Dr Ihab Tewfik
Ihab is a Registered Nutritionist (Public Health, UK) with significant expertise in planning, implementing and evaluating sustainable nutrition-sensitive intervention programmes at population level.
Dr Tewfik has been the Programme Director of Human Nutrition (UG-degree) over the last twelve years) at University of Westminster. In addition to his PhD from London South Bank University, Ihab holds Master of Public Health (M.P.H) and Doctorate of Public Health (Dr.P.H) from Nutrition Department, University of Alexandria where he was promoted to Associated Professor in 2008.
Ihab has developed an independent academic research career that underpins the pivotal role of medical nutrition in modulating complications of global chronic diseases through Tailored Functional Recipes (TFRs). These innovative TFRs are formulated, optimized using locally food ingredients and served as meals to nourish vulnerable populations to attain optimum health.
Dr Tewfik’s research theme: “Local Food for Global Health”. The ultimate strategy of this concept is to optimise TFR meals to modulate global chronic disease in different countries [e.g. Nigeria, India, Ghana]. These TFRs are not limited to the elimination of undernutrition but extend to the design and engineering of food that transcends disease prevention by improving availability of micronutrients, increasing biological functions and promoting sustainable health.
Ihab's research team has lead a range of nutrition interventions to:
1. School Nutrition Programme in Ghana (2013 - 2017): In Ghana, our public health nutrition strategy targeted ‘Ghana schools feeding programme’ as channel to improve future generation in Ghana. The S-Cool meals which were based on the TFR concept, aimed to develop functional foods recipes for school nutrition programmes by employing indigenous food processing methods to improve bioavailability/bioactivity of micronutrients from local agricultural produce without compromising palatability. This nutrition sensitive approach has significantly improved the nutrition status of the school children in Ghana and is considered as viable alternative for ensuring food security and balanced nutrition intervention that is well qualified for the long-term strategy.
2. Modulating Cancer Cachexia and improving the quality of life of terminally ill patients such as those with end stage cancer (2012- 2016): In India, we applied the TFR concept to enhance quality of life in advanced cancer patients receiving comprehensive palliative care. We have developed iATTA meal which when combined with tailored individual nutrition counselling has significantly improved quality of life and stabilise body fat in female cancer cachexia patients receiving comprehensive palliative treatment.
3. HIV/AIDS Disease management (2011-2021): In Nigeria, we examined the concept of Tailored Functional Recipe (TFR) to delay the progression of HIV to AIDS. We have developed the Amtewa meal. With adequate physical activity level, Ametwa meal boosted individual’s immune system and sustained optimal quality of life among people living with HIV.
During his 6-month sabbatical (Jan-June2017) at Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Global Health and Population at GHP-HSPH, Ihab has identified and drafted research proposals with scientific team at GHP-HSPH on the following points:
1. To develop the ‘Sustainability Plan’ of the HIV/AIDS public health nutrition intervention in Nigeria.
2. To formalise and develop the feasibility study for the dissemination of a HIV meal to enhance the immune system of People Living with HIV in Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to publishing key joint-research outputs as starting point of long-term research team-building.
Ihab has successfully supervised 14 PhDs to completion [between 2001-2020]. At present, Dr Tewfik is supervising 5 Active PhDs [ongoing research].
Ihab’s other research focuses included:
The relationship between the obesogenic environment and health outcomes of individual and population. His work embraces the effects of nutritional exposure during childhood and risk factors for later non-communicable diseases (NCDs) especially in developing countries experiencing economic and nutritional transition. Ihab’s research includes population interventions to improve opportunity for health during early life, and methods for the scaling-up intervention programmes to achieve community level impact.
Ihab has also collaborated with the American University in Beirut (AUB) through a public health nutritional intervention which aimed to assess the effectiveness of public health nutrition intervention designed to enhance healthy eating and life style modification among Lebanese Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOs). This intervention has significantly raised patients' nutritional awareness, and enhanced their healthy lifestyle which was reflected by weight reduction and resumption of their reproductive function.
As Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH), Ihab has been at the forefront of promoting Global public health intervention programmes and in particular among vulnerable group. Ihab’s international research agenda expanded to 11 research projects with UNICEF-UN in aspects of public health nutrition intervention. Nationally, he has carried out three Food Standards Agency (FSA) projects on food safety and one on Biomarkers for predicting breast radiotherapy induced side-effect funded by the National Cancer Research Institute – UK. Ihab has published extensively in international peer reviewed journals (so far over 56 publications). Ihab has worked as international consultant to support capacity building for healthcare workforces in developing countries and has participated in training activities in Africa and Asia. He is a regular invited speaker on several workshops, CPD and short-training courses and he is key team member to develop international public health education programmes to communicate relevant competencies. Ihab is collaborating with many universities in UK, EU, Middle East. Asia and Africa, on aspects related to knowledge exchange and public health nutrition intervention programmes that employ dietary diversification and behavioral modification approaches. Between 1992 and 2010 he was instrumental in developing the public health nutrition programme at the University of Alexandria, where he fulfilled Associate Professorship at the department of Nutrition.
Editorial-ship: Ihab is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Food, Nutrition and Public Health – UK and also serving as member of editorial boards of some international peer reviewed scientific journals.
- In recognition of his constructive contribution to the conference as 'Track Chair' (Innovative Technology)
- In recognition of his constructive contribution as 'Session Chair'
Research grants
A. 52,000 (GBP) FSA-Grant (1999-2002): To refine, validate and carry out interlaboratory trials using a new Direct Solvent Extraction (DSE) method for the analysis of cyclobutanones in a range of lipid-containing irradiated foods.
B. 62,000 (GBP) FSA-Grant (2001-2003): Feasibility study to assess development of methodology for the analysis of ammonium phosphatide (E442) in cocoa and Chocolate.
C. 20,000 (GBP) Grant from National Cancer Research Institute – UK (2006-2008): Biomarkers for predicting breast radiotherapy induced side-effect.
D. 1,520 (GBP) Grant from The Wellcome Trust (July-August 2011) ‘Evaluating the effectiveness of moderate vs. vigorous physical activity levels on physiological and biochemical indices among healthy individuals: A pilot intervention’.
E. 25,000 (GPB) Grant from The Emirates Foundation Funds (2010-2012) Childhood Obesity Prevention in Emirates (COPE): A Pilot school-based Intervention study.
F. 60,630 (GBP) Grant from Social Science Research Unit of the UK Food Standards Agency ‘To conduct a study to identify proposals for alternative controls to E.coli 0157 amongst small food businesses’ (FS615017) (2014 – 2015).
G. 20,000 (GBP) Ministry of Health, UAE. Vitamin D status and determinants of deficiency among pregnant women- United Arab Emirates (2014-2015).
H. 42,000 (GBP) Attitudinal Determinants of diet and lifestyle in women. http://www.womenattitude.org/the-attitude-study-team/
I. 20,000 (GBP) Monitoring physical activity/sedentary behaviour in overweight young adults with elevated blood pressure. Funding for the project has been granted from the University of Westminster’s allocation from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The GCRF is a fund that forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment.
J. 9,000 (GBP) Indigenous Intervention in Wolisso, Ethiopia project. Funding for the project has been granted from the University of Westminster’s allocation from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The GCRF is a fund that forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment.
Ihab has developed an independent academic research career that underpins the pivotal role of nutrition science in ensuring optimal health throughout the life cycle of an individual and or community. The ultimate strategy of these nutrition-sensitive interventions is to develop tailored functional recipes (TFRs) / meals that are locally produced to modulate global chronic disease. These functional food recipes are not limited to the elimination of undernutrition (macronutrient) but extend to the design and engineering of food that transcends disease prevention by improving availability of micronutrients, increasing biological functions and promoting sustainable health.
These TFRs draw from the growing evidence-based science linking diet to disease epidemiology and links it to ethnobotany, consumer specific dietary preferences and advances in food technology to created develop model meals that seek to attenuate/manage a variety of public health concerns.
Ihab has invented and optimised a range of nutrition-sensitive interventions as means to:
1. Prevent disease, e.g. Ghana project (2013-17): In Ghana, our public health nutrition strategy targeted ‘Ghana schools feeding programme’ as channel for improving future generation in Ghana. The S-Cool meals which were based on the TFR concept, aimed to develop functional foods recipes for school feeding programmes by employing indigenous food processing methods to improve bioavailability/bioactivity of micronutrients from local agricultural produce without compromising palatability. This nutrition sensitive approach has significantly improved the nutrition status of the school children in Ghana and is considered as viable alternative for ensuring food security and balanced/appropriate nutrition intervention that is well qualified for the long-term strategy.
2. Modulating and improving the quality of life of terminally ill patients such as those with end stage cancer, e.g. India project (2012-16): In India, we applied the TFR concept to enhance quality of life in advanced cancer patients receiving comprehensive palliative care. We have developed iATTA meal which when combined with tailored nutrition counselling has significantly improved quality of life and stabilise body fat in female cancer cachexia patients receiving comprehensive palliative treatment.
3. Disease management as in the case of HIV/AIDS, e.g. Nigeria project (2011-present): In Nigeria, we examined the concept of Tailored Functional Recipe (TFR) to delay the progression of HIV to AIDS. We have developed the Amtewa meal. With adequate physical activity level, Ametwa meal boosted individual’s immune system and sustained optimal quality of life among people living with HIV.
During his two scientific visits to the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard School of Public Health GHP-HSPH, Ihab has identified and commenced the discussion of potential scientific teamwork with GHP-HSPH on the following points:
1. To develop the ‘Sustainability Plan’ of the HIV/AIDS public health nutrition intervention in Nigeria.
2. To formalise and develop the feasibility study for the dissemination of a HIV meal to enhance the immune system of People Living with HIV in Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
3. To draft key joint-research articles and publish them in peer-reviewed journals (as starting point of joint research outputs).
Ihab’s other research focuses included:
The relationship between the obesogenic environment and health outcomes of individual and population. His work embraces the effects of nutritional exposure during childhood and risk factors for later non-communicable diseases (NCDs) especially in developing countries experiencing economic and nutritional transition. Ihab’s research includes population interventions to improve opportunity for health during early life, and methods for the scaling-up intervention programmes to achieve community level impact.
Ihab has also collaborated with the American University in Beirut (AUB) through a public health nutritional intervention which aimed to assess the effectiveness of public health nutrition intervention designed to enhance healthy eating and life style modification among Lebanese Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOs). This intervention has significantly raised patients' nutritional awareness, and enhanced their healthy lifestyle which was reflected by weight reduction and resumption of their reproductive function.
Other Research Interests
· Public Health Nutrition and Food Safety domains (11 projects funded by UNICEF; 3 projects funded by FSA)
· Nutrition interventions in alcoholic liver diseases.
· Public health nutrition intervention strategy to enhance healthy eating and lifestyle modification among Lebanese patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
· Vitamin D status and determinants of deficiency among pregnant women: A study based in United Arab Emirates.
Postgraduate supervision
My experience in supervision of research students has grown through my direct involvement in PhD-supervision either as director of studies or second supervisor
Past:
· I acted as director of studies for 7 PhD students (all completed)
· I acted as second supervisor on 5 PhD programmes (all completed).
At present:
- I am director of studies of 4 PhD students.
- As second supervisor, I am supervising 1 PhD students, all registered as full time.