Stephen Simpson (professor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Simpson
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| Born | 26 June 1957  |
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| Awards |
Australian Laureate Fellowship (2009)
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| Website | www |
| Academic career | |
| Fields | Entomology, nutrition |
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Stephen James Simpson is a famous Australian scientist. He was born on June 26, 1957. He is known for his work on how animals and humans eat.
Professor Simpson is currently the executive director of Obesity Australia. This group works to help people understand and deal with obesity. He also used to be the academic director of the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney until April 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Stephen James Simpson was born in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up there and started his journey in science.
University Studies
He went to the University of Queensland and earned his first degree in 1978. After that, he moved to London. He completed his PhD at King's College London in 1982. His research was about how locusts eat. He studied how these insects control their food intake.
A Career in Science
Professor Simpson has spent many years working in important scientific roles. He has helped us learn more about how living things eat.
Working at Oxford University
For 22 years, Stephen Simpson worked at Oxford University in England. He was part of different departments there. These included Experimental Psychology and the Department of Zoology. He also worked at the University Museum of Natural History.
Returning to Australia
In 2005, Professor Simpson came back to Australia. He joined the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney. He was given a special ARC Federation Fellowship to support his research.
Leading Important Centres
In 2014, he became the first academic director of the new Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney. This centre focuses on health and disease research. In 2018, he also became the executive director of Obesity Australia. This organization works to address the issue of obesity.
Other Activities
Besides his scientific research, Professor Simpson has shared his knowledge in other ways. He has helped people understand science better.
TV Shows and Articles
He helped create and present a four-part TV show called Great Southern Land. This show was on ABC TV in September 2012. It explored different aspects of Australia. He has also written articles for newspapers, like one about the "obesity crisis" in The Age in April 2015.
Science Books
Professor Simpson has written two books about science. The first one is called The Nature of Nutrition: A Unifying Framework from Animal Adaptation to Human Obesity. It was published in 2012. His second book, Eat Like the Animals: what nature teaches us about the science of healthy eating, came out in 2019. This book has been translated into 10 different languages. It helps people learn about healthy eating habits from nature.
Awards and Honours
Professor Stephen Simpson has received many awards for his important work.
- 2007: Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
- 2009: Australian Laureate Fellowship
- 2009: NSW Scientist of the Year
- 2011: The Wigglesworth Memorial Lecture and Award, Royal Entomological Society
- 2013: Fellow of the Royal Society
- 2013: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society
- 2015: Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales
- 2016: Companion of the Order of Australia
- 2022: Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture
- 2023: Doctor of Science honoris causa, University of Glasgow
- 2024: The Wertheimer Award, World Obesity Federation
- 2024: The Ralph Slatyer Medal, Australian National University
