The Rowett Institute

07/08/2026

Do men and women fare differently on the same diet? How about young and older people? And if so, why?

If you've ever wondered then now's your chance to help nutrition scientists find the answers, get fed healthily for six weeks AND enjoy a full body MoT at the same time.

The final round of recruitment to our ground-breaking GendAge study is now open.

We need women and men aged 55-65 - and men aged 18-40 - who are overweight or obese but otherwise in good health.

If selected, you will join a six-week diet programme with all food provided and visit our purpose-built Human Intervention Studies Unit here in Aberdeen three times a week for monitoring.

Don't just take our word for what you'll get out of it, here's what previous volunteers have had to say:

"The appeal of being given a "full body MOT", and understanding the actual numbers of fat mass and body composition was something that piqued my interest. I knew I was on the overweight side, but never fully realised the extent until the body composition analysis and the Base Resting Metabolic Rate test showing how many calories my body NEEDs.

"The staff at Rowett were incredible and very flexible and were able to work around my busy schedule which made this study enjoyable. It was a good mental test to see how my body reacted to a controlled diet, and the results speak for themselves. I feel healthier, look healthier, and the scales indicate I am healthier. Almost 12kg down, and I owe a large part of this to the study. Would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about prioritising health."
Male participant, age 33

"I thoroughly recommend the Gendage study! At 63, I managed to lose over 5kg and it has now been six months since I left the study and most of that weight has stayed off. More importantly, I am much more aware of my eating habits now and when I feel full enough and can stop eating. I also make better, healthier choices. The whole process is very nurturing and the staff at the Rowatt are lovely. Having your food cooked for you every day for 8 weeks is a total luxury and it sets you up for success. All in all, it was an incredibly positive outcome for me and I would urge anyone who has any doubts to give it a go - you deserve it!"

Female participant, age 63

Sign up here:

Current Studies at the Rowett Institute

04/08/2026

UPDATE: STUDY NOW FULL. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOLUNTEERED. VISIT OUR SITE TO EXPLORE OTHER CHANCES TO TAKE PART IN OUR NUTRITION RESEARCH https://www.abdn.ac.uk/rowett/volunteer/current-studies/

We are looking for volunteers from the Aberdeen area to help us discover more about the benefits of eating seafood.

Participants will receive 14 weeks worth of free meals, selected or prepared for them by the Rowett Institute’s expert nutritional staff.

The team is looking for healthy, overweight (BMI 25-29.9) 30–65-year-old meat eaters with elevated blood lipids, sugar, or blood pressure but not on medication or with any history of heart disease or other inflammatory diseases and not on medication for cholesterol or lipaemia or taking any dietary supplements.

Taking part will involve following different diet plans over set periods and having heart health and gut microbiome changes monitored and assessed. Regular check-ins at our purpose-built human intervention studies unit will allow scientists to compare the effects on the body of fish-based and meat-based diets.

School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition - University of Aberdeen

Current Studies at the Rowett Institute

28/07/2026

Are you in the dark when it comes to why you feel so tired?

Well our own Dr Brendan Gabriel is here to throw some daylight on things - literally.

He says getting outside more appears to help regulate our body clocks and improve sleep quality.

Thanks to Laura Potter and The Guardian for featuring his expertise in their pocket-sized guide to shaking off the sleep urge.

Brendan's research focuses on muscle metabolism and exercise physiology and he's also been recently been working to create a handy new health guide for NHS shift workers.

Feel lethargic even after a full night’s sleep? From not enough fibre to too much sitting, experts explain why your get up and go has got up and gone

27/07/2026

The only weigh is up for this clever pair - the newly-crowned winners of our Royal Highland Show Oats in the Jar contest.

A big shout out to 12-year-old Elspeth and James, 13, from Cupar, the proud new owners of this unique engraved Rowett Institute spurtle.

The children of vets, they share the whole family's keen interest in science and made their calculations while big sister Rosemary was chatting to our scientists about University of Aberdeen courses and the great choice of different career paths they can open up.

Amazingly they came within just a few grams of the bullseye!

Well done both and enjoy stirring your porridge in style 🥣

Thanks to everyone who took part (and there were a lot of you, some it has to be said with rather more of an eye for how much oats weigh than others).

You were among the record 2,500-plus visitors who dropped into the marquee to find out more about our work to make the food we grow and eat healthier and more sustainable - a most welcome vote of confidence in our first major RHS collaboration with The James Hutton Institute.

Public Engagement at University of Aberdeen

21/07/2026

It's not the first thing you might expect to be presented with as your prize for winning an endurance running event - but when your day job is researching how hot drinks affect mood and focus, a teapot suddenly seems rather apt!

Congratulations to PhD candidate Edward Payne for racking up 18 four-mile laps of Knockburn Sports Loch to carry off the solo 12-hour title at this year's Saltire24 - his latest in a line of course-record-breaking ultra-event victories.

And a big shout out too for our director Prof Jules Griffin and his team of family and friends who completed the full gruelling 24 hours - a remarkable feat!

09/07/2026

Newly-published Rowett Institute research funded by NHS Grampian Charity shows that bowel cancer screening samples could also be used for additional research into other killer diseases. See profile for links to more info.

17/06/2026

Everything points one way: it's almost time for four full days of presenting our research to one of the most informed and engaged audiences of the year – at the 2026 Royal Highland Show.

Come along to our marquee a short walk from the main parade ring for your - this year in partnership with our SEFARI Gateway partners The James Hutton Institute.

Find out about:

🍄‍🟫 Mushrooms: sample dishes made using Lion’s Mane and Pearl Oyster to showcase work on using pulse production by-products and home-grown h**p instead of imported soyabean meal and hardwood sawdust pellets.

🌿 Sorrel: pick up a packet of seeds, grow your own crop of this versatile wild edible and tell us how you cooked with it as part of our citizen science project illustrating one answer to looming pressures on our land.

🌿 Home-grown h**p: how can a revival of a once-common crop boost food security by cutting imports used in animal feed, growing media and baked goods? Reformulated oat cakes should help paint the picture.

💜 Purple corn: try colourful low-sugar scones, baked specially to highlight this Andean staple with potential to improve gut health here at home.

🏺Rapeseed oil: help us rate new products infused with sage, rosemary and garlic as part of a project that produced the first such organic oil scientifically enhanced for both nutrition and oxidative stability

🪱 Worms: learn how these clever creatures can break down organic waste into nutrient-rich material as a sustainable alternative to peat and imported coco coir in Scotland’s commercial tree‑nurseries is one of our newest projects

🦠 Bacteria: which varieties from our major collection can be used to reduce reliance on farm antibiotics – curbing the dangerous spread of resistance– as well as saving farmers money and cutting emissions?

🥄 Oats: how can we protect this Scottish staple from challenges posed by a changing climate – find out and maybe win an engraved spurtle!

You can also learn more about where in the world your food comes from, our work on a treatment for people whose bodies can’t make fat and the latest from our collaboration with the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership Net Zero Commitment towards helping the sector play its part in hitting environmental targets.

Still hungry for more? Good news – that’s just HALF on what’s on show – visit The James Hutton Institute's channels to learn what they have on offer - including a delicious jam.

And we are joining forces for The Science of Security debate in The Scottish Government marquee tomorrow (June 18th) at 10:15 am - focused on research-rooted ways to bolster Scotland's food system resilience in a volatile world.

26/05/2026

UPDATE: FINAL FEW PLACES REMAINING TO TAKE PART IN THIS STUDY, WHICH INCLUDES 14 WEEKS OF FREE FOOD...

This fish curry is one of our director's favourites from the FAMOUS menu - now you can find out which dish you like best by joining our new health study.
We are looking for volunteers from north-east Scotland to help us discover more about the benefits of eating seafood.
And the lucky participants will receive 14 weeks worth of free meals, selected or prepared for them by the Rowett Institute’s expert nutritional staff.
The team is looking for healthy, overweight (BMI 25-29.9) 30–65-year-old meat eaters with elevated blood lipids, sugar, or blood pressure but not on medication or with any history of heart disease or other inflammatory diseases and not on medication for cholesterol or lipaemia or taking any dietary supplements.
Taking part will involve following different diet plans over set periods and having heart health and gut microbiome changes monitored and assessed.
Regular check-ins at our purpose-built human intervention studies unit will allow scientists to compare the effects on the body of fish-based and meat-based diets.
Fresh from sampling some of the dishes (he particularly loved the fish cakes too), Director Professor Jules Griffin, said the work would help highlight the value of one of the region's most celebrated natural assets.
“This region produces some of the best fish and seafood in the world and yet many of us eat a rather limited range, perhaps just fish and chips on a Friday,” he said.
“We are not just missing out on some great tasting food, but fish is an important source of vitamin D and polyunsaturated fats, protecting us from serious diseases including cardiovascular disease.
“The FAMOUS study sets out to examine the health benefits of a fish-based diet, going further than traditional studies to investigate how fish modifies the microbial community in our guts to promote health.
“Using the Rowett’s world-class Human Intervention Studies unit, we will better define these health benefits to promote the consumption of the great fish and seafood we have in the area."

Visit out site to apply or find out more: https://abdn.site/FAMOUS

School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition - University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen Research Awareness NHS Grampian

19/03/2026

Well if there's one nutrient we're not short of today it's Vitamin D as the Granite City gives an absolutely sparkling welcome to guests arriving for the start of the Biofortification: From Science to Society conference!

Wendy Russell and colleagues are delighted to be hosting experts from right across the UK for a packed two-day programme of talks discussions and networking here in Aberdeen's magnificent townhouse.

Topics will include:

Big Challenges in Biofortification
Biofortifying our Supply Chain
New Biofortification Hub projects
Nutrition and Consumer Perception
Reformulation and Regulation

Public Engagement at University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition - University of Aberdeen Aberdeen City Council

17/03/2026

How we ensure the health benefits of losing weight are not offset by a reduction in crucial body strength is one of the key questions surrounding new anti-obesity drugs.

We are investigating potential therapies that could help people maintain the right amount of muscle during – and importantly after – using GLP-1-based medications.

Is this something you are interested in – as a patient, a medical professional, a scientist, a business or just someone keen to know more before taking that weight loss path?

If so, Dr Brendan Gabriel and colleagues would love you to complete this very short, anonymous, survey: https://research.typeform.com/to/sadiQABW?typeform-source=lnkd.in

Your answers will be invaluable in shaping our research to the concerns and priorities of those who could directly benefit from it. They will help us better understand concern about muscle and strength loss, what outcomes matter most and how acceptable potential therapies and costs would be.

It should not take any longer than two minutes to fill out.