Marie Ruel has more than two decades of experience researching poverty alleviation and child malnutrition in developing countries. Since joining IFPRI, she has led research programs on urban challenges to food and nutrition security and on diet quality and diet changes of the poor. Prior to joining IFPRI, Ruel was head of the Nutrition and Health Division at the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama/Pan American Health Organization in Guatemala. She has published extensively in nutrition and epidemiology journals and has served on various international expert committees, such as the National Academy of Sciences, the International Zinc in Nutrition Consultative Group, and the International Micronutrient Advisory Group of Experts, which was established by the World Health Organization. Ruel received her Ph.D. in international nutrition from Cornell University.

Purnima Menon conducts nutrition-related program and policy research in developing countries, with a focus on maternal and child nutrition. At Cornell University, she co-directs a World Bank-funded project to develop strategies for mainstreaming nutrition in health policies and programs of Bangladesh, Bolivia, Guatemala, Peru, and Vietnam. From 2001 to 2006, Menon coordinated a collaborative research project with IFPRI, Cornell University, and World Vision-Haiti, which studied integrated food and nutrition programs in rural Haiti. With the same collaborators, Menon also coordinated a study on the effectiveness of micronutrient Sprinkles in reducing anemia among young children in Haiti. She holds a Ph.D. in international nutrition from Cornell University.