Professor Gordon Bell

Project leader, Nutrition Group, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling.

Prof Gordon Bell is a senior biochemist with particular interest and expertise in lipid nutrition and with more than 120 peer-reviewed publications. He is a project leader in the Nutrition Group in the Institute of Aquaculture in Stirling, which has particular expertise in the nutrition and biochemistry of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins and carotenoid pigments. The Nutrition group has studied red blood cell abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and related conditions; and with others, has confirmed evidence of a "phospholipid spectrum disorder" - i.e. a range of psychiatric, neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders which has been shown to respond to nutritional intervention using essential fatty acid concentrates. The Group was involved in the development and in vitro testing of "Lorenzo's Oil" in conjunction with Croda Universal Ltd. The product "Lorenzo's Oil 3" is now an accepted nutritional intervention in the control and treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy.

Dr Bell has a particular interest in Autism, in which the Nutrition Group has found essential fatty acid deficiencies. A similar instability has been recorded in schizophrenic patients. In a number of other neurodevelopmental conditions, including attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, reduced concentrations of RBC HUFA have also been recorded. The extent and nature of these aberrations require further assessment to determine a possible common biochemical origin across the autistic spectrum and related conditions.

Much of Prof Bell's work is focused on other areas related to lipid biochemistry and aquaculture, but the following papers are particularly relevant to the links between food and behaviour:

Cyhlarova E, Bell JG, Dick JR, Mackinlay EE, Stein JF, Richardson AJ. (2007) Membrane fatty acids, reading and spelling in dyslexic and non-dyslexic adults. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 17(2) 116-21.

Bell JG, Strachan F, Good JE and Tocher DR. (2006). Effect of dietary Echium oil on growth, fatty acid composition and metabolism, gill prostaglandin production and macrophage activity in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) Aquaculture Research 37, 606-617.

Bell JG, McGhee F, Dick JR, Tocher DR. (2005). Dioxin and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Scottish farmed salmon (Salmo salar): effects of replacement of dietary marine fish oil with vegetable oils. Aquaculture 243: 305-314.

Bell JG, MacKinlay EE, Dick JR, MacDonald DJ, Boyle RM and Glen ACA. (2004) Essential fatty acids and phospholipase A2 in autistic spectrum disorders. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essent. Fatty Acids. 71: 201-204.

Bell JG, Henderson RJ, Tocher DR, Sargent JR. (2004). Replacement of dietary fish oil with increasing levels of linseed oil: modification of flesh fatty acid compositions in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) using a fish oil finishing diet. Lipids 39: 223-232.

Bell JG, Dick JR, MacKinlay EE, Glen ACA, MacDonald DJ, Boyle, RM. & Riordan DV. (2003). Abnormal fatty acid metabolism in autism and Asperger’s syndrome. In: Phospholipid Spectrum Disorder in Psychiatry and Neurology (2nd edition) (M. Peet, I. Glen and D.F. Horrobin eds.) Marius Press, Carnforth, England. pp. 521-528.

Bell JG, Sargent JR, Tocher DR and Dick JR. (2000). Red blood cell fatty acid compositions in a patient with autistic spectrum disorder: a characteristic abnormality in neurodevelopmental disorders? Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes. Essent. Fatty Acids. 63, 21-25.