John Roger Speakman
British scientist John Roger Speakman, who focuses on energy balance research at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, won the technological cooperation award of the 2023 Guangdong Science and Technology Awards in Guangzhou on Oct. 17.
Noting that he felt honored to receive this prestigious award, Speakman told Shenzhen Daily on Monday, "These things can only be accomplished by the work of a team producing top-level research over many years. I am therefore very proud of my group and their hard work which led to this."
Having focused on energy balance and fat storage for more than 40 years, Speakman has made significant contributions to fostering collaboration among countries in his field. He believes that collaboration is essential for breaking down barriers.
Earlier this year, Speakman led his team to establish a lab at SIAT where the doubly-labeled water method is used to measure energy demands. This is the first lab in China to use a particular isotope-based methodology for measuring energy demands, which allows for unprecedented accuracy in assessing individual energy requirements.
Additionally, Speakman's team has collaborated with nearly 100 global counterparts to develop equations based on an extensive dataset predicting human water turnover in relation to environmental and lifestyle factors. This research was published in the journal Science in November 2022.
"Next year we will host a large meeting of about 250 scientists from across the world and they will converge in SIAT to discuss the most recent advances in the field," said Speakman.
He noted that "Shenzhen is well known for its open attitude and support for research," and looks forward to welcoming these international scientists to explore what Shenzhen has to offer.
Speakman won the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2021 and the first Guangdong Friendship Award in March 2023.
In addition to Speakman, Israeli scientist Daniel Cohen from Shenzhen University, who specializes in visual computing, also received the technological cooperation award.