Doctor of Science Awards
Awards for Mark Bellis and James Waterhouse
LJMU has awarded Higher Doctorate Awards to Professors James Waterhouse and Mark Bellis. The Doctor of Science Award is the highest academic award that LJMU can make and recognises the outstanding calibre of research carried out by these eminent academics.
Professor Michael Brown, LJMU's Vice-Chancellor said: "Higher doctorates are only awarded to exceptional individuals whose research has been sustained at the highest levels, both in terms of the volume of work completed and its impact on accepted practice. To award two Doctor of Science awards in one year is unprecedented and that reflects the world-class research that is being carried out by both Professor Mark Bellis and Professor James Waterhouse."
Professor Mark Bellis is an internationally respected expert on sexual health, in the areas of Aids/HIV, teenage pregnancy and sexual transmitted diseases; substance use, with particular reference to alcohol and violence, tobacco and drugs; and public health intelligence and communication.
His work has substantially advanced out understanding of health and harm-related behaviour, linking issues such as substance use, sexual health and violence in order to inform broader public health policy and practice. The applied nature of his work has also helped practitioners develop new interventions at local, national and international levels.
Earlier this year he was awarded a prestigious North West Public Health medal for developing the 'best Health Observatory in the country'.
His work is also increasingly recognised internationally, by organisations such as the World Health Organisation, particularly in the areas of club health, and interpersonal violence and alcohol; the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
James Waterhouse, LJMU's Professor of Biological Rhythms, is recognised as one of the world's leading experts on human circadian rhythms, more commonly known as the human 'body clock'.
Asked how he felt about being awarded a Doctor of Science, Professor Waterhouse said: "This award represents the academic community’s recognition of my work and participation in the field. It puts an entirely different perspective on all those times when the data didn’t make sense or the computer crashed. I can only thank LJMU for this great honour."
Outlining why Professor Waterhouse had been successful, Professor Gerry Kelleher said: "Over four decades, Professor Waterhouse has completed a substantial body of work on human biological timekeeping as it applies to travel, work, sport, ageing and medicine. His work in these areas has made a profound contribution to our knowledge and understanding of this fascinating subject."
Professor Waterhouse began his research on human circadian rhytms in 1969 and has continued to work in this field for the last 35 years. He was one of the first to develop a way of measuring the human body clock using a method called the 'Constant Routine' and has successfully applied this process to work conducted outside controlled lab environments. Developed in 1978, this method is still used world-wide.
Professor Waterhouse has applied his research to tackling 'real world' issues, such as the after-effects of chemotherapy and how to alleviate some of the ill health problems associated with working shifts or with long-haul pilots, such as sleep disorders and fatigue. He has also advised the British Olympic Committee on the effects of jet lag on the performance of athletes.
He joined Liverpool John Moores University in 1994, advising the University on the creation of its new isolation laboratory, a 'gold standard' environment which enables him to study how the body clock works.
The Laboratory takes the form of a bedsit with sleeping area, living room and kitchen. In some experiments, participants can stay in the lab for up to three weeks, as Professor Waterhouse assesses the impact of jet lag while the 'virtual' international travellers acclimatise to the clock going backwards or forwards.
By altering the periods of 'lights-on, lights-off' in the isolation chamber, he can also both replicate and manipulate a normal 24 hour day, creating scenarios to assess the impact of shift working.
His current research focuses on why night workers eat differently from employees on the day shift and as a result suffer from indigestion and other dietary problems.
LJMU's higher doctorates are only awarded to exceptional individuals whose research has been sustained at the highest levels, both in terms of the volume of work completed and its impact on accepted practice.
