Dr Lourdes Santos-Merx

I’m a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Registered Nutritionist specialising in public health. I’m also a member of the European Nutrition Leadership Platform, which connects experts working to improve nutrition policies and practices across Europe. My main areas of expertise include: eating behaviour, eating disorders, weight management, food cultures, and school food provision. I teach on our BSc Food and Nutrition, MSc Public Health, and MSc Dietetics courses.

Before moving into higher education, I worked in the catering industry, where I was involved in quality control, menu development, and training caterers for schools, hospitals, and companies. I also worked as a Nutritional Adviser within the nutrition supplements industry.

My higher education teaching career has taken me to Singapore, Spain, Portugal and, of course, the UK. I collaborated with international colleagues and taught nutrition and eating behaviour, which ultimately developed my interest in health promotion - a crucial area for tackling obesity and disordered eating behaviour. My research has resulted in peer-reviewed publications covering topics from school menus and portion sizes to the perception of genetics and lifestyle in chronic disease development. I was honoured to receive the ‘New Investigator Award’ from the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior early in my career. 

I’m passionate about teaching, and I really enjoy our lively class discussions and practical case study sessions. I feel inspired whenever I engage with students and colleagues on current, important issues in nutrition and public health. My students appreciate the wide range of projects and placements offered as part of the courses I teach, many of which are based in the community (e.g. in schools, nurseries, and local food retailers). They also often comment on my enthusiasm, use of practical examples, and sense of humour - I do try to keep my lectures fun.