The Action on Sugar team of UKVRN Registered Nutritionists is headed up by Graham MacGregor CBE, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Graham MacGregor CBE - Chairman of Action on Salt and Sugar, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
Email: g.macgregor@qmul.ac.uk

Graham MacGregor is a Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine (Barts and The London) and Honorary Consultant Physician at Queen Mary, University of London. He trained as a nephrologist and became interested in mechanisms underlying the rise in blood pressure in kidney disease and in people with high blood pressure, and his research then focused on the importance of the renin system the influence of salt and potassium intake on health and a variety of studies looking at some of the new mechanisms for drugs that were being developed in the 1980s. He has published more than 500 refereed scientific articles on various aspects of blood pressure, cardiovascular medicine and nutrition and public health. He still retains a clinical role.

He then turned his focus more on public health and set up two action groups on salt, Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) in 1996 and World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (WASSH) in 2005.These expert groups have been very successful in getting plans for salt intake established in many countries in the world and salt intake is now falling, particularly in the UK as a result of this. WASSH expanded to include a focus on sugar reduction in 2020. He then went on to set up Action on Sugar (2014).

Dr Kawther Hashem, RNutr (Public Health)

Head of Impact and Research at Action on Sugar, Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at Queen Mary University of London

 

Email: k.hashem@qmul.ac.uk 

Kawther studied for a BSc in Nutrition at King’s College London. Since graduating, Kawther has worked for Unilever as a Development Nutritionist, before going on to work for Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, on the successful Children's Food Campaign. Kawther left Sustain, due to lack of funding, to work for Consumers International as nutrition and food safety programme assistant before joining Action on Salt and World Action on Salt and Health in 2012.

Kawther has completed a Masters in Food Policy at City University London and a PhD on sugar reduction at Queen Mary University of London. Kawther is now responsible for driving the Action on Sugar campaign and our sugar and calorie reduction research. Alongside her current roles, Kawther is also a visiting lecturer on nutrition and food policy at several UK universities, a Trustee at Sustain: the Alliance for better food and farming and is regularly invited to comment on nutrition topics in the media.

 

Zoe Davies, ANutr

Nutritionist, Action on Salt and Sugar

Email: z.davies@qmul.ac.uk

Zoe oversees the charity’s work on early years nutrition, focussing on the commercial baby and toddler food and drink industry. 

Zoe studied Nutrition, Health and Lifestyles at Sheffield Hallam University and since then has worked in health promotion with those with type 2 diabetes, weight management and facilitated type 2 diabetes prevention groups with the National Diabetes Prevention Programme. 

 

Nourhan Barakat, Antur 

Nutrition Officer, Action on Salt and Sugar

Email: n.barakat@qmul.ac.uk 

Nourhan is responsible for the delivery of high-quality research and policy development for sugar, salt and calorie reduction initiatives. 

Nourhan has a background in clinical pharmacy (Egypt, Suez-Canal University) before completing a master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition at London Metropolitan University. Since graduating, Nourhan has worked in health promotion leading on Family Nutrition and Weight Management programmes across various communities and areas in the UK. Alongside her current roles, Nourhan is also a vice-chair for WHAT committee which is part of the Caroline Walker Charity committee projects.  

 

Natalie Brabben 

Communications Officer, Action on Salt and Sugar

Email: n.brabben@qmul.ac.uk 

Natalie is responsible for internal and external communications across both the salt and sugar units, ensuring the work of salt and sugar reduction campaigns is relayed effectively to audiences.  

Building from her degree in English and Film Studies from the University of Leeds, Natalie has since worked for multiple universities promoting student, staff, and research engagement across a range of mediums. Alongside her role she also volunteers as a creative writer for an international non-profit that promotes positive social change.