

Regent Court (ScHARR)

Full contact details

Dr Viren Ranawana
Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
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S1 4DA

Profile

I joined the School of Health and Related Research in 2020 as a Senior Lecturer in Human Nutrition. My undergraduate degree was in Food Science and Technology, following which I completed an MSc and PhD in Human Nutrition.

After completing my PhD in 2011 I joined the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences as a Research Fellow and had the opportunity of being part of the opening staff at the country’s first Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC).

After a productive research spell at the CNRC I joined the Rowett Institute (University of Aberdeen) in 2014 as a Principal Investigator and Research Fellow where I remained until 2020. At the Rowett I led a research group funded by the Scottish government conducting policy-informing research on using underutilised crops and food reformulation for improving nutrition status in Scotland and the sustainability of food production.

I also coordinated the MSc Human Nutrition programme at the University of Aberdeen and was involved in its teaching activities. My professional experience covers both industry and academia.

In my current role I support teaching and learning for the MSc Human Nutrition programme. I also lead the Nutritional Biochemistry and Dissertation modules for the programme.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Food Science and Technology

MSc Applied Human Nutrition

PhD Human Nutrition

Professional qualification in professional cookery

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research interests: My research spans two areas of work. The first is on using dietary approaches for modulating blood glucose and identifying factors influencing glycaemia. Secondly, I work at the food-nutrition interface to identify sustainable food-based approaches for improving health. This includes assessing the nutritional potential of underutilised foods and using tools such as reformulation for improving nutritional status. In recent years I have also developed an interest in research aimed at improving nutrition and related health in the global south.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Goh R, Gao J, Ananingsih VK, Ranawana V, Henry CJ & Zhou W (2015) . Food Chemistry, 180, 203-210.

All publications

Journal articles

Ledbetter M, Wilkin JD, Mubaiwa J, Angeline Manditsera F, Macheka L, Matiza Ruzengwe F, Madimutsa ON, Chopera P, Matsungo TM, Cottin SC , Stephens EW et al (2024) . Journal of Functional Foods, 112, 105957-105957.
Sayegh M, Ni QQ, Ranawana V, Raikos V, Hayward NJ, Hayes HE, Duncan G, Cantlay L, Farquharson F, Solvang M , Horgan GW et al (2023) . British Journal of Nutrition, 130(9), 1521-1536.
Ni QQ, Raikos V, Hayward NJ, Hayes HE, Thies F & Ranawana V (2022) . Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 81(OCE5).
Yu J, Balaji B, Tinajero M, Jarvis S, Khan T, Vasudevan S, Ranawana V, Poobalan A, Bhupathiraju S, Sun Q , Willett W et al (2022) . BMJ Open, 12(9).
Matiza Ruzengwe F, Nyarugwe SP, Manditsera FA, Mubaiwa J, Cottin S, Matsungo TM, Chopera P, Ranawana V, Fiore A & Macheka L (2022) . International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 57(10), 6257-6269.
Vaughan K, Ranawana V, Cooper D & Aceves-Martins M (2021) . Nutrition Reviews.
Hayward NJ, McDougall GJ, Farag S, Allwood JW, Austin C, Campbell F, Horgan G & Ranawana V (2019) . Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 74(4), 544-552.
Raikos V, Hayward N, Hayes H, Meroni E & Ranawana V (2019) . International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 54(4), 1355-1362.
Sayegh M, Drew JE & Ranawana V (2019) . Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(OCE2).
Ranawana V, Moynihan E, Campbell F, Duthie G & Raikos V (2018) . Journal of Food Science and Technology, 55(7), 2401-2409.
Goh R, Gao J, Ananingsih VK, Ranawana V, Henry CJ & Zhou W (2015) . Food Chemistry, 180, 203-210.
Ranawana V, Monro JA, Mishra S & Henry CJK (2010) . Nutrition Research, 30(4), 246-254.

Chapters

Chopera P, Matsungo TM, Bhatasara S, Ranawana V, Fiore A, Manditsera F & Macheka L (2024) , Higher Education and SDG2: Zero Hunger (pp. 65-85). Emerald Publishing Limited

Research group

PhD students at the University of Aberdeen:

Marietta Sayegh
Ni Qian Qian

Grants

Current grants

BBSRC GCRF - Developing combined interventions to address the Double Burden of Malnutrition. Upscaling edible insect-based porridge to improve health and nutritional status of Primary School children in Zimbabwean low socio-economic communities.

Teaching interests

Human Nutrition

Food science and technology

Teaching activities

Module leader HAR6024 Dissertation module

Module leader HAR6211 Nutritional Biochemistry

Professional activities and memberships: Editorial board Proceedings of the Nutrition Society