Justin Bickford, PhD

Justin is a Florida native who has held a lifelong interest in all things STEM. He earned his B.A. in Chemistry from the University of South Florida and worked briefly as an engineer before earning his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the University of Florida. He became keenly aware of food allergies and sensitivities when a mentor developed a sensitivity to gluten-containing foods and a family member was diagnosed with severe food allergies. He is now the Scientific Director at ELISA Technologies where he works with staff, customers, and governments globally to help ensure products are free of gluten and allergens as well and ensure proper labelling of meats, meals, and food products. He serves on multiple advisory boards for high school and ongoing science education and credentialing, and has given talks to manufacturers, kitchen workers, students, and teachers about testing and maintaining a gluten and allergen friendly workspace.