Nutrition and food security research theme

Determining dietary requirements and sustainable food choices to improve health.

The challenge

Ingesting suitable amounts of nutritious and safe food at an appropriate regularity is key to sustaining life and promoting health and wellbeing. This is not currently happening — the World Health Organisation estimates that around 60 per cent of the global disease burden is attributable in some way to poor diet or unsafe food. New thinking, knowledge, applications and governance systems need to emerge to persuade individuals to make healthy and sustainable choices for themselves and others. Better strategies to ensure food and water security, including effective food waste management, are sought throughout the world.

Our response

Research programmes within the theme of nutrition and food security address these challenges — from investigating electron shuffle in food chain-relevant microbial communities to instigating behavioural change in human populations. Biomedical, clinical and genetic studies of nutrient deficiency, nutrient handling and circadian control of metabolism inform approaches to personalised diets and disease prevention. Investigations of how nutritional requirements alter during times of illness and exertion aid menu design, including when fresh food is not easy to obtain. Understanding how diseases and drug treatments effect the GI microbiome in people and animals highlights ways to prevent contamination of food and water, reducing, for example, the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Studying the function and regulation of the gut-brain axis informs strategies to improving mental health.

Research projects

Active projects

Acrylamide in the Home: the effects of home-cooking on acrylamide generation

Better gut microbiome function

Effect of prebiotics on emotion processing at the behavioural and brain level

Completed projects

Menopause Matters: A better health service for women

Start date: 2022

End date: 2023

Effect of potato form and consumption pattern on acute glycaemia and glucose kinetics in individuals with type 2 diabetes

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Effect of prebiotics of emotional wellbeing

Start date: 2020

End date: 2023

Clean energy through innovative materials: Offshore energy

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Physiological anticipation of meal times in humans

Start date: 2019

End date: 2023

Pragmatist trip - the road to implementation

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Bioelectrochemical performance of a native microbial community for energy recovery in a low cost microbial fuel cell (Newton Fund)

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Integrated systems for effective environmental remediation

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J feasibility study for a monitoring system on reformulation initiatives for salt, sugars and fat

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Evaluation of inactivation of Listeria biofilms on complex multi-component surfaces using a novel plasma kit

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How does polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis regulate T lymphocyte function?

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Personalized nutrition for healthy living

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Engineering novel, safe and effective vaccines against avian colibacillosis

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Time is of the essence: Revealing the elusive ‘bone clock’ in humans

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Sweeteners and sweetness enhancers: Impact on health, obesity, safety and sustainability

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What can maternal-infant feeding interactions tell us? Simple feeding elements scale validation

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Zoonotic transmission of intestinal parasites: implications for control and elimination

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The effect of a SGLT2 inhibitor in type 2 diabetes

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Carbohydrate in the diet

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Poultry microbiome as a predictor of health and productivity

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Raising pig health for improved food security in India

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The roadmap to echinococcosis control in Peru

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Effects of weight loss on nutritional mediated hormone secretion

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Promoting One Health in Europe through joint actions on foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and emerging microbiological hazards

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Isotope ratio mass spectrometer for nutritional and metabolic studies

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Evaluation of technological and resource alternatives for carbon feedstock to support a raw materials transition in the German industry

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Investigation of the effects of duodenal resurfacing on women with polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance

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The big breakfast study: chrono-nutrition influence on energy expenditure and body weight

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Mechanisms to explain variation in serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol response to dietary saturated fat

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Innovation in personalised nutrition through cluster cooperation in the silver economy

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Resistant starch production and glucose release from pre-prepared chilled food

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Iodine status in pregnancy and child neurodevelopment: the influence of genetic variation, selenium status and thyroid function on the relationship

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RICHFIELDS - Research Infrastructure on Consumer Health and Food Intake using E-science with Linked Data Sharing

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A bovine alveolus model to replace cattle in the study of host-pathogen interactions in bovine tuberculosis

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Rapid evidence assessment of the relative proportion of foodborn disease caused by faults in food preparation or handling within the home

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Towards the elimination of iodine deficiency and preventable thyroid-related diseases in Europe

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Synthetic biology for bioenergy and biotechnology

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Ergocalciferol (D2) vs cholecalciferol (D3) food fortification: Comparative efficiency in raising 25OHD status and mechanisms of action

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Front of pack food labelling: Impact on consumer choice (FLICC)

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Research theme members

Research theme champions

Terri Grassby profile image

Dr Terri Grassby

Research Theme Champion

Johanna von Gerichten profile image

Dr Johanna von Gerichten

Associate Research Theme Champion

Our research news

18 AUG 2021

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health issue for the black community, finds new study from the University of Surrey

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24 MAR 2021

Clarity needed in classification systems for processed foods

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21 MAY 2020

High doses of vitamin D supplementation has no current benefit in preventing or treating Covid-19

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