A Conversation on Nutrition And Health

Having been a passionate home cook all her life, Saliha battled 64 contestants in front of 6million viewers to become the winner of MasterChef 2017. A proud mother and wife, Saliha works as a Consultant Gastroenterologist for the Imperial Trust hospitals in London. She balances a life in food and medicine and is the bestselling author of four books: KHAZANA (2018) which was voted ‘Best New Cookbook’ at the 2019 Observer Food Monthly Awards, FOODOLOGY: A FOODLOVER’S GUIDE TO DIGESTIVE HEALTH & HAPPINESS (2021) THE KITCHEN PRESCRIPTION (2023) which became an instant Sunday Times bestseller and most recently THE 20-MINUTE GUT HEALTH FIX (2025). Saliha was awarded the title of ‘Best Chef 2019’ at the British Restaurant Awards, as voted for by the public and her 2022 campaign #NoHungryNHSStaff with Neely Mozawala led to a commitment by the NHS for healthy hot and cold food for hospital doctors to access 24 hours a day.

Chris van Tulleken is a Professor of Infection and Global Health at University College London and an infectious diseases doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London. He studied medicine at Oxford University and holds a PhD in molecular biology from UCL, where he is part of the UCL REACH (Research into Eating, Activity and Health) group. His research focuses on the commercial determinants of health, particularly in relation to nutrition. He chaired the launch of The Lancet series on Ultra-Processed Food and works closely with UNICEF and the World Health Organization in this area. As one of the BBC’s leading broadcasters for children and adults, his programmes have won two BAFTAs. He is also the author of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Ultra-Processed People. He lives in London with his wife and three children.

Giles 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 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. 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.