Professor Jeremy Nicholson is a distinguished academic leader and pioneer in the field of systems medicine and metabolic phenotyping. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor of Biological Chemistry at Imperial College London, where he previously held the position of Head of the Department of Surgery and Cancer from 2009. His academic journey began with a PhD in Biochemistry from St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London University in 1980, followed by significant academic appointments in Pharmacology and Chemistry at London University, where he achieved Full Professor status in 1992. Nicholson further expanded his leadership role when he became Head of Biological Chemistry at Imperial College London in 1998, establishing himself as a key figure in interdisciplinary medical research. His career has been marked by strategic appointments directing major research centers including the MRC-NIHR National Phenome Centre and the Imperial Institute of Cancer Research joint Centre for Systems Oncology.
Nicholson pioneered NMR-based metabonomics, now widely recognized as metabolomics or metabolic profiling, creating foundational methodologies for analyzing complex biological systems through metabolic phenotyping. His research focuses on spectroscopic and chemometric approaches to investigate disturbed metabolic processes in organisms, with particular emphasis on molecular aspects of complex system failure and systems medicine applications. With an extensive publication record exceeding 800 scientific papers and an impressive H-index of 122, he ranks among the ISI Highly Cited Researchers, demonstrating the substantial impact of his work across biochemistry, medicine, and systems biology. Nicholson founded Metabometrix to translate academic research into practical metabolic analysis applications and served as associate editor for the Journal of Proteome Research, significantly influencing the field's methodological standards and research directions.
His exceptional contributions have been recognized through numerous prestigious fellowships including The Royal College of Pathologists, The Royal Society of Chemistry, The Society of Biology, and The British Toxicological Society, as well as membership in The UK Academy of Medical Sciences. Nicholson received an Honorary Lifetime Fellowship from the International Metabolomics Society and became an Honorary Member of the US Society of Toxicology, reflecting his global influence in establishing metabolomics as a critical scientific discipline. He has held honorary professorships at seven universities worldwide, fostering international collaborations that advance systems medicine approaches to healthcare. As an Emeritus Professor, Nicholson continues to shape the field through his leadership in stratified medicine research programs that optimize translational approaches for patient safety and healthcare delivery, ensuring his pioneering work in metabolic phenotyping continues to influence the next generation of precision medicine.
