Alan Levinovitz is assistant professor of religion at James Madison University, where he teaches courses on Daoism, Confucianism, religion and science, and the philosophy of play.

As a journalist he specializes in the intersection of philosophy, religion, and science and his writing has appeared in Slate, The Atlantic, Wired, The Believer, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. His book, The Gluten Lie, examines the history of food fears and their connection to myth and religion.

He received his BA in philosophy and religion from Stanford University and his PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Don’t let his youthful appearance fool you, for more than 20 years Tony has shaped the PR and social influence practice at MulleLowe. An award-winning writer and strategist, Tony has tackled some of society’s most pressing issues: from heart disease and diabetes to obesity and healthful eating. His work and influence extends far beyond food and nutrition however, into areas as diverse as financial services, real estate, automotive, even online dating. But food is his first love. Tony is a keen observer of food trends and conversations and intrigued by the machinations that most people go through to talk themselves into, or out of, food choices - which has a tendency to remove all the joy out of what we eat. And that's just sad.