Southampton researcher given top award
A scientist from the University of Southampton has received a prestigious award for his contribution to research in metabolic bone disease.
Dr Nicholas Harvey, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (LEU) was awarded the 2012 Young Scientist Prize (formerly the Kohn Prize) by the UK National Osteoporosis Society at the 2012 Osteoporosis and Bone Conference in Manchester.
Dr Harvey comments: “I am absolutely delighted that my work has been recognised through this prestigious award from the National Osteoporosis Society. The prize is testimony to the hard work of a large number of colleagues and collaborators in Southampton and elsewhere, together with the welcome support from the Medical Research Council and University of Southampton. We shall continue to work together to develop novel strategies aimed at improving childhood bone mineral and thus reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures in future generations.”
Through Dr Harvey’s work we now have confirmation that low maternal vitamin D concentration during pregnancy is associated with reduced bone mass in the offspring and that maternal exercise, fat mass and behaviour could influence bone mass and body composition in the offspring.
Additionally Dr Harvey has contributed to the demonstration of links between daily physical activities levels, calcium intake and bone strength in children; the description of relationships between growth in the womb, measured using ultrasound scanning, and skeletal development in childhood; and the elucidation of potential mechanisms influencing transfer of calcium from mother to fetus.
Dr Harvey’s achievements have been praised by Cyrus Cooper, Director and Professor of Rheumatology, at the MRC LEU, who says: “This is a thoroughly well-deserved recognition of Dr Harvey's internationally competitive contributions to our understanding of the aetiology and prevention of osteoporosis.”
Dr Harvey is currently working to develop novel public health strategies aimed at optimising intrauterine and childhood bone mineral accrual to reduce risk of osteoporosis-related fractures in older age. The centrepiece of this strategy is the MAVIDOS (Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study), one of the first ever human investigations of the early life origins hypothesis, and which aims to test whether babies born to women supplemented with vitamin D through pregnancy will have greater bone mass at birth than babies born to unsupplemented mothers.