ProfessorGary Frost

Professor Gary Frost is Head of the Section for Nutrition Research and leads the Imperial Nutrition and Food Network. He qualified as a dietitian in 1982 and has maintained a clinical input throughout his career. In January 2008, he was appointed Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Imperial College London.

Prior to this, Gary worked for 18 years at Hammersmith Hospital, during which time he gained his PhD in Nutrition and was appointed Honorary Reader in Nutrition at Imperial College. He later joined the University of Surrey as Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2005.

Gary’s research interests are diverse and include the following areas:

Dietary Carbohydrates: A major focus of his work has been the role of dietary carbohydrates in appetite regulation, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism, particularly the glycaemic index as a model of the physiological effects of carbohydrates. His group was the first to demonstrate the impact of low glycaemic diets on adipocyte metabolism. More recently, in partnership with Professor Jimmy Bell, he has used an integrative physiological approach to investigate the role of dietary carbohydrates on body composition and appetite regulation.

Short Chain Fatty Acids: These are products of microbial fermentation of dietary carbohydrate in the gastrointestinal tract. In collaboration with the University of Glasgow, his research has led to new understanding of the role of these molecules in appetite regulation.

Food Structure: Over the last five years, in partnership with colleagues at the Quadram Institute, John Innes Centre, and the University of Glasgow, Gary has developed a major interest in how food structure influences human metabolism.

Obesity Management: His group is part of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, headed by Professor Bloom. Together, they have demonstrated the importance of several gut peptides in appetite regulation. Ongoing projects investigate the role of nutrients in the secretion of appetite-regulating peptides and explore the basic nutritional physiology involved in energy balance.

Dietary Intake: One of the major nutritional challenges is the accurate assessment of food intake in free-living individuals. Working with Professor Holmes, Dr Garcia, Dr Posma, and Professor Nicholson, Gary has made significant contributions by using metabolic profiling to improve dietary reporting. In collaboration with Professor Yang and Dr Lo, he is also developing new camera technology to enhance dietary reporting.

Nutrition in the Elderly: His research group is interested in the relationship between food, the gastrointestinal tract, and appetite regulation during ageing. Recent work has demonstrated that anorexic hormones released from the gut are higher in older adults compared to younger individuals.