Nutrition scientist wins prestigious Julie Wallace Award

Dr Helena Fisk has been named as this year’s Julie Wallace Award winner by the Nutrition Society.

The prize recognises outstanding early career researchers who have demonstrated scientific excellence. Winners must have made significant contributions to the field of nutrition.

Dr Fisk is a Lecturer in Nutritional Science at the University of Southampton. She is supported by the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

Obesity and inflammation

Dr Fisk’s research focuses on inflammation associated with obesity.

Excess body fat releases lipids (fats) and proteins that cause chronic inflammation throughout the body.

This inflammation increases the person’s risk of developing a wide range of diseases. These include cardiovascular disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes.

She is investigating whether eating more healthy fats, such as omega-3, can help reduce this inflammation.

Recognising excellence

Dr Fisk delivered her award lecture at the 2026 Nutrition Society Irish Section Conference. This focussed on the potential of using healthy fats to treat obesity-associated inflammation.

She has been invited to publish a review on this topic in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society journal. She will also present at the Nutrition Society's Nutrition Futures conference later this year.

Sharing her career journey

Alongside this recognition, Dr Fisk recently shared her career journey at a Nutrition Society event.

The Refuelling Conversations event brought together early-career professionals from academia and industry. They discussed emerging topics in nutrition, shared experiences and built professional networks.

"I am deeply honoured to be recognised alongside the incredible group of researchers who have previously won this award," said Dr Fisk.

"I'm incredibly grateful to my mentors, collaborators and colleagues. Their support, encouragement and expertise have shaped my career so far."