A Sheffield-based doctor has been honoured with an international award for his pioneering work into Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the complex "gut-brain" link.
Dr Imran Aziz, an Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, has been awarded the Cuthbertson Medal 2026 by the Nutrition Society. The medal is one of the highest honours for early-career scientists and clinicians whose research provides a vital evidence base for clinical nutrition and metabolism.
Dr Aziz is a world-renowned authority on disorders of gut-brain interaction. His research focuses on how the communication between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system affects digestive health.
His work has been instrumental in:
- Nutritional Therapies: Developing evidence-based dietary interventions for IBS.
- Improving Quality of Life: Refining how millions of patients worldwide manage chronic gut disorders.
- Setting National Standards: Co-authoring the British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for managing IBS and functional dyspepsia.
This marks the second time a Sheffield-based clinician has received the Cuthbertson Medal, following Professor David Sanders in 2011. This achievement further cements Sheffield’s reputation as a leading UK centre for gastroenterology and clinical nutrition research.
Dr Aziz’s credentials extend far beyond this latest award. He has been published in the BMJ and The Lancet, served on the editorial board of the Gastroenterology Journal, and was recently elected as a Rome Foundation Academic Fellow in 2025.
Commenting on the award, Dr Aziz said:
"I am truly humbled to receive the Cuthbertson Medal from the Nutrition Society. This recognition belongs to our entire team in Sheffield who are advancing nutritional approaches to managing conditions like IBS. I'm especially grateful to our patients who participate in our studies, my talented colleagues in the Sheffield Hospitals gastroenterology team and our dietetic partners, and the University of Sheffield for their ongoing support of my clinical and academic research career."
For the millions of people living with IBS, Dr Aziz’s research translates to better clinical care. By shifting the focus toward nutritional therapies and understanding the "brain in the gut," his work ensures that treatments are more targeted, less invasive, and more effective at managing symptoms that often prove difficult to treat.
Image credit: Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
