The Society’s Gowland Hopkins Award is named after Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins OM FRS PRS, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for the discovery of vitamins and was a Founder of the Society.
This prestigious award is awarded to senior scientists within the area of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition.
The 2022 Awardee is Professor John Mathers, Newcastle University, UK.
John Mathers is Professor of Human Nutrition in Newcastle University. He was an undergraduate in Newcastle University, then undertook postgraduate training in University of Cambridge where he completed the Diploma in Nutrition and PhD and undertook post-doctoral research. After a short time in University of Edinburgh, he returned to Newcastle University. There he set up the B.Sc. in Food and Human Nutrition degree programme and the Human Nutrition Research Centre which he directed from 1994 until 2022.
His major research interests are in understanding how eating patterns influence risks of age-related diseases including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, bowel cancer and musculoskeletal diseases. This includes studies of the underlying mechanisms and investigation of lifestyle-based interventions to reduce disease risk and to enhance healthy ageing. He has had a long-term interest in the effects of dietary fibre on function and health.
Among his external roles, John was President of The Nutrition Society and serves/ served on grants panels and/or research strategy boards for the MRC, BBSRC, ESRC, WCRF and others. He is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the British Nutrition Foundation and a Trustee of the Rank Prize Funds. In addition, John chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the Joint Programming Initiative, a Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life. Since 2019, John has been Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Nutrition.
Professor John Mathers will deliver a lecture reflecting on his career and research journey at the Society's Annual Reception on Monday 23 January 2023.
Congratulations Professor Mathers!