<\/p>\n
Professor Julie Lovegrove, Director of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition\u00a0at the University of Reading,\u00a0has been appointed Chair of the UK\u2019s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).<\/p>\n
As a guiding voice in the independent group that\u00a0advises\u00a0all four UK governments, Professor Lovegrove will help shape and present advice\u00a0to government,\u00a0who use SACN\u2019s advice to develop nutritional policies\u00a0on\u00a0key dietary issues\u00a0like\u00a0protein\u00a0and\u00a0vitamin\u00a0and mineral\u00a0intakes,\u00a0wholegrains,\u00a0and\u00a0what constitutes\u00a0a balanced diet.<\/p>\n
Professor Lovegrove said: \u201cI am honoured to take on this role and to work with colleagues\u00a0to bring the best evidence to bear on decisions that can\u00a0impact\u00a0the health of\u00a0the UK population.\u00a0An aim is for\u00a0nutrition\u00a0advice to\u00a0be\u00a0based on robust and transparent assessments of the best available evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u00a0would like to thank\u00a0my predecessor Professor Ian Young for his\u00a0leadership over the past five years.\u00a0I\u00a0am very much\u00a0looking\u00a0forward to working with the SACN committee and secretariat\u00a0in my new role\u201d.<\/p>\n
Focus on\u00a0evidence<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0role of SACN\u00a0is to provide scientific evidence\u00a0to\u00a0advise\u00a0government,\u00a0which then sets\u00a0public health\u00a0policy.\u00a0As Chair, Professor Lovegrove will\u00a0ensure the committee runs\u00a0effectively\u00a0and stays focused on\u00a0evidence\u00a0evaluation\u00a0to\u00a0advise\u00a0government ministers,\u00a0officials\u00a0and the public.<\/p>\n SACN reviews evidence on areas such as nutrient intakes, population nutrition, and diet-related risks for conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, oral health,\u00a0osteoporosis\u00a0and obesity. The Chair\u00a0represents\u00a0the consensus of the committee and ensures there is a clear record of how advice is reached.<\/p>\n Her new role began\u00a0on 1\u00a0March 2026 with\u00a0an initial\u00a0three-year term. Professor Lovegrove previously served five\u00a0years\u00a0as deputy chair and\u00a010\u00a0years as a member of the committee.<\/p>\n SACN is based in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities,\u00a0part of the UK government\u2019s\u00a0Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"