Dr. Miyoung Suh is Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba, and trained as a Clinical Dietitian in the areas of gastroenterology, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. She is also Principle Investigator for the Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders (DND) & Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM), St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre. She was the first woman to be named Scientist of the Year in 2017 by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) for her research in lipids and retina photoreceptors.

Miyoung believes that quantity and quality dietary choices affect the health of our communities, and since 2016 she has been involved in a smart vertical farm project in Manitoba’s Opaskwayak Cree Nation reserve, which grows vegetables using computer-assisted hydroponic technologies originally developed in South Korea. She believes that by using hydroponic gardening techniques to provide residents with an opportunity to grow affordable, fresh, healthy food year-round. This system also allows growing “functional vegetables” that are enriched in specific nutrients combating chronic diseases, thus they stand a better chance at fighting against a number of chronic diseases phased, such as diabetes.