TUS Professor appointed to key food safety scientific committee
Athlone man Professor Neil J Rowan has been appointed to the new Scientific Committee of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Rowan, a Technological University of the Shannon lecturer, will provide expert advice to the FSAI on key food science and technology and biological safety issues over his five-year appointment period.
The primary purpose of this scientific committee is to ensure that Ireland’s food safety and nutrition policies are underpinned by sound scientific risk assessment for public health.
Membership of the Scientific Committee comprises 15 independent experts from across Ireland who are appointed by the Minister of Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
Professor Rowan said he was “humbled and delighted” to have been appointed.
“I look forward to working closely with fellow members of this Scientific Committee of the FSAI to address important scientific and technical issues related to food safety risks, nutritional content and to support public health policies".
Professor Rowan's appointment by the FSAI reflects his international standing as a leading food safety microbiologist spanning three secades of outstanding service to this field. He delivered a key plenary talk at global conference of food security and climate change in Berlin highlighting his international standing.
Recently, Neil was conferred with his higher Doctorate of Science Degree by the University of Strathclyde in public health and global food security, which is the highest academic achievement in the UK and Ireland, beyond a PhD.
Neil also serves on as distinguished member of the new National Science Advice Forum advising government on strategic policies and is also an expert member of United Nation's Panel for the Effects of Nuclear War.
Professor Rowan has supervised 42 PhDs and frequently appears in the Stanford list of top 2% scientists globally. Neil has published over 300 journal and conference papers, and eight books.
He holds Honorary Professorships in several universities globally, including at the School of Medicine, University of Galway, where he provides expert advice on microbiology and sterilisation science for MedTech and healthcare applications. Neil is the number one ranked academic globally for sterilisation science and decontamination control that are also critical functions for patient safety. Neil lives in Coosan with his wife Michelle, and family, where he attended school locally at St Aloysius College and Dean Kelly NS.