BruceNeal The George Institute, UNSW, Imperial CollegeAustralia

Bruce Neal is Executive Director of The George Institute Australia, Professor of Medicine at UNSW Sydney, and Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Imperial College London. Bruce trained in medicine in the United Kingdom where he practiced for 5 years before switching to a full-time career in research. He has been at the George Institute since it was established in 1999 and has grown a broad-based clinical and public health research program with a strong focus on the translation of research findings into better clinical practice and health policies. He has particular experience in the fields of high blood pressure and diabetes and has been a part of multiple large-scale clinical trials in that space. A recent highlight of his work reflects his longstanding interest in the environmental determinants of chronic disease and the potential for changes in the food supply to deliver large, cost-effective and equitable health gains. With colleagues in China, he recently completed the SSaSS trial which showed that a potassium-enriched salt substitute could reduce the risk of stroke and premature death by lowering blood pressure. The study stands out as one of the few large-scale trials of a nutritional intervention to assess effects on clinical outcomes.