Date of Release: 5 December 2001
For immediate use
IFR scientists receive
International recognition
Two scientists from Norwich's Institute of Food Research
are being recognised as one of the world’s top researchers. Both IFR's
International Coordinator Dr Roger Fenwick, and Principal Senior Scientist
Dr Vic Morris are receiving the "Highly Cited Researcher" award
from the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI), as two of the top 250
researchers worldwide in the field of agricultural science. Only four UK
researchers have qualified for the award. Dr Fenwick will be presented
with his award this afternoon (Wednesday) at the Online Information
meeting in Olympia.
Dr Fenwick's research has investigated the identity,
amounts and biological activities of naturally-occurring compounds in
plants. These have included glucosinolates in brassica, saponins in
legumes and alliins in the onion and garlic family. Initially the work
concentrated on those compounds with possible harmful effects, but from
the mid 1980's the emphasis shifted towards compounds that might offer
protection against cancers and heart disease in humans. The work formed
the basis of, and continues to add to, our understanding of the role of
plant chemicals in human health. Dr Fenwick is currently Chairman of the
Food Chemistry Division of the Federation of European Chemical Societies.
"This award is a reflection of teamwork, I would like
to acknowledge the many colleagues over the years who contributed to the
result," said Dr Fenwick, "I have been fortunate to have worked
for most of my professional life at the Institute of Food Research, one of
Europe's leading food and nutrition centres."
Dr Morris joined the IFR in 1979 to develop molecular
based research in food science. He has focussed on characterising food
structures, and understanding structure-function relationships, which
assists manufacturers in the improvement of food ingredients and
processes. He has developed and uses novel physical techniques to tackle
problems in food science. This includes the use of scanning probe
microscopic methods that 'feel' rather than see samples, allowing
imaging of molecular structure. He has used these methods to develop a
greater understanding of the structure of plant cell walls, the gelation
and thickening properties of polysaccharides, the functionality of starch,
and the stability of foams (such as found in bread dough) and emulsions
(such as mayonnaise).
ISI has been indexing the world's scholarly literature
from a wide range of subjects in science and social science for over 40
years. The Highly Cited Researcher awards recognise those researchers
whose work has been referred to most frequently by others in the field.
For further information contact:
|
Jo Belsten BSc
Press Officer
Institute of Food Research
Norwich Research Park
Colney
Norwich NR4 7UA |
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 255 218
Fax: +44 (0)1603 255 168
e-mail jo.belsten@ifr.ac.uk
www.ifr.ac.uk |
Notes for editors:
- The mission of the Institute of Food Research is to carry out
independent basic, and strategic research on food safety, quality,
nutrition and health. It is a company limited by guarantee, with
charitable status, grant aided by the Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
- The Institute is based on the Norwich Research Park.
- Further details on ISI Highly Cited Researchers can be found at:
www.isiHighlyCited.com
-ENDS- |
