We kindly thank COPROB for hosting and supporting our WSRO 2026 Annual Meeting in Verona, Italy.
Location: Villa Quaranta hotel - Via Ospedaletto, 57, 37026 Ospedaletto VR, Italy
Dates: Wednesday 24th June - Friday 26th June
Please note that the WSRO Research Group (RG) Meeting will be held on Tuesday 23rd June 2026.
Timings: are in Central European Summer Time (CEST) and speaker timings are subject to change.
Location: Ristorante Borgo Antico (located on the ground floor of the historical villa)
Attendees: All Members
Meeting Room: Sala Quaranta (located in the historical villa)
Attendees: RG Members Only
Coffee & Refreshments in the room
Location: Outside the meeting room
Attendees: RG Members only
Meeting Room: Sala Quaranta (located in the historical villa)
Attendees: RG Members Only
Coffee & Refreshments in the room
Location: WSRO registration desk in the hotel reception
Attendees: All Members
Location: Bottega del Gusto (Wine Bistro), in the historical villa
Attendees: Research Group Members
Location: WSRO registration desk in the hotel reception
Attendees: All Members
Meeting Room: Sala Quaranta (located in the historical villa)
Attendees: MFC Members Only
Coffee & Refreshments in the room
Location: Congress Centre Bar (outside Sala Crearo)
Attendees: All Members
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Speaker: Professor Giles Yeo MBE, Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Medical Research Council (MRC) Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Speaker Biography: Giles Yeo is Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology & MRC Investigator at the Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit and scientific director of the Genomics/Transcriptomics Core at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Giles is a geneticist interested in studying the brain's control of food intake and body weight, and how these might be dysregulated in obesity.
His research aim is to identify new molecules and pathways that play a role in the brain control of energy homeostasis, and thus reveal new potential therapeutic targets to tackle obesity and its associated comorbidities.
Giles is an alumnus of Wolfson College and got his PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Cambridge in 1998, after which he joined the lab of Prof Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, working on the genetics of severe human obesity. Giles Yeo is now a Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology and programme leader at the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit in Cambridge UK, and his research currently focuses on the influence of genes on feeding behaviour & body-weight. In addition, he is a fellow of Wolfson College and Honorary President of the British Dietetic Association.
Read more about Giles's research interests.
Giles is also a broadcaster and author, presenting science documentaries for the BBC, and hosts a podcast called ‘Dr Giles Yeo Chews The Fat’. His first book, ‘Gene Eating’ was published in December 2018, and his second book, Why Calories Don’t Count’ came out in June 2021. Giles was appointed an MBE in the Queen’s 2020 birthday honours for services to ‘Research, Communication and Engagement’. He won the Society for Endocrinology Medal in 2022.
Location: Corticella (outdoors) behind the villa
Attendees: All Members and Partners
Speaker: Mr. Ali Badarneh, Chief Food Security and Food Systems Unit, Agri-Business and Infrastructure Development Department UNIDO.
Biography: Ali Badarneh is a Palestinian Citizen and a graduate of Birmingham University, UK. He started his career in 1997 as a food safety and quality consultant for a regional consulting firm in the Middle East and then moved in 2001 to work as freelance international expert for many international companies and organizations (UNIDO, LRQA, CU, ISO, ACDI-VOCA and USAID). He holds international accreditations in areas related to the quality and food safety auditing and training.
In 2008 moved to UNIDO Headquarters as a staff member working for the Trade Capacity Building Department before moving to the Agri-Business Department in 2016, was responsible for the design and management of technical cooperation projects in different developing countries. Lead the formulation of the UNIDO’s Approach to food safety capacity building and helped position UNIDO globally as key partner in this thematic area.
Currently the Chief of the Food Security and Food Systems Unit leading a team of professionals and experts for the design and management of a portfolio in areas related to Value Chain Development, Food Safety, Fisheries, Agro-parks, Biodiversity and Market systems development.
Awarded the UNIDO Role Model Award in 2019 with a scholarship to Harvard Business School on leadership skills training program. Awarded 4 Merit awards (Individual and Team) during his time at UNIDO.
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Speaker: Marcia Terra, Director, Nutri Insight, Brazil and Advisory Board Member at ANAD (National Association for Diabetic Care, Brazil).
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Speaker Biography: Marcia has served as an Advisory Board Member at ANAD since March 2018, contributing expertise in nutrition and health, regulatory compliance and corporate affairs. Marcia's work focuses on fostering strategic relationships with government agencies and technical entities, supporting decision-making processes with a strong foundation in nutritional science.
At Nutri Insight Ltda., Marcia has been a driving force behind the development of nutritional content tailored for consumers, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. By collaborating with technical-scientific and medical communities, she helps bridge the gap between complex nutritional information and the general public. Supporting marketing teams and customer service initiatives, she provides training and technical consulting to enhance communication and uphold ethical and regulatory standards.
Marcia actively shares insights and debates food industry issues on LinkedIn including critically analyzing UPF (Ultra-Processed Foods) policies and the NOVA classification system, promoting a nuanced understanding of food processing in developing economies.
Location: Congress Centre Bar (outside Sala Crearo)
Attendees: All Members
Speaker: Invited speakers & WSRO staff
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Meet in hotel reception at 08:50, ready to leave at 09:00.
This is a 2-hour walking tour around Verona, so flat shoes and comfortable clothes are recommended.
There will be time to change before lunch.
Attendees: All Members and Partners
Guided tour details:
• Arena di Verona — A remarkably preserved 1st-century Roman amphitheatre, famous for its world-class opera performances.
• Piazza Bra — Verona’s largest square, a lively elegant space framed by historic buildings and cafés.
• Piazza delle Erbe — A vibrant medieval market square rich in history, frescoed façades, and local atmosphere.
• Arche Scaligere — A striking Gothic funerary monument built for the powerful Scaliger family.
• Torre dei Lamberti — Verona’s tallest medieval tower, offering breathtaking panoramic views over the city.
• Castelvecchio — A majestic medieval fortress that now houses an important art museum.
• Juliet’s Courtyard and House Complex — Verona’s most romantic site, linked to the story of Romeo and Juliet.
Location: Ristorante Borgo Antico (located on the ground floor of the historical villa)
Attendees: All Members and Partners
Speaker: Professor Paulo de Castro, Former Member of the European Parliament
Biography: Paolo De Castro was a Member of the European Parliament (EP) from 2009 to 2014, where he served as vice-chair of the EP's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).
He led the EP’s negotiating team during the whole reform process of the Common Agricultural Policy for the 2014-2020 period. He has an outstanding career and a broad knowledge of the topic, having been Italian Minister of Agriculture, and Vice-President of the Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food Production of the Senate. Between 2000 and 2002 he was also special adviser to the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi.
He is Professor of Agricultural Economics and Policy at the University of Bologna, and is the author of over 150 scientific publications particularly on food security and the role of international trade in the development of modern society.
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Speakers: COPROB
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Speaker: WSRO Team
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Location: Congress Centre Bar (outside Sala Crearo)
Attendees: All Members
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All non Board Member delegates
Meeting Room: Salone delle Arti (located in the historical villa)
Attendees: WSRO Board Members Only
Coffee & Refreshments in the room
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Agenda:
Please click the link below for further information, including 47th AGM Minutes and Actions
Speakers: WSRO Members
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
Meeting Room: Sala Crearo (located in the Congress Centre)
Attendees: All Members
