Ian Macdonald PhD

Ian Macdonald is Professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of Nottingham and Head of the newly formed School of Life Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. His research interests are concerned with the functional consequences of metabolic and nutritional disturbances in health and disease, with specific interests in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and exercise. Professor Macdonald's early work involved assessing the physiological consequences (mainly on thermoregulation and BP regulation) of metabolic and nutritional disturbances such as starvation, hypoglycemia and prolonged exercise. More recent work has focussed on the metabolic aspects of diabetes and obesity, including the effects of diet composition and weight loss, and the impact of dietary supplements on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Two major areas of current interest related to the use of MR imaging and spectroscopy for assessing alterations in metabolism and the influence of nutrients and metabolic disturbances on gene expression in adipose tissue and muscle. Current work in these areas relates to physical activity and inactivity (including immobilization), obesity and diabetes. Professor Macdonald has published over 300 peer-reviewed original research papers, together with reviews, book chapters, and invited contributions. In September 2013 he was elected as a Fellow of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences. He is currently joint Editor of the International Journal of Obesity, a member of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, a Fellow of the Society of Biology, a Registered Nutritionist and an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Nutrition.