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Tim Spector
Timothy David Spector OBE FMedSci (born 1958) is a British epidemiologist, medical doctor, and science writer, working on the relationship between nutrition, the gut microbiome, and health. He argues against low-fat diets and fad diets, and instead advocates for a Mediterranean-style diet that is heavily plant-based, high in fibre, limits ultra-processed foods, and includes a diversity of plants.
Spector was born in North London in July 1958. His mother was an Australian physiotherapist and competitive swimmer; his father was Walter Graham Spector (1924–1982), a pathologist.
After being privately educated at University College School, London, Spector trained in medicine at St Bartholomew's hospital medical school.
He rose to the position of consultant rheumatologist, before turning to genetic epidemiology, the study of genetic factors in health and disease, in 1992.
Spector is professor of genetic epidemiology and director of the TwinsUK registry at King's College London. He is a specialist in twin studies, genetics, epigenetics, and microbiome and diet.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to the Covid-19 response. He was also appointed Senior Investigator at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
Spector's team at King's College have, since 1992, enrolled 15,000 sets of identical twins in the TwinsUK studies, leading to many studies on the heritability of diseases and disorders. Spector states the goal is "to understand nature versus nurture".
Spector's book The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat was published in 2015. The book explains how gut microbiotas may interact with different dietary habits and how the gut microbiome can determine health and longevity. It received positive reviews in science journals. Spector argues for a diet that increases gut microbe diversity. To do this he recommends increasing fibre content, avoiding junk food and ultra-processed foods, and experimenting with different fresh foods.
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Tim Spector
Timothy David Spector OBE FMedSci (born 1958) is a British epidemiologist, medical doctor, and science writer, working on the relationship between nutrition, the gut microbiome, and health. He argues against low-fat diets and fad diets, and instead advocates for a Mediterranean-style diet that is heavily plant-based, high in fibre, limits ultra-processed foods, and includes a diversity of plants.
Spector was born in North London in July 1958. His mother was an Australian physiotherapist and competitive swimmer; his father was Walter Graham Spector (1924–1982), a pathologist.
After being privately educated at University College School, London, Spector trained in medicine at St Bartholomew's hospital medical school.
He rose to the position of consultant rheumatologist, before turning to genetic epidemiology, the study of genetic factors in health and disease, in 1992.
Spector is professor of genetic epidemiology and director of the TwinsUK registry at King's College London. He is a specialist in twin studies, genetics, epigenetics, and microbiome and diet.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to the Covid-19 response. He was also appointed Senior Investigator at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
Spector's team at King's College have, since 1992, enrolled 15,000 sets of identical twins in the TwinsUK studies, leading to many studies on the heritability of diseases and disorders. Spector states the goal is "to understand nature versus nurture".
Spector's book The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat was published in 2015. The book explains how gut microbiotas may interact with different dietary habits and how the gut microbiome can determine health and longevity. It received positive reviews in science journals. Spector argues for a diet that increases gut microbe diversity. To do this he recommends increasing fibre content, avoiding junk food and ultra-processed foods, and experimenting with different fresh foods.