Dr. Mark J. Manary, is a pediatrician currently appointed as the Helen B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine, in St-Louis. He has dedicated his career to “solving malnutrition in children” and the clinical use of ready-to-use-food (RUTF) is a product of that ambition. RUTF is a peanut based, calorie dense and fortified food that is now an integral part of the standard of care for children with malnutrition. Dr. Manary is also the founder and CEO of the non-profit “Project Peanut Butter” which manufactures and distributes RUTF in Malawi. With extensive field work experience both in Malawi and Sierra Leone, he has established feeding programs guided by research. To study the pathophysiology and metabolic disturbances that underlie malnutrition, his lab uses state of the art biomedical techniques and runs carefully designed clinical trials. This work grounds his efforts in science and informs other ventures such as the design of new food formulations that could supplement therapy, promote optimal health and prevent children from becoming malnourished. He also directs the Global Harvest Alliance, another Gates Foundation project which aims to genetically improve foods, such as cassava, to be enriched in micro- and macro- nutrients. Dr. Manary is a multi-facetted swiss-army knife researcher that will help guide the efforts of The CHAIN Network.