Dr Elizabeth Williams

Biography

I trained in physiology at the University of Sheffield and continued at Sheffield for my postgraduate studies investigating the role of riboflavin deficiency on gastrointestinal development. I was awarded my PhD in 1996 and was then appointed as a postdoctoral Researcher at the MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge and worked at a MRC field station in The Gambia, West Africa.

On my return to the UK I was appointed as a Lecturer in Human Nutrition at Newcastle University. In 2003 I returned to Sheffield and joined the Human Nutrition Unit as a Lecturer. I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010.

Current research projects

I have a long-standing research interest in diet and intestinal health and, in particular, biomarkers of colorectal cancer and the role of butyrate and folate on colorectal carcinogenesis. I also have a research interest in the nutrition, health and wellbeing of older adults. This includes an interest in the relationship between diet, immune function and ageing, and the assessment of dietary intake in older adults.

The work has developed through collaboration with colleagues in Sheffield (Professors Pockley, Powers and Parker) and beyond (University of St Andrews, Reading University and Bath Institute of Mechanical Engineering).