FSA appoints Professor Ian Young as new Chief Scientific Adviser

Credit: FSA

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced the appointment of Professor Ian Young as its new Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA).

He will be taking up the role on a part-time basis while continuing as Consultant Chemical Pathologist at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Professor of Medicine at Queen’s University Belfast. In his new position, he will oversee scientific assurance, evidence sourcing and policy support for the FSA Board.

Professor Young, who previously directed Queen’s University’s Centre for Public Health, will also step down from several national roles to take up his FSA position. These include Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health, Northern Ireland; Director of Research for Health and Social Care, Northern Ireland; and Chair of the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said:

I am very pleased to welcome Professor Ian Young to the FSA as our new Chief Scientific Adviser. This role is essential in sourcing evidence and providing assurance to the 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 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, and I look forward to working with him.”

Professor Young added:

I am delighted to have been offered the position of Chief Scientific Advisor with the FSA. There is nothing more important for the health of the public than ensuring that the food we eat is safe and authentic.

I look forward to working with scientists across the FSA to ensure that everything we do is led by good science and the best evidence available.” 

Young will become the agency’s fourth CSA, replacing Professor Robin May, who stepped down in September 2025 following his appointment as Interim Chief Scientific Officer at the UK Health Security Agency.

The CSA role carries responsibility for ensuring scientific integrity, representing the agency across cross-government scientific networks and championing the development of scientific capability within the FSA. The remit spans analytical disciplines including natural and physical sciences, social science, economics, operational research and statistics.