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Tim Spector

Professor Tim Spector

Professor of Genetic Epidemiology

  • Head of Department, Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology

Contact details

Biography

Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant Physician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Tim founded TwinsUK in 1992, which is now one of the richest collections of clinical data in the world. He is also an expert in personalised medicine and the gut microbiome. Tim is the lead researcher behind the world’s biggest citizen science health project – the Covid Symptom Study app, for which he was awarded an OBE.

Through his work he has been given many awards and prizes and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He has published over 900 scientific papers and is ranked by Google as being in the top 100 most cited scientists in the world.

He has published four popular books, including the best-selling Diet Myth, Spoon-Fed, and more recently Food for Life – a Sunday Times bestseller. He makes regular appearances in the media.

    News

    Personalised nutrition more effective than general diet advice

    Personalised nutrition approaches can improve several key health metrics including lower weight, lower cholesterol, better mood, improved gut health, lower...

    folsm-nutritional-sciences

    Two teams awarded Cancer Grand Challenges £20m funding

    Two teams from King’s have been awarded funding to take on some of cancer’s toughest challenges.

    Cancer-petri-dish

    FoLSM researchers featured in 2023 Highly Cited Researcher List

    Academics from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine have been named on the annual Highly Cited Researcher 2023 list from Clarivate

    Highly cited 2023

    Three researchers shortlisted for Cancer Grand Challenges funding

    Professor Tim Spector, Dr Sarah Berry and Dr Sheeba Irshad of King’s have been selected for the final stages of Cancer Grand Challenges as part of teams...

    Cancer globally

    BBC One: King's academics highlight impact of ultra-processed food on health

    Professor Tim Spector and Dr Sarah Berry from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine have stressed how ultra-processed food can impact on long-term health in...

    Tim-Spector-Award

    Scientists identify potential for lifestyle changes to prevent and treat obesity

    Weight loss surgery can profoundly reduce the levels of bile acid associated with higher appetite, as can taking fibre supplements but to a lesser degree.

    Obesity-day

    Mediterranean diet benefits patients with advanced Melanoma

    Eating a Mediterranean diet, rich in whole grains, nuts, fish and vegetables, is associated with an improved immunotherapy response in patients with melanoma,...

    C0342972-Vegetables-penci

    Long COVID risk less during Omicron compared to Delta

    The Omicron variant is less likely to cause long COVID than the Delta variant, new research has found.

    Long covid

    Minorities bore disproportionate mental health impact of pandemic

    Racial and ethnic minorities had higher rates of depression and anxiety than white people during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has found.

    Graphic of healthcare workers in protective clothing

    A third COVID-19 vaccine boosts waning immunity

    A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine boosts vaccines effectiveness to levels higher than one month after the second dose in people over 55 and with one or more...

    vaccine-main

    Events

    21May780 Tim Spector

    Spoon fed: a webinar with Tim Spector

    Five years after the release of his groundbreaking book, The Diet Myth, Professor Tim Spector forces us to rethink our whole relationship with food. Join...

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Features

    Spotlight on nutrition: Research into the impacts of our diets

    From beans, to berries to new types of bread, our researchers have been doing a range of work to help us better understand how you are what you eat.

    Nutrition 101

    Rosalind Franklin: How her legacy lives on

    This weekend, July 25th, marks 100 years since the birth of Rosalind Franklin, one of history’s leading scientists. While working at King’s, Franklin famously...

    DNA-Correct hero banner 1903 x558

    Why one-size-fits-all diets don't work – new study

    The largest nutritional study of its kind delves deep into why a one-size diet does not fit all

    folsm-nutritional-sciences-salad-bowl

    King's contributes to pandemic response

    Staff and students from across the King’s community are supporting efforts to combat the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

    Coronavirus CDC promo

    Coronavirus: how to keep your gut microbiome healthy to fight COVID-19

    Professor Tim Spector offers advice on some ways you can strengthen your immune system.

    HEALTHY MAIN

    Spotlight

    ZOE COVID Study app: How King's researchers slowed the spread of COVID-19

    On March 24th 2020, the ZOE COVID Symptom Study App was launched. Since then, it has more than 4 million users and is now the world’s largest ongoing study...

    COVID and RBC

    Spotlight on COVID: Tracking the symptoms

    Professor Tim Spector discusses the new COVID Symptom Tracker app

    spotlight-covid-1920

      News

      Personalised nutrition more effective than general diet advice

      Personalised nutrition approaches can improve several key health metrics including lower weight, lower cholesterol, better mood, improved gut health, lower...

      folsm-nutritional-sciences

      Two teams awarded Cancer Grand Challenges £20m funding

      Two teams from King’s have been awarded funding to take on some of cancer’s toughest challenges.

      Cancer-petri-dish

      FoLSM researchers featured in 2023 Highly Cited Researcher List

      Academics from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine have been named on the annual Highly Cited Researcher 2023 list from Clarivate

      Highly cited 2023

      Three researchers shortlisted for Cancer Grand Challenges funding

      Professor Tim Spector, Dr Sarah Berry and Dr Sheeba Irshad of King’s have been selected for the final stages of Cancer Grand Challenges as part of teams...

      Cancer globally

      BBC One: King's academics highlight impact of ultra-processed food on health

      Professor Tim Spector and Dr Sarah Berry from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine have stressed how ultra-processed food can impact on long-term health in...

      Tim-Spector-Award

      Scientists identify potential for lifestyle changes to prevent and treat obesity

      Weight loss surgery can profoundly reduce the levels of bile acid associated with higher appetite, as can taking fibre supplements but to a lesser degree.

      Obesity-day

      Mediterranean diet benefits patients with advanced Melanoma

      Eating a Mediterranean diet, rich in whole grains, nuts, fish and vegetables, is associated with an improved immunotherapy response in patients with melanoma,...

      C0342972-Vegetables-penci

      Long COVID risk less during Omicron compared to Delta

      The Omicron variant is less likely to cause long COVID than the Delta variant, new research has found.

      Long covid

      Minorities bore disproportionate mental health impact of pandemic

      Racial and ethnic minorities had higher rates of depression and anxiety than white people during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has found.

      Graphic of healthcare workers in protective clothing

      A third COVID-19 vaccine boosts waning immunity

      A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine boosts vaccines effectiveness to levels higher than one month after the second dose in people over 55 and with one or more...

      vaccine-main

      Events

      21May780 Tim Spector

      Spoon fed: a webinar with Tim Spector

      Five years after the release of his groundbreaking book, The Diet Myth, Professor Tim Spector forces us to rethink our whole relationship with food. Join...

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Features

      Spotlight on nutrition: Research into the impacts of our diets

      From beans, to berries to new types of bread, our researchers have been doing a range of work to help us better understand how you are what you eat.

      Nutrition 101

      Rosalind Franklin: How her legacy lives on

      This weekend, July 25th, marks 100 years since the birth of Rosalind Franklin, one of history’s leading scientists. While working at King’s, Franklin famously...

      DNA-Correct hero banner 1903 x558

      Why one-size-fits-all diets don't work – new study

      The largest nutritional study of its kind delves deep into why a one-size diet does not fit all

      folsm-nutritional-sciences-salad-bowl

      King's contributes to pandemic response

      Staff and students from across the King’s community are supporting efforts to combat the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

      Coronavirus CDC promo

      Coronavirus: how to keep your gut microbiome healthy to fight COVID-19

      Professor Tim Spector offers advice on some ways you can strengthen your immune system.

      HEALTHY MAIN

      Spotlight

      ZOE COVID Study app: How King's researchers slowed the spread of COVID-19

      On March 24th 2020, the ZOE COVID Symptom Study App was launched. Since then, it has more than 4 million users and is now the world’s largest ongoing study...

      COVID and RBC

      Spotlight on COVID: Tracking the symptoms

      Professor Tim Spector discusses the new COVID Symptom Tracker app

      spotlight-covid-1920