Professor Ian Young appointed FSA's chief scientific adviser

Clinical biochemist and senior public health scientist Professor Ian Young has been appointed as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Food Standards Agency, where he will lead the agency’s scientific strategy and provide independent evidence-based advice to support food safety and standards policy

Professor Ian Young has been appointed to be the next Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). He will serve in the role on a part-time basis while remaining Consultant Chemical Pathologist at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Professor of Medicine at Queen’s University Belfast, where he was previously Director for the Centre for Public Health.

The FSA is the non-ministerial government department that is responsible for food safety and standards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The CSA provides independent scientific leadership across the organisation and supports the FSA Board as it considers evidence that underpins policy on food safety, authenticity and wider consumer protection.

Professor Young currently serves as CSA to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, and as Director of Research and Development for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, and also as the chair of the UK government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. He will step down from these positions when he takes up his new post at the FSA.

“I am very pleased to welcome Professor Young to the FSA. The role of CSA is essential in sourcing evidence and providing assurance to the FSA Board in the quality of the science that we rely on to guide our work and develop FSA policies.

“He will also help to ensure that the FSA maintains its strong connections with the science community in academia, industry and government.

“Professor Young’s deep expertise and ability to translate research into policy will be invaluable in our mission of food you can trust,” said Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the FSA.

Throughout his career, Professor Young has held leadership positions within major scientific organisations. He is a past president of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine in the UK. He previously chaired the Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine and the Scientific Division of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. These roles have given him extensive experience in laboratory quality, standardisation of biochemical measurements and international collaboration across clinical science.

“I am delighted to be taking up the position of CSA with the FSA. There is nothing more important for the health of the public than to ensure that the food we eat is safe and authentic.

“I look forward to work with scientists across the FSA to ensure that everything we do is led by good science and the best evidence available,” added Professor Young.

He emphasised that the role provides a direct route from research and surveillance to decisions that affect public confidence in the food system.

Professor Young will be the fourth person to hold the CSA post at the FSA. He will succeed Professor Robin May, who left the agency in September 2025 after his appointment as Interim Chief Scientific Officer at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The CSA is responsible for the integrity of the processes that the agency uses to source scientific evidence and for assurance that expert scientific advice is available to support decisions. The postholder represents the agency within the cross-government community of departmental CSAs and in the wider scientific community, including professional bodies, research funders and international partners. The CSA also acts as a champion for science within the FSA, with a remit to develop the expertise of its scientists and strengthen the organisation’s analytical capability.

The role covers all analytical disciplines from which the agency draws advice, including the natural and physical sciences, social science, economics, operational research and statistics. In practice, this means that the CSA must help to integrate evidence from microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, behavioural science and economic analysis when the FSA assesses risks, designs regulatory approaches or responds to food incidents.

Professor Young’s appointment signals a continued commitment to science-led regulation as the FSA continues to face issues such as complex international supply chains, the emergence of novel food technologies and the need for robust nutritional advice.