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Simon Langley-Evans

Head of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Science

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Biography

Professor Simon Langley-Evans graduated from the University of London in 1986 with a first class honours degree in Biochemistry with Microbiology. He studied for his PhD in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Southampton, under the supervision of Dr David York. He graduated in 1990 and after a period of postdoctoral work at both Southampton and the United Medical and Dentist School in London he obtained a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship. He has subsequently held lectureship positions at the University of Southampton, University College Northampton and University of Nottingham. He was awarded a personal Chair in Human Nutrition in 2005. His research expertise lies in the area of the Developmental Origins of Adult Disease, where he has conducted pioneering work in the development of experimental models of nutritional programming. He is the author of over 100 peer reviewed papers and in 2009 published an undergraduate textbook entitled, "Nutrition: A Lifespan Approach." In 2005 he was awarded the Nutrition Society Silver Medal.

Teaching Summary

Professor Langley-Evans has over 20 years experience of undergraduate teaching experience and currently teaches on the following undergraduate modules: D21BN1: Introduction to Human Nutrition.… read more

Research Summary

Professor Langley-Evans' research focuses on the early life origins of adult disease. A wide range of epidemiological evidence suggests that there is a strong and significant relationship between… read more

Selected Publications

Professor Langley-Evans is currently the Head of the Division of Nutritional Sciences. He chairs the Bioresources Unit management committee of the School of Biosciences.

His external roles include:

Assistant Editor of the International Journal of Obesity. External examiner for the University of Sheffield, MMedSci in Human Nutrition. External examiner for the Robert Gordon University, BSc Nutrition and Dietetics.

In the last few years Professor Langley-Evans has been a member of the Nutrition Society Council and the Medical Research Council College of Experts. He was a member of the RERAD Mid Programme Review Panel for the Scottish Government, 2008-2009.

Professor Langley-Evans has over 20 years experience of undergraduate teaching experience and currently teaches on the following undergraduate modules: D21BN1: Introduction to Human Nutrition. D224N2: Principles of Nutrition. D224NP: Research in Nutrition and Biochemistry. D23BNP: Research project in Nutritional Biochemistry. D236N0: Research Skills for Dietitians. D23BNF: Nutrition and Food Science Research Project. D23BN1: Nutrition and the Health of Populations (module convenor). D247N2: Dietetics Research Project. Professor Langley-Evans teaches broad areas of basic nutrition, nutritional biochemistry and public health nutrition, including nutritional epidemiology and attempts to provide students with a broader view of nutritional science that encompasses molecular aspects of the field, alongside public health approaches. He takes responsibility within the Division of Nutritional Sciences for the delivery of training in research methods, with a particular focus the basics of statistical analysis. Professor Langley-Evans contributes to courses in all areas offered by the School of Biosciences at Nottingham, but the core group of students within his remit study for BSc degrees in Nutrition, Nutrition and Food Science and Nutritional Biochemistry and the Master of Nutrition (Dietetics) degree. Professor Langley-Evans is also an occasional lecturer at the University of Surrey where he contributes to the MSc in Nutritional Medicine. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from the University of Nottingham and is the author of an undergraduate textbook (Nutrition: A lifespan approach. http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405178787.html). He is an assessor for the Nutrition Society's course accreditation scheme.

Current Research

Professor Langley-Evans' research focuses on the early life origins of adult disease. A wide range of epidemiological evidence suggests that there is a strong and significant relationship between impairment of fetal growth and risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes in later life. My work focuses on the contribution of maternal nutritional status to this programming of adult disease risk. Manipulation of the protein content, amino acid composition or fatty acid balance within the diets of pregnant rats has been demonstrated to induce lifelong hypertension in their offspring and to establish a wide range of physiological and metabolic abnormalities. Professor Langley-Evans current work in this area focuses on the elucidation of molecular and physiological mechanisms that underpin the association between maternal nutrition and altered functions in the adult offspring. Use of DNA microarray and proteomics techniques will enable a systematic approach to the search for candidate mechanisms. These studies are considering the impact of diet upon the developing hypothalamic-pituitary axis, renin-angiotensin system and the structure and function of the kidney. The expression of transcription factors, including the sterol response element binding proteins and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, is disturbed by prenatal undernutrition. Langley-Evans work is considering how such changes, and how the additional challenge of ageing impact upon metabolic functions. The balance of oxidative and antioxidant processes in key tissues may also be subject to the programming effects of maternal diet in pregnancy. This could impact upon the ageing process, resulting in accelerated degeneration of key physiological functions and reduced lifespan.

Current studies in this area: Gatekeeper genes responsible for nutritional programming of hypertension. Maternal obesity and programming of the metabolic syndrome. The early life origins of atherosclerosis. Transgenerational programming of hypertension and the metabolic syndrome. Programming of obesity in the rat. Maternal protein restriction in pregnancy and the ageing process.

Recent papers of significance

LLOYD L, LANGLEY-EVANS SC and MCMULLEN S (2010). Childhood obesity and adult cardiovascular disease risk: a systematic review. International Journal of Obesity, 34, 18-28.

HARRISON M and LANGLEY-EVANS SC (2008). Intergenerational programming of impaired nephrogenesis and hypertension in rats following maternal protein restriction during pregnancy. British Journal of Nutrition 101, 1020-1030.

ERHUMA A, SALTER AM, SCULLEY DV, LANGLEY-EVANS SC and BENNETT A (2007). Prenatal exposure to a low protein diet programmes disordered regulation of lipid metabolism in the ageing rat. American Journal of Physiology 292, E1702-E1714.

Highly cited past papers

LANGLEY SC, JACKSON AA (1994). Increased systolic blood pressure in adult rats induced by fetal exposure to maternal low protein diets. Clinical Science 86, 217-222

LANGLEY-EVANS SC, WELHAM SJ, JACKSON AA (1999). Fetal exposure to a maternal low protein diet impairs nephrogenesis and promotes hypertension in the rat. Life Sciences 64, 965-974.

LANGLEY-EVANS SC, PHILLIPS GJ, BENEDIKTSSON R, GARDNER DS, EDWARDS CR, JACKSON AA, SECKL JR (1996). Protein intake in pregnancy, placental glucocorticoid metabolism and the programming of hypertension in the rat. Placenta 17,169-172.

Funding Work in the Langley-Evans laboratory is currently funded by: British Heart Foundation The European Union (EARNEST Consortium) BBSRC MRC United States Department of Agriculture

Key Collaborators Dr Sarah McMullen (Nottingham) Professor Andy Salter (Nottingham) Dr David Gardner (Nottingham) Professor Adrian Clark (Queen Mary, University of London) Dr Peter Voigt (Nottingham) Professor Harry McArdle (Rowett Research Institute) Dr Adam Lock (University of Vermont).



School of Biosciences

University of Nottingham
Sutton Bonington Campus
Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD

telephone: +44 (0)115 9516400
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email: biosciences-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk