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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...

Economy

Tariff Tremors: Trump’s Greenland Fight Rattles Global Markets

Fears of a global trade war have been revived by President Trumps declaration of 10% tariffs on imports from eight EU countries over issues connected with Greenland on January 17, 2026. Against a backdrop of strained...

France Nears 2026 Budget Deal as Government Offers Concessions to Avoid No-Confidence Vote

France is moving closer to securing a 2026 budget deal after months of political deadlock, following new concessions proposed by President Emmanuel Macrons minority government. Senior Socialist lawmaker Boris Vallaud said...

Asian Stock Markets Slide as Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Shakes Global Sentiment

Asian stock markets mostly declined on Monday as renewed trade tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump reignited global risk aversion. Investor sentiment weakened after Trump announced potential tariffs of up to...

China Economic Growth Slows in Q4 as Domestic Demand Weakens Despite Meeting 2025 Target

Chinas economic growth slowed to a three-year low in the fourth quarter, highlighting mounting pressure on the worlds second-largest economy as weak domestic demand, a prolonged property downturn, and structural imbalances...

Oil Prices Steady in Asia as Iran Supply Fears Ease and Trump Tariff Threats Weigh

Oil prices were largely steady during Asian trading on Monday, reflecting a cautious market mood after significant volatility last week driven by geopolitical and trade-related developments. Brent crude futures for March...

Politics

Kazakh President Tokayev Accepts Invitation to Join Trump-Proposed “Board of Peace”

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has agreed to join the proposed Board of Peace, an international initiative put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to statements from Tokayevs spokesperson. The...

Trump Criticizes NYSE Texas Expansion, Calls Dallas Exchange a Blow to New York

U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the establishment of a Dallas-based stock exchange branded as a New York Stock Exchange, calling the move unbelievably bad for New York and warning that it represents a...

CBS News to Air Delayed 60 Minutes Report on El Salvador’s CECOT Mega-Prison

CBS News is set to air a previously postponed 60 Minutes investigation on Sunday night, focusing on El Salvadors controversial CECOT mega-prison and the treatment of migrants deported from the United States. The report,...

Vietnam Communist Party Congress to Shape Leadership and Economic Strategy

Hundreds of delegates from Vietnams ruling Communist Party are gathering in Hanoi under tight security for a pivotal week-long congress that will determine the countrys top leadership and set economic and security...

Iran Warns of Harsh Response to Possible U.S. Strike Amid Deadly Nationwide Protests

Irans president has warned that any U.S. military strike against the country would trigger a harsh and regrettable response, as Iran faces mounting international scrutiny over its deadliest wave of protests in decades. The...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Micron to Buy Powerchip Fab for $1.8 Billion, Shares Surge Nearly 10%

Shares of Taiwans Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp jumped nearly 10% on Monday following news that U.S. memory chip giant Micron Technology plans to acquire one of Powerchips fabrication facilities in Taiwan,...

Tesla Revives Dojo Supercomputer Project With AI5 Chip at the Core

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to restart development of its next-generation supercomputer, Dojo3, marking a renewed push into artificial intelligence infrastructure. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Sunday that work on...

South Korea Seeks Favorable U.S. Tariff Terms on Memory Chip Imports

South Korea is moving to secure favorable treatment from the United States on tariffs affecting memory chip imports, following recent trade actions announced by the U.S. government. A spokesperson from South Koreas...

South Korea Sees Limited Impact From New U.S. Tariffs on Advanced AI Chips

South Koreas trade minister said a newly announced U.S. tariff on certain advanced computing chips is expected to have only a limited short-term impact on South Korean companies, while cautioning that future measures could...

Elon Musk Seeks $134 Billion in Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Wrongful Gains

Elon Musk has escalated his legal battle against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking up to $134 billion in damages over what he claims are wrongful gains stemming from his early involvement in the artificial intelligence...

Digital Currency