Professor Nicola Lowe

Nicola is the Director of the UCLan Research Centre for Global Development (C4Globe) She leads the global nutrition research team and is Principle Investigator for a large, trans-disciplinary research programme entitled BIZIFED (Biofortification for the elimination of zinc and iron deficiency). This research brings together a network of collaborators from the UK (University of Nottingham, Kings College London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, British Geological Survey, and Pakistan (Khyber Medical University, the Rehman Medical Institute, University of Peshawar) and NGOs including Abaseen Foundation, UPSIGN and international not-for- profit organisations including HarvestPlus. The overarching aim of Nicola’s research programme is to build equitable partnerships with communities, stakeholders, academics and government bodies to address the global challenge of malnutrition, specifically micronutrient deficiencies known as “Hidden Hunger” that affects over 2 billion individuals worldwide. Nicola has been working with partners in Pakistan for over 15 years and has established a strong network of researchers in the Nutrition field. The network extends to Europe where Nicola was part of the EC funded EURECCA network, creating a tool kit for the harmonisation of dietary micronutrient recommendations. Nicola also led the EC funded Collaboration in Science and Technology Action network “ZincNet” that brought together scientists from 28 European institutions to bring their collective expertise to increase the understanding of the role of zinc in human health. Her research collaborations also include to the USA where she has contributed to the work of the IZINCG group whose primary objectives are to promote and assist efforts to reduce global zinc deficiency, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable populations of low-income countries. She is currently working with the World Health Organisation to update the current dietary zinc recommendations for infants and children. Nicola seconded to the UK Research and Innovation, Global Challenges Research Fund as a Challenge Leader for the Food Systems Portfolio from 2018 - 2021, providing strong, intellectual and strategic leadership for the food systems research portfolio. She works to strengthen coordination across multiple delivery partners both within and external to UKRI. In 2010, Nicola’s research won the Education North research project of the year award in 2022 and the Time Higher Education British Council International Collaboration award and in 2019. Nicola, along with the other Trustees for the Abaseen Foundation, was awarded the Queens Award (MBE) for Voluntary Service.

International conference, attended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan

Professor Nicola Lowe had the opportunity of meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, when she co-hosted an international workshop in Islamabad in March 2020 with colleagues from UPSIGN. The workshop, supported by UKRI as part of the Global Challenges Research Fund, brought together researchers from the UK and Pakistan to develop new collaborations for research addressing the UN Sustainable development goals. The Prime Minister, who is working to address the nutrition related challenges in Pakistan, was interested to hear about the BIZIFED project and our ground breaking research on the effectiveness of wheat biofortification for the alleviation of zinc deficiency. A dinner for the workshop attendees was also held at the Presidents Palace, and hosted by the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi. View full article.