Dr Carlene Starck

Dr Carlene Starck is the Founding Director of Starck Science, a nutrition science consultancy connecting mission-led food, nutrition, and health companies with rigorous scientific expertise. Her research sits at the intersection of protein and amino acid metabolism, dietary requirements, and the translation of nutrition science into evidence-based food products and public health guidance. She has expertise in mathematical modelling of amino acid kinetics, protein quality assessment, and the application of factorial methods to estimate human protein and indispensable amino acid requirements. Carlene's collaborative research with Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan and Professor Robert Wolfe has produced foundational work on minimum metabolic demand for protein and indispensable amino acids. Her broader portfolio spans clinical nutrition research, regulatory science, and scientific communications for the food industry across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Carlene received her PhD in Protein Biochemistry from Massey University (Dean's Honour List, 2010) and completed postdoctoral research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto before returning to the Riddet Institute. She holds a BSc (First Class Honours) in Biochemistry and brings additional expertise in exercise physiology to her applied nutrition work.