Scientific Advisory Board

Benexia works from a scientific foundation to shape innovative applications in Nutrition, Food & Beverage, and Nutraceutical markets. Our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) provides advice and guidance on the scientific direction of our research into chia and omega-3 ALA, helping to shape our future innovations.

The board is comprised of a distinguished panel of independent, internationally renowned experts who bring a depth and breadth of research experience. These members are at the forefront of research in chia, omega-3, fiber, lipids metabolism, brain lipids, atherosclerosis, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, inflammation, metabolic disorders, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis/non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The insights and recommendations of the SAB members are instrumental in driving Benexia’s future research efforts, optimizing the potential of our current products as well as new applications that will help unlock the full potential of our pipeline.

Adam Metherei

PhD, Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto

Adam Metherei

Dr. PhD – Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Adam is currently applying recently developed models to determine synthesis rates of DHA and other omega-3 PUFA from dietary precursors, with a focus on identifying mechanisms driving known sex differences in omega-3 PUFA status, particularly DHA. To do so, Dr. Metherel’s research program takes advantage of small, natural variations in the carbon content of the food supply that can be tracked throughout the body. Dr. Metherel’s research program is now applying these models to humans to better understand the role of sex and genotype on omega-3 PUFA metabolism and DHA synthesis, with the long-term goal of studying omega-3 PUFA metabolism in a wide range of healthy and at-risk populations.

Richard Bazinet

PhD, Professor
and Research Chair,
University of Toronto

Richard Bazinet

PhD – Professor and Research Chair at the University of Toronto

Dr. Bazinet received his BSc from the University of Western Ontario and completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Cunnane at the University of Toronto in 2003.

Dr. Bazinet then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Stanley Rapoport’s Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Bazinet joined the University of Toronto in 2006, where he is currently a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Metabolism. Dr. Bazinet is currently the Past-President of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL).

Rodrigo Valenzuela

PhD, Professor,
Department of Nutrition at the University of Chile

Rodrigo Valenzuela

PhD – Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of Chile

Nutritionist, 17 years of professional experience in research, development, and innovation in nutrition, food quality, and safety. Experience in scientific research and pre – postgraduate university teaching. Professional experience in food production, safety, quality, and development.

Scientific experience in the study of food bioactive compounds with healthy properties (development of functional foods), also in the pharmaceutical industry with the development of nutritional supplements, exhibiting strong leadership skills. Research experience demonstrated by the direction/co-direction of 16 research projects and the publication of 92 scientific articles.

Loreto Muñoz

PhD, Professor, Department of Medicine and Health Science at the Central University of Chile

Loreto Muñoz

PhD – Professor, Department of Medicine and Health Science, Central University of Chile

Dr. Loreto Muñoz is a Food Process Engineer from the University of Santiago de Chile, Master’s in Food Sciences from the University of Chile, PhD in Sciences and Food Engineering from the University of Santiago de Compostela and PhD in Engineering Sciences from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. In 2013, she received the BIMBO Pan American Prize for her research on chia seeds. She is currently an academic researcher, Director of the Laboratory of Food Sciences (LabCial) at Universidad Central de Chile.
Her research has been focused on extraction and characterization of food materials of plant origin such as seeds, grains and legumes in terms of their microstructural, physicochemical, physical and chemical and functional properties, functional foods development, as well as in the study of the health-related effects in in vitro and in vivo (preclinical) models.

Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD

DrPH, MA, RDN,
Nutritionist and Award-Winning Journalist and Author

Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD

DrPH, RD, Nutritionist and Award-Winning Journalist and Author

Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RDN is a writer, educator, food enthusiast, award-winning journalist, and host of the 1,000 Waking Minutes podcast. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. from Tufts University, received her M.A. from UC, San Diego, and completed her Doctorate in Public Health and Nutrition at Loma Linda University summa cum laude, where she was awarded the prestigious Chancellor’s Award, the top university honor. She is a registered dietitian nutritionist and ACSM-Certified Exercise Physiologist. She is author of Eat Clean, Stay Lean series (Rodale), The SuperFoodsRx Diet (Rodale), and contributor to James Beard- and IACP-nominated Golden Door Cooks at Home, and New York Times-bestseller SuperFoodsRx. Wendy maintains a private practice with individuals from CEOs, artists, and actors, to professional athletes, parents and children seeking to improve their nutrition and health. Wendy is an expert consultant to the spa industry, to food and commodity groups, and to the healthcare industry. Wendy is on the Board of Directors for the California Academy Foundation, and is an active advocate for students and others pursuing scholarships, fellowships, research and educational grants, internships, and mentoring. She was Nutrition Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 and was awarded the 2024 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Distinguished Lecture Award “in recognition of [her] exemplary career and remarkable contributions to the nutrition and dietetics profession.” A frequent nutrition and wellness presenter at scientific, medical, corporate, culinary and public conferences and festivals, her expertise and writing are featured in various national print and digital media. For 15 years, she has been a frequent guest and nutrition expert on Live with Kelly and Mark.

Carolina Chica

RDN, Nutrition
and Regulatory Affairs Manager
at Benexia®

Carolina Chica

RDN: Nutrition, R&D and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Benexia®

Carolina is a Nutritionist Dietitian with extensive experience in Functional Ingredients as well as Fats and Oils in Human Nutrition, Carolina Chica has led Research and Development Projects focused on Functional Food and Nutritional Supplements based on chia seed ingredients, studying their effects on Human Health, and Consumer Safety.

As the head of Benexia’s Regulatory Affairs Department, Carolina oversees regulatory strategies for new products, collaborates with worldwide regulatory organisms, supports scientific development initiatives, and prepares regulatory presentations and scientific-technical dossiers for product registrations. She ensures compliance with all standards throughout a product’s life cycle.

Joan Clària

PhD, Clinical biochemist, Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Barcelona

Joan Clària
PHD, Clinical biochemist, Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Barcelona

Dr. Joan Clària is a Senior Consultant at the Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Service of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Barcelona. Dr. Clària is a clinical biochemist by training and performed post-doctoral studies as Fulbright scholar at the Brigham and Women´s Hospital (Boston, MA) (1993-1996) and has been appointed as visiting professor at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) (2001), The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) (2007) and Harvard Institutes of Medicine (Boston, MA) (2010-2011). Dr. Clària is group leader of the Inflammation and Liver Disease group at the IDIBAPS Research Center and has a long-standing expertise in the study of lipid mediators of resolution of inflammation. Dr. Clària has authored over 187 publications, including high-impact journals such as PNAS, Science Translational Medicine, Cell Metabolism, Gastroenterology and Journal of Hepatology.

Gwendolyn Barceló-Coblijn

PhD, Lipids in Human Pathology at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands

Gwendolyn Barceló-Coblijn
Lipids in Human Pathology at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands

Dr. Barceló-Coblijn (1975) is currently a Full Researcher at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa, IIS) and the PI of the research group “Lipids in Human Pathology”, the multidisciplinary research team she founded in 2013. Since 2024, she is the Coordinator of the new Molecular Imaging Platform at the IdISBa.

Dr. Barceló has been studying the role of membrane lipids for over 25 years. She obtained her Degree in Chemistry at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB, Spain, 1998) and her PhD in Biology at the University of Szeged (Hungary, 2003). She first carried a postdoctoral stage with Dr. Eric Murphy at the University of North Dakota (USA, 2004-6) and then went back for a second postdoctoral position at the UIB (2006-12). In 2007, she received the “American Oil Chemistry Society Young Scientist” award for her contributions to the n-3 fatty acid field.

Dr. Barceló organized the 63rd edition of the International Conference of the Bioscience of Lipids. Recently (spring 2024), she became member of the Executive Editorial Board of Progress in Lipid Research, the most prestigious journal in the lipid field.

Scientific Advisory Board

Scientific Advisory Board

Adam Metherei

Richard Bazinet

Rodrigo Valenzuela

Loreto Muñoz

Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD

Carolina Chica

Joan Clària

Gwendolyn Barceló-Coblijn

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