KINGSTON, R.I. – October 15, 2010 – John Blundell, a professor of psychobiology at the University of Leeds, England, will present a lecture examining the intriguing question of whether physical exercise, by stimulating appetite, may actually lead to weight gain.
The lecture will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Thomas M. Ryan Family Auditorium (Room 100) in the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences on the URI Kingston campus. The event is free and open to the public.
The first director of the Institute of Psychological Sciences at the University of Leeds and founder of the University’s Human Appetite Research Unit, Blundell has been studying the mechanisms of appetite control for more than 25 years. He was the recipient of the 25th International Prize in Modern Nutrition in 1992 and the British Nutrition Foundation Prize in 2009.
“Dr. Blundell is a highly respected scientist and a brilliant and entertaining speaker,” said URI Nutrition Professor Kathleen Melanson, who invited Blundell to campus. “He gives fascinating, engaging, relevant lectures with just the right blend of cutting-edge science and a touch of British humor. Yet despite being such a prominent figure in the field, he is remarkably down to earth and approachable.”
Blundell first became well known for his seminal work in establishing the relationship between serotonin and appetite. His work has had an impact in many disciplines, from nutrition and psychology to endocrinology, neuroscience and pharmacology. His research applies to many worldwide health challenges, like obesity and eating disorders.
Blundell is the second speaker in URI’s Distinguished International Scholars Program, which provides funding to invite notable researchers from outside the United States to visit URI for several days to meet with faculty, students and administrators and present a public lecture. The first speaker in the program was Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary from the University of Karachi, Pakistan, a leading researcher on medicinal plants.
For more information about the Blundell lecture, contact Melanson at 401-874-4477.