• FUNCTIONAL FOOD SCIENCE / FUNCTIONAL FOOD CENTER
    5050 Quorum Drive, Suite 700, #338
    Dallas, TX, 75254, USA

  • FFC@functionalfoodscenter.net

Main Conference Organizers

Main Conference Organizers


About Functional Food Center/Functional Food Institute

Since 1998, The Functional Food Center (FFC) has been a pioneer in the functional food science field, combining cutting-edge expertise in the biomedical sciences with practical business experience in order to aid in further research, development, and commercialization of functional food innovations in both domestic and international markets. The FFC connects a global network of professionals (scientists, functional food experts, and food and medical industry representatives) to an environment conducive to innovative research collaboration. The FFC defines functional foods as, “Natural or processed foods that contain biologically-active compounds, which, in defined, effective, non-toxic amounts, provide a clinically proven and documented health benefit utilizing specific biomarkers, to promote optimal health and reduce the risk of chronic/viral diseases and manage their symptoms”. The FFC set out to establish a methodology for the classification and development of functional food products and a database for functional food research. Since then, the FFC has created a global network of thousands of scientists, functional food experts, and food industry representatives who support the FFC’s mission.

For more information about FFC and conferences organized by FFC please visit here:

About Yerevan State University 

Yerevan State University (YSU) is the most ancient educational institution in Armenia that has remained in operation since it was established in 1919. It is also the largest university in the country while offering a wide range of high-quality academic programs with numerous disciplines including natural sciences and social sciences. Currently, there are 312 educational programs with almost 14,000 students and 150,000 graduates. Yerevan State University prioritizes the development of science and innovation by being actively involved in scientific research and collaborating with other research institutions including participation in international conferences. Mkrtich Avagyan, Head of the Department of Alternative Medicine at Yerevan State Medical University, will be joining the FFC's 31st international conference as one of the main conference organizers.

For more information about Yerevan State University please visit here.

About Matenadaran – The Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts

The Matenadaran contains one of the world’s largest repositories of ancient manuscripts, including thousands of years’ worth of cumulated knowledge from medieval Armenian doctors and ancient Greek physicians like Galen and Hippocrates. These manuscripts document the healing properties of the plant and animal foods of the ancient world. Approaching these remedies from a modern functional food’s perspective, we can now identify alkaloid glucosides, flavonoids, saponins, and other features of medieval medicine as relevant bioactive compounds for the promotion of health. Teucrium polium, a common ingredient in a traditional Armenian relaxing herbal tea, for example, has recently shown the potential to prevent menopause-related neurodegenerative memory loss in animal studies. This conference will highlight many of the traditional uses of food for the prevention and treatment of disease in sessions like «Armenian alternative and traditional medicine, functional food and bioactive compounds».

Vahan Ter-Ghevondian is a Scientific Director of The Matenadaran, and he is chosen as a co-chair of FFC's 31st international conference. For more information about Matenadaran please visit here.

 

About Armenian Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) is the Armenian national academy, functioning as the primary body that conducts research and coordinates activities in the fields of science in Armenia. It is a member of the International Science Council. It was founded on November 10th, 1943, and consists of 38 research institutes, including 8 research institutes under the Division of Natural Sciences. The current president of NAS RA is Professor Ashot Saghyan and the Academician-Secretary of the Division of the Natural Sciences is professor Rouben Aroutiounian, who is chosen as co-chair of FFC's 31st international conference. For more information about the NAS RA please visit here.

Recently, Nobel laureate Ardem Patapoutian was handed a diploma of an honorary member of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences when he visited Yerevan, Armenia to meet with the scientists at NAS RA. Ardem Patapoutian is an Armenian-American molecular biologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel Prize laureate and is known for his work in characterizing the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors that detect pressure, menthol, and temperature. Patapoutian is a neuroscience professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with David Julius.