Professor Colin Hill appointed President International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics

3 Oct 2012

Professor Colin Hill of the Microbiology Department and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, UCC, is the incoming President of ISAPP (the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics; www.isapp.net), an association of academic and industrial scientists.

The scientists participating in ISAPP have a common interest in generating high quality scientific information for the probiotic and prebiotic fields. The organization hopes to raise the scientific credibility of the field by working with experts and conducting meetings on high quality research. Providing an objective, science-based voice benefits the end users of these products by helping them make informed choices. ISAPP is the only scientific organization dedicated specifically to probiotics and prebiotics, bringing together scientists from all pertinent disciplines, including food science, microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, nutrition and medicine. Industry involvement and support is considered important, but no industry group or commercial entity dictates the activities or opinions of ISAPP.

The 10th meeting of ISAPP is being held this week in UCC, with 200 scientists from industry and academia all around the world (Europe, North & South America, Australia & New Zealand) in attendance. UCC was chosen as the location for the meeting as it, together with Teagasc Moorepark, is the site of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre. The APC is one of the most prominent global research centres devoted to gastrointestinal microbiology and one of the leaders in the fields of probiotic and prebiotic research.

Professor Colin Hill holds the Chair of Microbial Food Safety in the Microbiology Department, UCC and is a Principal Investigator at the APC and the Food for Health Ireland research centre. His research interests include the molecular biology of food pathogens and the development of antimicrobial peptides for use in foods and medicine. He has published over 300 papers on his research and was awarded a DSc in 2005. He is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy since 2009, received the Elie Metchnikoff Prize in Microbiology, 2010 and was elected to American Academy of Microbiology, 2010. He has also served on the Scientific Committee of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (1999-2010).

Picture: Professor Colin Hill, Microbiology Department and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, UCC