Other Society Task Groups

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Group

Recognizing that discrimination, racism and other forms of structural inequality are widespread issues in science, the Metabolomics Society is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organizational culture and activities. Productive, innovative and impactful scientific communities depend on a rich diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. It is essential that all members of our community feel welcome and secure and that all voices are heard and respected.

The purpose of this task group is to develop and promote strategies and best practices within the realms of racial, social, geographical, sexual and gender diversity. The DEI Task Group strategy will facilitate the Society’s mission to foster and sustain a diverse, equitable and inclusive metabolomics community.

Task Group Objectives:

  1. Collect, analyze and use data to ensure an evidence-based approach to addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion challenges within the Society
  2. Ensure appropriate policies and best practices that relate to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are in place within MetSoc
  3. Inform and disseminate good practice Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and initiatives
  4. Maintain a culture within the Society that encourages and promotes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  5. Recognize and champion the achievements of a wide range of scientists from underrepresented groups
  6. Create opportunities for researchers from low- and middle-income countries
Millena Barros Santos
Millena Barros Santos Co-Chair
Domenica Berardi
Domenica Berardi Co-Chair
Sandi Azab
Sandi Azab
Marina Botana
Marina Tonetti Botana
Breanna Dixon
Breanna Dixon
Thomas Dussarrat
Thomas Dussarrat
Marvin Nathanael Iman
Marvin Nathanael Iman
Diana Pinto
Diana Pinto
Silvia Radenkovic
Silvia Radenkovic
Candice Z. Ulmer Holland, Ph.D.
Candice Ulmer Holland
Laimdota Zizmare
Laimdota Zizmare

International Affiliations Task Group

The IATG facilitates contacts between the Society and regional networks across the globe. Our main role is acting as a central contact point for potential new affiliates to help with their organisation and talk through affiliation with the Society. We also organise a regional get together each international meeting and have helped with the organisation of super-networks (e.g. the pan-Pacific meeting, the European networks, etc).

View the list of International Affiliates of the Society here.

Sakda Khoomrung
Sakda Khoomrung Chair
Mónica Cala
Mónica Cala Co-Chair

Industry Engagement Task Group (IETG)

The Industry Engagement Task Group (IETG) supports the Metabolomics Society’s mission by strengthening connections between the Society and professionals across government, industry sectors (including food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics), academia, and contract research organizations (CROs).

Our mission is to increase industry representation within the Society by recruiting new members, encouraging industry participation at annual meetings, and fostering collaboration between sectors. We are committed to enhancing the diversity of voices and experiences within metabolomics through active industry engagement.

A key initiative within our mission is the Metabolomics Society Mentorship Program (MSMP), which connects students and early-career researchers with mentors from diverse professional backgrounds. This program aims to provide valuable insight into career opportunities and challenges across the metabolomics landscape.

Alex Buko
Alexander Buko, PhD Co-Chair
Natasa Giallourou
Natasa Giallourou Co-Chair
Millena Barros Santos

Millena Barros Santos

INRAE Avignon
France
Email

  • Co-Chair – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Group
  • Treasurer – EMN Committee

Millena Barros Santos is a junior research scientist in the UMR SQPOV – Safety and Quality of Products of Plant Origin at INRAE (the French National Research Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research) in Avignon, France. Her research projects involve applying metabolomics to explore the evolution of phytoconstituents during the production-storage-processing-consumption-digestion continuum, hierarchising the reactivity factors and key stages in the transformation and digestion of fruits and vegetables and predicting product nutritional quality.

She holds a Ph.D. in Food and Nutrition (Food Science Area), from the Food and Nutrition Graduate Program (PPGAN) at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) in Brazil, supported by a CAPES scholarship. During her thesis, she had the opportunity to conduct untargeted metabolomic analyses of various food matrices through collaborations with Brazilian and international laboratories and to follow an internship with a Brazilian scholarship (FAPERJ) at INRAE, Institut SupAgro, and CIRAD in Montpellier, France. She was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Bordeaux Metabolome-MetaboHUB (INRAE Bordeaux Nouvelle-Aquitaine) in France, applying mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to study large plant cohorts and elucidate associations between the metabolome and agronomical traits through predictive metabolomics.

Millena is co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Group of the Society, and she is on the Committee of the Portal Metabolômica Brasil. She has previously served on the Early-career Members Network (EMN) Committee and treasurer 2022-2024.

Sandi Azab

Sandi Azab

McMaster University
Canada

Sandi Azab is a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr. Sonia Anand in the Department of Medicine, McMaster University. Her PhD in chemical biology (supervised by Dr. Philip Britz-Mckibbin) specialized in bio-analytical chemistry, biomarker discovery and metabolomics. Sandi is also a practicing Pharmacist with certification and ongoing passion for smoking cessation support.

Sandi is interested in researching cardiometabolic disease in women and children with the help of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics in a multigenerational setting, in-utero as well as in early childhood of young boys and girls. Sandi’s previous research includes the development of novel high-throughput methods for fatty acids profiling and PFASs biomonitoring using multiplexed, non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (MSI-NACE-MS) to enable samples’ screening from large birth cohorts. Recent work also entails a comprehensive metabolomics study in peripheral artery disease patients, as well as the investigation of dietary biomarkers. Sandi highly enjoys the multidisciplinary nature of her research where epidemiology, analytical chemistry, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and metabolomics are applied to approach complex biological problems.

Hobbies:
Hiking, reading, watching sunsets and raising/taming her highly-energetic twin boys

Education

  • PhD, Chemical Biology – McMaster University Aug, 2020
  • Registered Clinical Pharmacist – Ontario College of Pharmacists     2016
  • MSc, Pharmaceutical Sciences – Alexandria University, Egypt      2010
  • BSc, Pharmaceutical Sciences – Alexandria University, Egypt       2006
  • German High School Certificate – DSB German School, Alexandria     2001
Marina Tonetti Botana

Marina Tonetti Botana

Karolinska Institutet
Sweden

Marina is a postdoctoral researcher studying coral reef biology and lipid biochemistry in Craig Wheelock’s lab at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) in collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). Her research mainly investigates the role of oxylipins, especially octadecanoids, for the regulation and thermal stability of the symbiotic association between corals and their algal symbionts.

Marina holds a BSc and MSc degree in Oceanography and started working with LC-MS techniques for the characterization of marine lipids during her masters. Originally from Brazil, she is passionate about diversity and integration of different research fields, and about promoting international cooperation between research groups where people learn and grow as a team. As part of the EMN, Marina is looking forward to contributing to more diversity and career opportunities in the metabolomics field.

Breanna Dixon

Breanna Dixon

University of Manchester
UK
Email

  • Chair – EMN Committee

After recently submitting her PhD at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, where she applied metabolomics to investigate signatures of antibiotic resistance for improved diagnostics, Breanna is moving into a postdoctoral position focused on biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease and the investigation of novel therapeutic efficacy. Breanna holds an MSc in Forensic and Analytical Science from Kingston University London, United Kingdom, and a BSc in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Neuroscience from the University of Western Australia. She also brings industry experience, having worked in pharmaceutical R&D as an analytical chemist. Her research interests lie at the intersection of clinical metabolomics and translational medicine, with a particular focus on biomarker discovery and therapeutic development. Beyond research, Breanna is passionate about inclusivity and representation in science and is an active member of committees across several organisations dedicated to these aims.

Thomas Dussarrat

Thomas Dussarrat

Bielefeld University
Germany

  • Treasurer – EMN Committee

Thomas earned a PhD in Cotutelle between the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago, Chile) and Bordeaux University (Bordeaux, France). During his PhD, he applied a predictive metabolomics approach on multiple species from the Atacama Desert to uncover chemical markers of plant resilience to harsh climates and investigate the ecological and metabolic implications of plant-plant interactions in extreme lands. Currently in postdoc at Bielefeld University in Germany, his research projects combine ecology, metabolomics and machine learning to explore the ecological consequences of intraspecific chemodiversity on plant-herbivore, plant-pollinator and plant-plant interactions. His collaborations with various laboratories in Germany, Chile, France and Switzerland also enable him to study the response and adaptation of plant metabolism to (a)biotic constraints, from metabolites to chemical indices.

Marvin Nathanael Iman

Marvin Nathanael Iman

Pharma Foods International Co., Ltd.
Japan

Marvin is a research associate at Osaka University, Japan. His research explores the multidisciplinary bridging of food metabolomics and molecular epidemiology to better understand foods’ health benefits.

Diana Pinto

Diana Pinto

Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto
Portugal

Diana is currently a post-doc researcher at REQUIMTE/LAQV, Polytechnic of Porto, School of Engineering (ISEP) and concluded her Ph.D. funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in July 2024, attending the Doctoral Program in Sustainable Chemistry at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (FCUP). She also holds an MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2016) and an MSc in Quality Control (2019) from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto (FFUP). Her Ph.D. thesis was focused on the extraction of bioactive molecules and their validation as potential active ingredients for food and nutraceutical products by in vitro and in vivo assays towards the valorization of agro-industrial by-products. As part of her training, she enjoyed a doctoral stay at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA-UB), University of Barcelona, Spain, in 2022 where she started her journey in the metabolomics field. She has been working on targeted and untargeted metabolomic approaches coupled with data processing techniques for phytochemical characterization and analysis of complex matrices from cell-based assays and animal tissues treated with natural extracts rich in bioactive compounds.

Silvia Radenkovic

Silvia Radenkovic

University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht
The Netherlands
Email

  • Ex-offico, EMN Chair

After earning her PhD at the Metabolomics Expertise Center, KU Leuven Faculty of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium, and Mayo Clinic (visiting), Silvia completed her research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic Department of Clinical Genomics. She was also a part of the undiagnosed disease network (UDN) Mayo Clinic metabolomics core, whose focus was to help find diagnoses for undiagnosed patients using metabolomics. Currently, she is pursuing medical training in laboratory clinical genetics at University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, the Netherlands. Silvia’s research focuses on inborn errors of metabolism, like congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). Specifically, she is interested in the metabolic rewiring in CDGs focusing on the heart and brain. She holds expertise in laboratory clinical genetics, different omics techniques such as tracer metabolomics, and different disease models (e.g., patient fibroblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), iPSC-derived brain organoids, iPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes, zebrafish). Finally, she is passionate about research, mentoring, teaching, and scientific communication and she is part of several initiatives for early career researchers including the EMN Metabolomics Society, Biochemical Society and Females in Mass-Spectrometry.

Candice Z. Ulmer Holland, Ph.D.

Candice Ulmer Holland

USDA-FSIS Eastern Laboratory
USA

  • Society Treasurer – Board of Directors

Dr. Candice Z. Ulmer Holland, a proud native of South Carolina, is the Acting Laboratory Director and Chemistry Branch Chief for the USDA-FSIS Eastern Laboratory. In her current role, she oversees the chemical residue, food chemistry, and nutritional testing of meat, poultry, egg, and Siluriformes products. Dr. Ulmer Holland formally served as the Acting Chief of the Clinical Reference Laboratory for Cancer, Kidney, and Bone Disease Biomarkers in the Clinical Chemistry Branch of the CDC. Her responsibilities included the accurate measurement of chronic disease biomarkers and the assessment of clinical analytical methods in patient care using novel mass spectrometric methodologies and clinical analyzer platforms. Dr. Ulmer Holland possesses B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry as a McKnight Doctoral Fellow from the University of Florida under the direction of Dr. Richard A. Yost. Dr. Ulmer Holland was also awarded a National Research Council (NRC) post-doctoral research associate appointment with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the direction of Dr. John Bowden. She assumes appointed/elected commitments in scientific organizations such as the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), International Metabolomics Society, CLSI Expert Panel on Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology, Metabolomics Quality Assurance and Quality Control Consortium (mQACC) Committee, and the American Chemical Society – GA Division.

Laimdota Zizmare

Laimdota Zizmare

Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen
Germany

Dr. Laimdota Zizmare obtained her PhD in Pharmacy, Metabolomics & Systems Medicine in 2023 at the Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen and University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany. Her scientific interests include pre-clinical and clinical immuno-oncology, metabolic diseases, neurological conditions, and public health policy initiatives. Her technical expertise comprises NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and MALDI imaging MS applications for metabolomics and multi-omics research, biomarker discovery and validation.

Laimdota previously served as the early-career member network (EMN) committee member and treasurer 2021-2023. She holds a Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry and Physical Sciences for Health from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Riga Technical University, Latvia, highlighting her passion for STEM and international collaboration.

Sakda Khoomrung

Sakda Khoomrung

Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
Thailand
Email

  • Chair – International Affiliations Task Group

I hold an MSc in Analytical Chemistry from Prince of Songkla University (2006) and a PhD in Chemistry from Karl-Franzens University, Austria (2011). After postdoctoral training and leading major metabolomics initiatives at Chalmers University of Technology, I co-founded and co-directed the Chalmers Metabolomics Centre (now the Chalmers Mass Spectrometry Infrastructure), serving national and international research communities.

Since joining Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University in 2017, I have built a research team of more than 20 scientists and established a strong metabolomics and systems biology program as Director of SiCORE-MSB. My work integrates advanced mass spectrometry, mass spectrometry- ion mobility technologies, spatial metabolomics, and bioinformatics to address key questions in chronic kidney disease, aging, cancer, natural products, and precision medicine. I have published over 60 papers, secured competitive national and international grants, and mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. I also serve as Associate Editor for the Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal and regularly review for leading journals.

As the Founding Secretary of the Thailand Metabolomics Association, I have been deeply committed to building capacity, organizing national conferences and training programs, and fostering opportunities for early-career researchers across Southeast Asia.

My vision is to strengthen a truly global and inclusive metabolomics community. As Chair of the International Affiliations Task Group, I aim to expand the Society’s international reach, promote equitable access to training and resources, and enhance collaboration between regional metabolomics networks. I believe the Metabolomics Society can continue to lead in scientific excellence while serving as a unifying force that connects diverse expertise and accelerates discovery for the benefit of human health, agriculture, and the environment.

I would be honored to contribute my experience, network, and commitment to advancing this vision.

Mónica Cala

Mónica Cala

Universidad de los Andes
Columbia

  • Co-Chair – International Affiliations Task Group

Dr. Mónica Cala is the Head of MetCore, the first Metabolomics Core Facility in Colombia, based at Universidad de los Andes, and a founding member of the Latin American Metabolic Profiling Society (LAMPS). She has over 15 years of experience in bioanalytical applications, with a strong background in developing and validating analytical methods using separation techniques and spectrometric analysis.

Since 2012, her work has focused on applying high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and lipidomics to a range of research areas, including biomedicine, plant science, and food analysis. In 2019, she established MetCore under the Vice Presidency for Research at Uniandes, marking a milestone as the first Metabolomics Center in the country. Since then, she has played an active role in raising awareness and advancing metabolomics research in Colombia and across Latin America.

In 2023, she received the President’s Award from the International Metabolomics Society. In 2024, Dr. Cala was recognized as one of 18 featured scientists in C&EN Trailblazers, which highlights Latin American chemists making a significant impact in the region, selected from 150 nominated profiles submitted by readers.

At MetCore, Dr. Cala leads research projects using both non-targeted and targeted metabolomics approaches in fields such as biomedicine, bioprospecting, and food science. The facility is committed to providing access to cutting-edge mass spectrometry platforms, including GC-MS, CE-MS, and UHPLC-MS, and to promoting innovative, multidisciplinary research and services in Colombia and throughout Latin America.

Alex Buko

Alexander Buko, PhD

VP and Sr. Analyst
Human Metabolome Technologies
Email

  • Co-Chair – Industry Engagement Task Group
Natasa Giallourou

Natasa Giallourou

Metabolon
Cyprus

  • Co-Chair – Industry Engagement Task Group

Natasa Giallourou, PhD, is a Field Metabolomics Specialist at Metabolon (USA), where she provides scientific support for metabolomics applications across the biopharma and academic sectors.

Before joining Metabolon, Natasa was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at biobank.cy, leading projects that integrated metabolomic and multi-omics data in population-based studies to identify biomarkers of complex diseases. Earlier, she worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Imperial College London, applying metabolic phenotyping to global health challenges with a focus on public health nutrition.

She earned her PhD in Nutritional Metabolomics from the University of Reading in 2017, following an MSc in Nutrition and Health from Wageningen University and a BSc in Biology from the University of Leeds.
From 2020 to 2025, she served on the Board of Directors of the Metabolomics Society and currently contributes to its Education and Training Committee.