Dr Jonathan Tammam
BSc MSc PhD RD RNutr FHEA
Director Centre for Nutrition and Health, and Programme Lead in Nutrition
Department of Sport, Health Sciences and Social Work

Role
I joined OBU in 2019 as both Programme (Academic) Lead and Director of the Centre for Nutrition and Health. I am actively involved in education, applied research, and commercial consultancy. I hold a Doctorate in intermediary metabolism, a Masters with distinction in nutrition and dietetics, and a Bachelors in Applied Biology. Professionally, I am a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition and a Registered Dietitian with the Health and Care Professions Council. I am a member of the Nutrition Society and British Dietetics Association. Moreover, I hold Fellowships with the Higher Education Academy and Institute of Food Brain and Behaviour.
Areas of expertise
- Randomised Controlled Trials
- Nutrition intervention
- Public Health Nutrition
- Quantitative Research
- Prison food
- Adolescent diet
- Dietetics
Teaching and supervision
Courses
Modules taught
I am Module Leader for 'Nutrition Research Project', a final year module where students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a genuine research project under the supervision of an experienced academic.
I also contribute to the teaching in 1st year, 2nd year, and MSc modules, and supervise both BSc and MSc research projects.
Programme Lead for Nutrition:
- Oversee the strategy, development, and operations of the BSc, MSc, and PhD Nutrition programmes.
- Manager to multidisciplinary team of academic staff.
Other experience:
- External examiner for the MSc in Public Health Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University.
- Mentor for the Council of Deans Leadership programme
Supervision
I am on the supervisory team to two PhD students:
- Matt Poulter who is investigating Diet, Nutrition, and Health in UK prisons.
- Francesca Tabacchi who is investigating malnutrition in obese cancer patients.
I am available for proposals to supervise further PhD students either externaly- or self-funded.
Research Students
Name | Thesis title | Completed |
---|---|---|
Matt Poulter | Diet, Nutrition, and Health in UK prisons | Active |
Francesca Tabacchi | Nutritional support in cancer patients during treatment. | Active |
Research
My research interest focus on the nutritional needs of prisoners and adolescents, groups often ignored within a public health context. I have led randomised controlled trials within prison and school settings, exploring the effect of supplementary nutrition on behaviour. Subsequent to that I have investigated the provision and choice of prison food and how it compares with recommended dietary guidance. I also have a research interest in how TV food advertising is misaligned with healthy eating guidance. Additionally I am interested in the gender disparity within the Nutrition and Dietetics profession, and malnutrition screening and assessment in clinical dietetics. I currently co-supervise a research assistant investigating malnutrition screening in obese cancer patients.
Research grants and awards
Co-applicant Research Excellence Awards (2021 and 2022) funded project investigating the assessment of malnutrition in overweight and obese cancer patients.
Centres and institutes
Publications
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
- Registered Nutritionist with Association for Nutrition
- Registered Dietitian with Health and Care Professions Council
- Member Nutrition Society
- Member British Dietetics Association
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Fellow of the Institute of Food Brain and Behaviour
- Alumnus of the European Nutrition Leadership Platform Advanced Programme
Conferences
I have presented research at national and international conferences.
Further details
Other publicity
- All Party Parliamentary Group invited speaker
- Radio interview and press conference contributions