Dr. Gillian Harris has carried out research into infant and child feeding behaviour and appetite regulation at the University of Birmingham, School of Psychology, UK, for the past 38 years. She was also a Consultant Paediatric Clinical Psychologist for 30 years, and led a feeding clinic at The Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, UK, where she worked with infants and children who were food averse. She now runs a private clinical service for children and adults with Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) many of whom have co-morbid ASD or ADHD. Her specific research and clinical interest is the development of food acceptance and rejection in early infancy and later childhood, and the effect of early experience on later food preferences. She has written around 100 published papers, articles and book chapters on these areas, and been awarded multiple research grants to support her research. She has also made many media appearances, both on television and radio. Her latest book, on Food Refusal and Avoidant Eating in Children, was published in 2017.

Drs. Irene Hofmeijer has been a general paediatrician for 20 years and has a special interest in social paediatrics; in particular ADHD for the past 15 years. After the doctor’s degree, she specialized in paediatrics at Erasmus MC and later worked as a pediatrician in Voorburg, Zoetermeer and at Bronovo hospital. In Bronovo hospital, she led the ADHD outpatient clinic for ten years, in a dual role as paediatrician and psychologist. In 2010, she founded the ADHD practice Pietje Bell together with Britt Bakker; here children are treated for ADHD and co-morbidities.