Person

Simpson, Stephen James (1957 - )

AC FAA FRS

Born
26 June 1957
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Entomologist and Nutrition scientist

Summary

Stephen Simpson is an entomologist recognised internationally for his work on nutrition. Initially working on locusts, his research has found wider application, particularly in human nutrition. After a distinguished career of over 20 years at the University of Oxford, Simpson returned to Australia in 2005 to become Professor in the School of Biological Sciences, at the University of Sydney. In 2012 he was appointed inaugural Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre, a cross-faculty initiative promoting cross-disciplinary approaches to alleviating the burden of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions. Simpson has received numerous awards for his research.

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"Stephen Simpson has pioneered major developments at the interface of nutritional physiology, ecology and behaviour. His groundbreaking discovery of the mechanisms that include swarming in locusts (studies which span neurochemistry through to consequences for individual behaviour and population ecology) has immense practical and conceptual benefits. He has also developed a novel class of state-space models for nutrition. His Geometric Framework (GF) powerfully integrates ideas in this field, and although it arose from extensive experiments on insects, is now being applied in a wide variety of contexts, including the search for dietary causes of human obesity." [from https://www.science.org.au/profile/steve-simpson 11/7/2022]

Chronology

1978
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Queensland
1982
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of London
1982 - 1983
Career position - MRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
1983 - 1986
Career position - Lecturer in Entomology, Animal Behaviour and Neurobiology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
1986 - 1988
Career position - Fellow Linacre College, University of Oxford
1986 - 2004
Career position - Curator, Hope Entomological Collections, University of Oxford Museum
1988 - 1990
Career position - Senior Research Fellow, Jesus College, University of Oxford
1989 - 1992
Career position - Principal Curator, University of Oxford Museum
1990
Career position - Guest Professor in Insect Behaviour, University of Basel, Switzerland
1990 - 1993
Career position - Member of Council, Royal Entomological Society, London
1990 - 1995
Career position - Guy Newton Senior Research Fellow, Jesus College, University of Oxford
1995 -
Career position - Advisor, Desert Locust Control, United Nations
1996 - 1998
Career position - Reader in Zoology, University of Oxford
1998 - 2004
Career position - Professor, Hope Entomological Collections, University of Oxford Museum
1999
Career position - Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.
2000
Career position - Acting Director, Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford
2000 - 2004
Career position - Associate Head, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
2001
Career position - Distinguished Guest Professor, Monnell Chemical Senses Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
2001
Career position - Councillor, International Federation of Comparative Endocrinological Societies
2002 - 2003
Career position - Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
2005 - 2008
Career position - Senior Research Fellow, Jesus College, University of Oxford
2005 - 2008
Career position - Visiting Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford
2005 - 2009
Award - ARC Federation Fellow
2005 - 2015
Career position - Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney
2007 -
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
2008
Award - Eureka Prize for Scientific Research, Australian Museum
2009
Award - New South Wales Scientist of the Year, New South Wales Science and Engineering Awards
2009
Award - Award for Plant and Animal Research, New South Wales Science and Engineering Awards
2009 - 2011
Career position - Chair, Sectional Committee 10, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Australian Academy of Science
2009 - 2014
Award - ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship
2010 - 2011
Career position - Member, Biological and Biotechnology Sciences Research Evaluation Committee, Australian Research Council
2011
Award - Wigglesworth Memorial Lecture and Award, Royal Entomological Society, London
2011 - 2014
Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Science
2012 -
Career position - Academic Director, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney
2013 -
Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)
2013 -
Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Entomological Society, London
2013
Award - Edwards Oration, Australian Society for Medical Research
2014 -
Career position - Executive Director, Obesity Australia
2015 -
Award - Fellow, Royal Society of New South Wales
2015 -
Career position - Professor, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
2015
Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - for eminent service to biological and biomedical science as an educator, researcher and author, particularly in the areas of human nutrition, obesity and metabolic disease, to higher education, and through roles with a range of professional scientific organisations
2022
Award - Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science

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Resources

See also

Helen Cohn

Created: 11 July 2022, Last modified: 10 November 2022

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