The Team

Professor Bell is a Professor of Human Metabolism at the University of Westminster and the Director of the Research Centre for Optimal Health (ReCOH), which he created to focus on research in obesity and the factors that determine optimal health and accelerated ageing.

Jimmy completed his PhD at London University in 1987, developing MR techniques to assess biological processes, continuing as a post-doctoral researcher in metabolism and obesity. He subsequently joined the Royal Postgraduate Medical School as a Lecturer, where he worked on the methodologies for the study of disease development, demonstrating the importance of gene-environment interaction in obesity.

Professor Bell joined the Imperial College London in the mid-90’s, where he was appointed Professor and Group Head. His research program focused on integrating biochemical, molecular biology, and MR techniques to define the influences of genetics and environmental factors on optimal health and chronic diseases, particularly those associated with adipose tissue metabolism and function.

Jimmy currently holds the following assignments:

• PI UK Biobank (Enhanced Phenotyping)
• Editorial Board and Reviewer, Scientific Journals: NMR Biomed, MRM, J Lipid Res, Lancet, Int J Obesity, WJG
  Grant Reviewer: Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, BHF, MRC, NIH, DoH PhD External Examiner, in UK, EU and USA
• Membership: The Biochemical Society, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), Society for Molecular Imaging

For nearly two decades, Dr. Mark Adkins has been a Consultant within the Department of Radiology and Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology at Mayo Clinic, and an Assistant Professor of Radiology within the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Additionally, he has been Director of the Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship Program at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education since 1997, and was Chair of the Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology at Mayo Clinic for 7 years.

His research activities include multiple facets of body composition analysis, including bone strength, bone density, muscle mass, and fat quantification – including visceral, subcutaneous, liver, and intramuscular adipose tissue. His primary interests include advancing the use of body composition analysis to quantify risks and reduce the morbidity / mortality of fractures, obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and sarcopenia.

After receiving his MD from the University of Minnesota in 1991, Mark continued his training at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine with a Residency in Diagnostic Radiology and a Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology.  In addition to numerous awards, national and international speaker positions, publications, and reviews to his name, he has been an invaluable mentor to numerous Fellows and Residents throughout the Mayo system.

Mark currently holds the following assignments:

• Director of the Musculoskeletal Imaging Fellowship Program at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education since 1997
• Membership: American Roentgen Ray Society, Radiological Society of North America, Minnesota Medical Association, Zumbro Valley Medical Society, Society of Skeletal Radiology, Minnesota Radiological Society: Musculoskeletal Subcommittee Member, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine

Sven Enerbäck received his MD in 1984 and PhD in 1992, both from the University of Gothenburg. In 1993, he received his license to practice medicine. For postdoctoral training, Dr Enerbäck joined the laboratory of Leslie P. Kozak at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine from 1993-1994.

He was appointed as full professor of Medical Genetics at the Medical Faculty of University of Gothenburg in 2000. His research focuses upon metabolism, particularly on white and brown adipose tissue and its role in systemic energy turn-over. He was a Pfizer Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan 2004, and was awarded The Söderberg Foundation Chair in Medicine 2009. In 2010, Dr Enebäck was awarded The Anniversary Medical Prize of The Swedish Medical Society.

He is an elected Member of The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences and the Medical Class of The Swedish Royal Academy of Science.

Dr. Neeland earned his medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at Emory University School of Medicine and served as Chief Medical Resident at the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital in Atlanta before coming to UT Southwestern in 2011 where he completed a combined clinical and research fellowship in cardiovascular medicine.  He also holds a certificate in translational medicine from Emory’s Laney Graduate School.

Dr. Neeland joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2015. He is a general cardiologist with special expertise in obesity and cardiovascular disease, as well as in noninvasive imaging.  Dr. Neeland is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases and he also holds a subspecialty certification in adult echocardiography from the National Board of Echocardiography.

Dr. Neeland is active in both research and patient care. His research focuses on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.  He is a member of professional organizations that include the AHA Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, as well as its Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; American College of Cardiology; American Society for Preventive Cardiology; and The Obesity Society.

Miriam Vos is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, and Director of Transplant Wellness at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease in children, as well as fatty liver disease and obesity. Dr. Vos is also the author of The No-Diet Obesity Solution for Kids.

Claude B. Sirlin, MD, is Professor and Vice Chair (Translational Research) of Radiology at the University of California, San Diego. He is an NIH-funded clinician scientist, whose research focuses on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitative ultrasound of liver cancer and chronic liver disease. Dr. Sirlin founded and directs UC San Diego Health’s Liver Imaging Group, which actively collaborates with hepatologists, surgeons, pathologists and statisticians to advance screening, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of individuals with liver disease. He is also the codirector of the Cancer Imaging Program at Moores Cancer Center, chair of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System Committee for the American College of Radiology, and co-director of the Radiologist Clinician-Scientist Training Program in his university. He has published more than 200 manuscripts, 30 book chapters, 200 scientific abstracts, and 100 educational exhibits. A dedicated teacher and mentor, Dr Sirlin has supervised over 150 undergraduates, medical students, residents, and fellows in clinical imaging research.

Manu Chakravarthy, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President,
Clinical Development for Axcella Health. In this position, he provides strategic direction
and oversight for Axcella’s clinical research and development activities, including the
execution of a variety of clinical trials across several indications. Manu brings a deep
commitment to innovation and translational medicine with an unwavering focus to
address serious unmet medical needs by translating breakthrough discoveries into the
clinic, and meaningfully improve human health.

Prior to assuming his current role, Manu served as the Global Head of External R&D in
diabetes and cardiovascular research at Eli Lilly & Co where he was responsible for
external innovation efforts, including the identification/evaluation of novel therapeutics,
platforms, and technologies for in/out-licensing, establishing academic collaborations,
and consortia management across the value chain to complement and enhance Lilly’s
internal R&D portfolio. He also served as the industry co-leader of the Innovative
Medicine Initiative’s LITMUS project, one of the largest public-private consortia efforts to
elucidate noninvasive biomarkers for NAFLD. Before his global leadership role at Lilly,
Manu spent more than 7 years at Merck & Co., where he began his industry career in
Experimental Medicine as an associate director and progressively gained increasing
experience across the R&D spectrum from discovery, clinical pharmacology, biomarker
development and late-stage drug development across several therapeutic areas. During
this time, he assumed positions of increasing responsibility and leadership within the
company, ultimately serving as a Distinguished Scientist in Discovery Medicine for the
diabetes and cardiometabolic group within Translational Medicine.

Manu received his medical degree from the Univ. of Texas Houston Medical School, his
doctorate in cell biology & physiology from the Univ. of Texas Graduate School of
Biomedical Sciences and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, and his bachelor’s degree in
Liberal Arts from St. John’s University. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at
the Hospital of the Univ. of Pennsylvania and clinical Fellowship in Endocrinology,
Diabetes & Metabolism at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis. Manu undertook
postdoctoral research training as an American Diabetes Assoc. Postdoctoral Fellow at
Washington Univ. School of Medicine in St. Louis with Prof. Clay Semenkovich focusing
on lipid metabolism. His research elucidated the role of de novo lipogenesis via fatty
acid synthase in hepatic steatosis, including the discovery of an endogenous ligand for
the nutritionally regulated transcription factor, PPARalpha. Following his clinical and
postdoctoral research training, Manu was appointed as Instructor of Medicine in the
Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism at Washington Univ. School of Medicine.
Manu is Board-certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism and is an Adjunct
Clinical Asst. Professor of Medicine at the Rutgers School of Medicine, NJ.