David Lloyd Topping PhD

David Lloyd Topping was born in Pentrefoelas in North Wales on 8 May 1945. He was the only child of Mary Lloyd Topping (nee Thomas) and grew up with his mother and her family who were the local blacksmiths. He spoke only Welsh until he entered the local primary school, aged 5 years. He gained entrance (by examination) to Llanrwst Grammar School in 1956. On matriculation, he studied biochemistry at Liverpool University, graduating with Second Class Honours in 1967, and then took a post as a research assistant on the external staff of the Medical Research Council at the Royal Veterinary College in London, enrolling for a Ph.D. in 1968 which was awarded in 1972.

From 1967 until 1969, he was a research assistant at the Royal Veterinary College supported by the Medical Research Council, working with Dr. Peter Mayes on the acute effects of insulin and fructose on lipid metabolism in the isolated perfused rat liver. From 1970-1971 he was granted a Wellcome Trust scholarship to work with Peter Mayes and Dr. James (Jim) Felts at the Banting and Best Institute of Medical Research, University of Toronto, on the role of oxygen supply on the metabolism of the perfused liver. On return to the UK, he continued as a Research Assistant and, then, Research Associate at the Veterinary College.

From 1973-75 he was employed as a Lipid Biochemist at the Tobacco Research Council Laboratories (Harrogate, Yorkshire) before returning to the Royal Veterinary College. In 1977 he was appointed Research Scientist at CSIRO on a 3-year contract in the newly formed Division of Human Nutrition under its foundation Chief (Dr. Basil Hetzel). He gained indefinite status in 1980 and has been with CSIRO ever since and is now a Chief Research Scientist with the Food, Nutrition, and Bioproducts business unit.