Nita Gandhi Forouhi is a British physician and academic, specialising in nutrition and epidemiology. She is Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, the programme leader of the nutritional epidemiology programme of its MRC Epidemiology Unit, and an honorary consultant public health physician with Public Health England.[1]

Nita Forouhi
Alma materNewcastle University
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Scientific career
FieldsNutrition, Epidemiology
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge
ThesisThe relationship between body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and postprandial lipids in Europeans and South Asians: a cross-sectional study (2000)
WebsiteResearch page

Education and early career

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Forouhi studied medicine at Newcastle University: she also completed an intercalated Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) degree in immunology. She then trained in general medicine, and diabetes and endocrinology in Edinburgh, and gained her Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP). She studied for a master's degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, having been awarded a Wellcome Training Fellowship.[1] She completed her doctorate in 2000 with a thesis titled "The relationship between body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and postprandial lipids in Europeans and South Asians: a cross-sectional study".[2]

Research

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Her research focuses on the connections between diet, nutrition and the risk of diabetes, obesity and related disorders.[3] She appears often in British media discussing nutritional research and their relevance to health, and according to BMJ Confidential, "she is known for giving evidence based and balanced views" on such topics.[3]

Notable Cambridge scientists with whom she has shared paper authorship include Stephen O’Rahilly, Nigel Unwin, Antonio Vidal-Puig, and Nick Wareham.

Leadership

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As of 2019, she was a member of the International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas Committee, a member of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition – NHS England – Diabetes UK working group to review the evidence on lower carbohydrate diets for adults with type 2 diabetes, and an expert for NICE guidelines, a member of the board of the directors of the Public Health Genomic Foundation at Cambridge, and a member of the Diabetes UK research committee.[4] [5]

Awards and honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Professor Nita Gandhi Forouhi". MRC Epidemiology Unit. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. ^ Forouhi, Nita Gandhi (2000). The relationship between body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and postprandial lipids in Europeans and South Asians : a cross-sectional study. E-Thesis Online Service (doctoral). The British Library Board. doi:10.17037/PUBS.00682302. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b Ferriman, Annabel (12 April 2017). "Nita Gandhi Forouhi: Challenging poor choices". BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.). 357: j1573. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1573. PMID 28404585. S2CID 34307718.
  4. ^ "Register of declared interests" (PDF). Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. May 2018. pp. 58–63. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Profile of Professor Nita Gandhi Forouhi- MRC Epidemiology Unit". MRC Epidemiology Unit. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Cambridge scientist awarded prestigious lecture at Diabetes UK conference". Diabetes UK. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Sweet reward: MRC Epidemiology Unit scientists win University of Cambridge Impact Award for work on diet and health - MRC Epidemiology Unit". MRC Epidemiology Unit. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  8. ^ "NIHR Senior Investigators". Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. Retrieved 13 February 2022.