News & Press Releases

Thursday 20 February 2003

Re-appointments to Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition

Joint announcement by The Department of Health, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland and the Food Standards Agency.

The reappointment of Dr Tim Key and Professor John Cummings to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) for a further period of four years is announced today.

Dr Key, a reader in Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, works at Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit in the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. He has special interests in the interactions between nutrition and hormones, cancer and cardiovascular disease. He is the lead investigator of the Oxford component of EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) which is a European wide collaborative study, and chairman of the EPIC working group on nutrition and prostate cancer.

Professor Cummings is a Clinical Scientist at Dept of Molecular & Cellular Pathology, University of Dundee. He is a practising gastroenterologist and has maintained a clinical interest in gastroenterology for over 30 years. He has published many research papers on the influence of diet in relation to gut and other diseases. Served on many public bodies, both national and international, with specific interest in nutrition and public health and is regarded as an expert in dietary fibre and colonic health.

The SACN is a committee of independent experts with members from a variety of relevant fields. It advises the Food Standards Agency and Health Departments on matters concerning nutrient content of individual foods, advice on diet and the nutritional status of people.

The Committee produces an annual report on its activities, which includes a Register of Members' Interests.

The SACN, in line with Government’s commitment to openness, ensures agendas, minutes and papers are publicly available and are posted on its own website at www.sacn.gov.uk.

Notes to Editors

Current members of SACN are:

Professor Alan Jackson (Chair)
Professor Alan Jackson BA MA BChir MB MD is Professor of Human Nutrition, Director, Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Nutrition, Southampton University Hospitals, Southampton.

Professor Jackson trained in paediatrics at the University of Cambridge and University College, London, UK. He was director of the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit in the University of the West Indies, carrying out research on metabolic adaptation to undernutrition. His current research involves studies on metabolic adaptations enabling women to carry a successful pregnancy, mechanisms of adaptation to low protein diets and the role played by the colonic microflora, and the competitive demands placed upon the availability of critical limiting nutrients in the metabolic response to infection.

Professor Jackson was appointed as the first Chairman of SACN in April 2000 and previously he was a member of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA).

Professor Peter Aggett
Head of School, Lancashire Postgraduate School of Medicine and Health, Professor of Child Health and Nutrition. Interested in nutrition and metabolism. Experienced in issues relating to food composition. Initiated and chaired a variety of advisory committees at national and international levels relating to clinical nutrition, public health and preventative medicine. Sat on various DH and MAFF advisory committees and was a member of COMA for 7 years.

Professor Annie Anderson
Research Professor of Food Choice at the Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Ninewells Medical School, University of Dundee. She is a member of the MAFF Working Party on Dietary Surveys, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh SIGN Review Group on Obesity Management and Dept of Health Diet and Cancer Reduction Steering Group & Research Committee. She has been involved in dietary measurement, nutrition education and interventions in children and adults in disadvantaged communities.

Professor Sheila Bingham
Deputy Director of the Medical Research Council's Dunn Human Nutrition Unit. Well known for her work in the prevention of cancer through diet. She is a principal investigator of the UK EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer) study which is a European wide collaboration. She was a member of COMA for 9 years and has served on a number of other government subcommittees and working groups including the Food Standards Agency Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals Working Group on Phytoestrogens.

Professor John Cummings
Clinical Scientist at Dept of Molecular & Cellular Pathology, University of Dundee. He is a practising gastroenterologist and has maintained a clinical interest in gastroenterology for over 30 years. He has published many research papers on the influence of diet in relation to gut and other diseases. Served on many public bodies, both national and international, with specific interest in nutrition and public health and is regarded as an expert in dietary fibre and colonic health.

Miss Gillian Fine
Head of Food & Health at Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd with responsibility for developing and implementing the company's nutrition strategy. She is a qualified Public Health Nutritionist with 18 years experience in both private and public sectors. In her previous job at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), she was involved in developing the Foundation's strategy to improve nutrition education in the UK and was responsible for the initiation and subsequent development of the BNF/MAFF 'Food a Fact of Life' programme for schools. She has experience of working as a nutritionist in industry, nutrition education and consumer communication.

Mrs Christine Gratus
Mrs Gratus has a background in advertising, marketing and market research. She was the Director and International Vice-President of J.Walter Thompson advertising agency until establishing her own Consultancy in 1990. Mrs Gratus has spent a lifetime listening to consumers talking about every aspect of their lives, with food high on the list, and now works mainly with academic and not for profit organisations on communication issues. She has represented consumers on the Royal College of Radiologists' Clinical Oncology Patient Liaison Group and the Royal College of Physicians' working parties on improving outpatient departments and psychological care of patients.

Dr Timothy Key
Reader in Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, works at Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit in the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. He has special interests in the interactions between nutrition and hormones, cancer and cardiovascular disease. He is the lead investigator of the Oxford component of EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer) which is a European wide collaborative study, and chairman of the EPIC working group on nutrition and prostate cancer.

Professor Peter Kopelman
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Assistant Warden (Education), Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London. Has considerable experience, from a clinical perspective, in the delivery of diabetes care and the management of obesity to all age groups. Worked closely with Health Authorities and national organisations in addressing nutritional matters. Chaired a large number of committees within the university sector, NHS, Health Authorities and the Royal College of Physicians.

Dr Ann Prentice
Director, MRC Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge. Her application is supported by the UK Nutrition Society. Her main research interests are nutritional aspects of bone health and osteoporosis; dietary requirements for human growth, pregnancy and lactation, and old age with particular reference to micronutrients. Has published extensive peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and reports. She also chaired COMA's Subgroup on Nutrition and Bone Health.

Professor Andrew Rugg-Gunn
University Clinical Professor, Newcastle University Dental School. Adviser to the British Dental Association on nutrition and oral health; author of two textbooks, one of which is a definitive work on nutrition and dental disease; has extensively published work in nutrition and oral health.

Dr Anita Thomas
Practising Consultant Physician in general (internal) and geriatric medicine, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. Scientific background in health, nutrition and old age, has a doctorate on the subject of the nutritional status of elderly inpatients. Served on various DH committees and is currently a member of the FSA's Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals.

Mrs Stella Walsh
Senior Lecturer, Leeds Metropolitan University. She has a long standing interest in the subjects of food and nutrition. Until recently was the Secretary of the National Federation of Consumer Groups (NFCG). Is a NFCG representative on Institute of Grocery Distribution. She has experience of replying to government and industry consultations on behalf of consumers. Has published several refereed articles for academic and professional journals, book chapters and conference papers on consumer issues.

Dr Anthony Williams
Senior Lecturer & Consultant in Neonatal Paediatrics, St George's Hospital, London. He was the Chair of COMA's Panel on Child & Maternal Nutrition and a member of COMA. Represented COMA/PCMN on Welfare Food Review Group. He is currently a member of the FSA's Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals. Has published peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and reports on child health.

Professor Christine Williams
Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Reading. She is currently President of the UK Nutrition Society. She is an established international authority in human lipid nutrition and hormone metabolism in humans. Was a member of COMA's Working Group on Nutrition and Cancer. Has extensive collaborations with researchers in Europe and the food industry.

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