Alexandra Johnstone

Professor Alexandra Johnstone is a Personal Chair at the University of Aberdeen's School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition and serves as Theme Lead for Nutrition, Obesity and Disease at the Rowett Institute. A UK registered Nutritionist with a PhD obtained in 2001, she leads major research initiatives focused on food insecurity, obesity, and sustainable food systems.

Her educational background includes a BSc, MSc, PhD, and PGCE. As a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr), she maintains professional accreditation with the Association for Nutrition.

Professor Johnstone's research centers on nutrition-obesity interactions, food insecurity, and sustainable food systems, with emphasis on dietary inequalities in vulnerable populations. She investigates appetite control mechanisms, chrono-nutrition, and the food-retail environment's impact on health outcomes, translating findings into actionable policy recommendations for healthier food systems.

Her recent publications (2024-2025) reveal strong interdisciplinary trends spanning nutrition, public health, and neuroscience. Key themes include gut-brain axis dynamics in dementia, barriers to healthy food access for obese and food-insecure populations, and sustainable food sources like fava beans. Her work consistently integrates human studies with policy analysis to address real-world food system challenges.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards:

• Principals Award for Scientific Excellence (Senior Category, 2023)
• UK BioBeat award 'Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness 2021' (2021)
• Food and Drink Federation, Scientist of the Year Finalist (2019)
• Principals Award for Knowledge Exchange (Senior Category, 2018)

Professor Johnstone actively mentors PhD students and leads a dynamic research team, securing over £8 million in competitive funding. Her current portfolio includes the £1.6M FIO-FOOD grant and £0.5M DIO-FOOD grant from UKRI, alongside Scottish Government funding for sustainable diet research.

• Current Grants: FIO-FOOD (£1.6M), DIO-FOOD (£0.5M), Healthy diets for a healthy weight (£1.0M)
• Past Grants: NeuroFAST, Full4Health, SATIN, MRC Chrono-nutrition study

Based at the Rowett Institute's Foresterhill Health Campus facility, she leads a research theme on Nutrition, Obesity and Disease with a team including research fellows, technicians, and PhD students. Her lab specializes in human nutrition trials examining retail food environments, dietary inequalities, and sustainable food interventions.