New virtual research centre examining link between nutrition and behaviour launched

A new virtual research centre has been launched in Doncaster to look at the link between nutrition and behaviour.

The Centre for Nutrition and Behaviour has been launched by Grounded Research – the research arm of Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).

Initially, the virtual centre’s work will focus on research into several areas including depression, anxiety, sleep and stress. The centre will also be researching the health and wellbeing benefits of omega 3 and, for example, will be teaming up with Wiley’s Finest Wild Alaskan Fish Oil to consider how to take this forward.

The centre will work by providing a team of expertise to carry out the nutritional research and be a hub for any relevant research sponsored or developed by health colleagues across the globe.

Staff at the virtual centre will work with partners, patients and carers to develop high quality research linking nutrition and behaviour, profiling nutrition as central to care. It will also translate research into practice.

Dr Nav Ahluwalia, executive medical director for RDaSH who spearheads Grounded Research, said: “A key aim of the Centre is to develop and deliver high quality research linking behaviour with all food and nutritional behaviours.

“We are particularly interested in the evidence from 30,000+ research studies which supports the view that dietary deficiencies in omega-3’s EPA and DHA may be at the root of what makes us unwell. Nutrition cuts across all care groups and more research is required in this area. We are committed to furthering our knowledge in relation to omega-3’s EPA and DHA.”

Wiley’s Finest chief executive, Sam Wiley, said: “We are thrilled to be associated with the Centre for Nutrition and Behaviour… because we share a commitment to understand how food and nutrition affects both clinical outcomes and overall health and wellness of the general population.”