Ian Davies

Since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated about how diet affects our physiology, with my initial interest relating to the growth of muscle mass spurred on by my passion for strength training. As I matured and after studying Biochemistry, I discovered my affinity for blood lipids. During a Research Assistant position, I developed methods specifically to separate lipoprotein particles (yes, those particles we are asking for Experiment.com funding to study further!). This work was highly satisfying and resulted in a number of peer reviewed publications and book chapters.

My drive to understand how diet can change an individual’s lipid and lipoprotein profile, and ultimately CVD risk eventually led to a PhD. During this exciting period of my life I studied a number of different dietary interventions, from oily fish to low carbohydrate diets and discovered through my research the serious impact that diet can have upon blood lipids and lipoproteins.

Fast forward twenty years later and I am now in an academic position and still obsessed with this area. Albeit with a few more studies under my belt and PhD students and postdoctoral researchers of my own to supervise! Furthermore, the research in my area has rapidly progressed over recent years and I am extremely excited about the advancements which are now on the horizon of the field. This is because I wholeheartedly believe that changes to our dietary advice and the food industry could lead to drastic improvements in peoples’ lipid profiles and ultimately reductions in CVD.

Only time will tell, but being part of shaping that future is what inspires me and is one of the reasons that drives me to get out of bed at 6am five days a week. Weekends its 7am woken by my beautiful 2-year-old daughter, who’s future health and happiness is my only motivation.

May 2018