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BACKGROUND
I hold a distinguished academic background with a degree in Clinical Medicine, graduating with Distinctions, alongside an intercalated Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education with Merit. My pursuit of further expertise led me to a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education, a Master of Philosophy in Public Health with a focus on Epidemiology, and a Research Doctorate in Nutrition and Cardiovascular Prevention. Additionally, I’ve earned professional memberships and fellowships through rigorous competency assessments, complemented by specialized training in Medicine and Public Health within the National Health Service in both the East of Scotland and the East of England.
Throughout my extensive postgraduate training, I maintained a strong focus on nutrition within hospital and public health medicine, while also gaining advanced skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This broad foundation of knowledge culminated in the Editorship of the Oxford Handbook of Clinical/Healthcare Research (2016) and the Elsevier Textbook of Essentials of Nutrition in Medicine (2023), key resources in the field of healthcare research and nutrition science.
In addition to my clinical and academic expertise, I have received formal training in management and leadership from the British Medical Association and the Institute of Leadership and Management. My passion for innovation also led to training in social entrepreneurship through Innovate UK, further enhancing my ability to drive impactful change in the fields of health, nutrition, and education.
For more details, feel free to explore my professional profiles on the NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health website or Wikipedia.
INTERDISCIPLINARY AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH
Since 2019, in addition to my role as Chief Scientist and Executive Director for the NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, based in Cambridge, I have held a series of influential positions that underscore my interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to research. As the Founding Co-Chair of BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, a leading peer-reviewed journal launched in 2018, I have played a pivotal role in shaping discussions around nutrition and public health. From 2019 to 2021, I also served as Director of Research in Food Security, Health, and Society at the University of Cambridge, reinforcing my commitment to addressing global food and nutrition challenges.
My work in Cambridge extends globally, as I lead several initiatives across Southeast Asia and the UK. I am a lead co-investigator for development research focused on nutritional aspects in Southeast Asia and a senior co-investigator for a Surrey-India GCRF initiative. Furthermore, I serve on the National Advisory Board of the BBSRC Food Biosystems Doctoral Research Training Partnership, a prestigious consortium of six UK universities, and act as an advisor to the London Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership.
Beyond these roles, I hold a fractional appointment as Full Professor of Global Nutrition, Health, and Disease at Ulster University. At Ulster’s NICHE (Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health), I co-lead the Nutrition and Vascular Studies Platform, conducting cutting-edge research on vascular health through nutrition interventions. I also lecture on Cardiovascular Nutrition across several degree programs and co-supervise PhD studentships within NICHE. In 2021, I joined the inaugural teaching team for Ulster’s newly established graduate Medical School.
My academic reach extends further with a series of honorary positions, including Distinguished Visiting Professor at Shiv Nadar University in India, Honorary International Dean to the Lord Rana Charitable Foundation Trust in Belfast, and Visiting Professor at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health. I also hold positions as an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Wollongong, Australia, and serve on the Presidential Advisory Board for the School of Advanced Studies on Food and Nutrition at the University of Parma.
Staying connected with the broader healthcare landscape is vital to my work. I engage in weekly sessions related to clinical and public health research, education, and practice. This includes serving as an Expert Clinical Member of the NHS National Research Ethics Service since 2011 and leading the Clinical Research Ethics module for Cambridge University Health Partners' Research Skills for Clinicians Programme (2019-2024). Additionally, I serve as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Public Health Policy.
Through these interdisciplinary roles, I am committed to driving collaborative, high-impact research that advances knowledge and creates solutions across the health, nutrition, and education sectors.
APPOINTMENTS OVERVIEW
Founding Chair, Chief Scientist & Executive Director
NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition & Health (Cambridge, UK)
Founder & Co-Chair
BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health (UK)
Founder & Dean
International Academy of Nutrition Educators (UK)
Founder & Director
Founder & Director
Bhavishya Shakti Global [The Mobile Teaching Kitchen International Initiative] (UK)
Founder & Director
The International Food and Nutrition [TIFN] Trust (UK)
Consultant Expert Advisor
I AM PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH
I work closely with NNEdPro and CREATE and am proud to have worked with the partners listed here. I have also worked with multinational corporate organisations such as Swiss Re and industrial partners. Finally, I have worked extensively with government organisations, including UK Research and Innovation, the National Health Service in the UK, other health departments, and several United Nations organisations, including the WHO and FAO.
I have also had the opportunity to provide individualised career development coaching and mentoring to over 100 successful professionals at junior, mid-career, and senior levels over the years. Please read my testimonials for further insight.
James Bradfield
I consider myself to be extremely privileged to have met Professor Ray at a very early stage in my career and to have had the opportunity to work with him so closely. Over the past 7 years he has been instrumental in my professional successes and I have learned more from him than I could have ever imagined. Professor Ray has an innate ability to bring out the best in people which leads to fantastic collaborations and great satisfaction. I look forward to continuing to work with him for many years to come.
Helena Trigueiro
Receiving mentorship from Professor Ray has been a crucial transformative opportunity for my career. I have been working with Shumone for almost six years, and I cannot dissociate his positive influence from my professional and academic growth: his broad-minded vision, experience-informed advice and unquestionable skills have been key for me to achieve important milestones. I am immensely grateful for the impact Professor Ray has on my career, and I can only recommend his advisory services.
Sonigitu Ekpe
Working with Prof Sumantra Ray has been an exemplary experience. Prof. Ray is a hardworking and dedicated leader known for his principled approach and exceptional competence. He consistently demonstrates strong leadership, fostering a collaborative and inclusive team environment. His proven track record of achieving outstanding results speaks to his results-oriented nature. Prof. Ray is also a sought-after speaker and a wonderful teacher, committed to skill and knowledge transfer. His strategic efforts have significantly improved the NNEdPro Global Institute. His ability to inspire, motivate, and solve problems sets him apart as a natural leader.