Monash University scientist receives $3M ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship to tackle global issue of food nutrition

Professor Benjamin Boyd

6 May 2024

Professor Benjamin Boyd from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) - Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences - and the University of Copenhagen is one of eight outstanding Australian researchers to receive an Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Laureate Fellowship to help address industry-identified challenges and opportunities.

ARC Industry Laureate Fellowships aim to promote national and international collaboration partnerships between key stakeholders in research and innovation.

As such, Professor Boyd formed industry partnerships with Fonterra Australia and The Australian Synchrotron (ANSTO) to establish a project of key national and international interest - better food and nutrition.

By linking the capabilities of Australia's large research facilities with this direct industry problem, Professor Boyd and his team will establish a framework to determine the response of food structure to the environment in the gut, and potentially revolutionise food design.

“Australia can help solve the global issue of better food and nutrition by creating foods that efficiently deliver nutrients through improved gut interactions,” said Professor Boyd.

“With the Australian population, for example, a key element of the food equation is the design of foods that meet the needs of specific populations, such as the elderly for instance, to enable them to thrive and contribute to Australia's social and economic fabric until much later in life.

Professor Boyd also highlights the broader national and international potential of the project: “The Fellowship will fund the creation of a network of key industry stakeholders, scientists and academic researchers working together in this field, with the ultimate goal being to widely disseminate the newly established methods and techniques for broad global adoption."

Dean of Monash University’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Arthur Christopoulos, FAA, FAHMS, said: “For many years Ben has been committed to finding innovative solutions to enhance nutrition for a broad range of populations, from infants through to older populations.”

“On behalf of the Faculty and the entire Monash community, I would like to congratulate Ben for this outstanding and very well deserved achievement, and thank the ARC for their recognition of Ben’s groundbreaking research through their award of this prestigious Fellowship.”

ARC announced $27 million in research funding for the eight Industry Laureate Fellowships over the span of five years. To read more about the 2024 ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship recipients, visit Industry Laureate Fellowships 2024 | Australian Research Council.

For more information about the ARC Industry Laureate Fellowships scheme, please visit the ARC Website.

ENDS