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Nutricia Research Foundation International Award
ClinicalNutrition (2001) 20(Supplement1): 3-4 9 2001 HarcourtPublishersLtd doi:10.1054/clnu.2001.0480, availableonlineat http://www.idealibrary.comon | B| ~[|
Nutricia Research Foundation International Award
Dr. David Silk (left) receiving the Nutricia Research Foundation International Award from Professor David deWied at the 11th Nutricia Symposium, 5 May 2000
After medical school and junior training, David Silk obtained definitive appointments at the Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology at St Bartholomew's Hospital. This was followed by a Medical Research Council Visiting Professorship at the University of California before appointment as Senior Medical Research Council Lecturer on the Liver Unit at Kings College Hospital. In 1979, Dr. Silk was appointed Consultant Physician at the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Central Middlesex Hospital. This was to replace Sir Francis Avery Jones who had retired after a distinguished career, having founded this speciality in this hospital, the first in the UK, in 1937. Under David's co-direction, since 1979 the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition has prospered and several statistics bear repeating. Of 22 MD theses, he personally supervised 14 and is senior author on over 300 of the 1000 + publications produced over that time from a very busy clinical department. The scientific direction of David's medical career could be discerned early on by the distinction he obtained in the Academic Diploma in General Biochemistry whilst a medical student. This was considered at the time to be an unusually tough course for students to take and highlights the rigour that David has shown
throughout his career. A quotation which colleagues have often heard from his lips is 'it is not unethical to perform clinical trials but it is unethical to perform uncontrolled clinical trials'. It has been his consistent ability to apply rigorous, original and verifiable research methods to pressing clinical problems that has marked David out. Many delegates to ESPEN meetings over the years have been delighted to see David take the microphone, wrinkle his brow and innocently ask the speaker if their results are of as great significance as claimed or whether they are merely 'part of the epiphenomenology of the disease process!' On similar occasions he has not only debated the meaning of the data but has also helpfully discussed the next study the speaker should do to make progress in their research. Before turning to a detailed account of the contribution to medical science which has led to this award, it is worthwhile listening to views by former colleagues about David's style of doing things. There is no doubt that his career has been busy. All were agreed that he had provided dynamic leadership to his Research Fellows, to the running of the clinical aspects of the department, and on a wider stage through the formation of BAPEN (of which he was chairman from 1996-2000)
4
NUTRICIA RESEARCH F O U N D A T I O N INTERNATIONAL AWARD
and a new research charity which is investigating irritable bowel syndrome. All of his present and former colleagues agreed that he is exceptional at keeping all of these endeavours going at the same time. David's contribution to clinical research has been immense and it worthwhile recounting some of the landmark studies that he and his group have performed. 9 Peptide research - the demonstration of a dipeptide and tripeptide transporter in man solely from kinetic evidence in patients with a genetic transporter disorder 9 Enteral feeding and diarrhoea - the demonstration that antibiotic therapy and nasogastric tube feeding per se are both significantly associated with diarrhoea, important in our understanding of mechanisms of diarrhoea 9 Fibre, fermentation, gut flora and liver disease the mechanistic demonstration that hepatic encephalopathy can be better treated by either antibiotic therapy or lactulose but not both 9 Dietary fat and the 'ileal brake' - the demonstration of an important gastrointestinal control mechanism comparable to the 'duodenal brake.'
9 Enteral feeding as treatment for Crohn's disease characterizing the best form of enteral formula. 9 Nutritional supplementation and surgery - demonstration that infectious complications are reduced with use of oral nutritional supplements after moderate to major gastrointestinal surgery 9 Characterization of dysmotility in irritable bowel syndrome - this area is developing rapidly David's career has been marked by a variety of awards. In 1978, the British Society of Gastroenterology honoured him with their Research Medal whilst in 1999 he received the John Lennard Jones Medal from BAPEN. The first was for research excellence that has been sustained over the subsequent two decades. The second award was an appreciation of the skill required to bring together several professional groups into a national organization whose objective has been to improve the standard of nutritional care of patients in British hospitals. The present award complements these others because it is bestowed in recognition of his outstanding contribution to both clinical research and practice of nutritional support in the hospitalized patient.
Nutricia Research Foundation International Award
Dr. David Silk (left) receiving the Nutricia Research Foundation International Award from Professor David deWied at the 11th Nutricia Symposium, 5 May 2000
After medical school and junior training, David Silk obtained definitive appointments at the Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology at St Bartholomew's Hospital. This was followed by a Medical Research Council Visiting Professorship at the University of California before appointment as Senior Medical Research Council Lecturer on the Liver Unit at Kings College Hospital. In 1979, Dr. Silk was appointed Consultant Physician at the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Central Middlesex Hospital. This was to replace Sir Francis Avery Jones who had retired after a distinguished career, having founded this speciality in this hospital, the first in the UK, in 1937. Under David's co-direction, since 1979 the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition has prospered and several statistics bear repeating. Of 22 MD theses, he personally supervised 14 and is senior author on over 300 of the 1000 + publications produced over that time from a very busy clinical department. The scientific direction of David's medical career could be discerned early on by the distinction he obtained in the Academic Diploma in General Biochemistry whilst a medical student. This was considered at the time to be an unusually tough course for students to take and highlights the rigour that David has shown
throughout his career. A quotation which colleagues have often heard from his lips is 'it is not unethical to perform clinical trials but it is unethical to perform uncontrolled clinical trials'. It has been his consistent ability to apply rigorous, original and verifiable research methods to pressing clinical problems that has marked David out. Many delegates to ESPEN meetings over the years have been delighted to see David take the microphone, wrinkle his brow and innocently ask the speaker if their results are of as great significance as claimed or whether they are merely 'part of the epiphenomenology of the disease process!' On similar occasions he has not only debated the meaning of the data but has also helpfully discussed the next study the speaker should do to make progress in their research. Before turning to a detailed account of the contribution to medical science which has led to this award, it is worthwhile listening to views by former colleagues about David's style of doing things. There is no doubt that his career has been busy. All were agreed that he had provided dynamic leadership to his Research Fellows, to the running of the clinical aspects of the department, and on a wider stage through the formation of BAPEN (of which he was chairman from 1996-2000)
4
NUTRICIA RESEARCH F O U N D A T I O N INTERNATIONAL AWARD
and a new research charity which is investigating irritable bowel syndrome. All of his present and former colleagues agreed that he is exceptional at keeping all of these endeavours going at the same time. David's contribution to clinical research has been immense and it worthwhile recounting some of the landmark studies that he and his group have performed. 9 Peptide research - the demonstration of a dipeptide and tripeptide transporter in man solely from kinetic evidence in patients with a genetic transporter disorder 9 Enteral feeding and diarrhoea - the demonstration that antibiotic therapy and nasogastric tube feeding per se are both significantly associated with diarrhoea, important in our understanding of mechanisms of diarrhoea 9 Fibre, fermentation, gut flora and liver disease the mechanistic demonstration that hepatic encephalopathy can be better treated by either antibiotic therapy or lactulose but not both 9 Dietary fat and the 'ileal brake' - the demonstration of an important gastrointestinal control mechanism comparable to the 'duodenal brake.'
9 Enteral feeding as treatment for Crohn's disease characterizing the best form of enteral formula. 9 Nutritional supplementation and surgery - demonstration that infectious complications are reduced with use of oral nutritional supplements after moderate to major gastrointestinal surgery 9 Characterization of dysmotility in irritable bowel syndrome - this area is developing rapidly David's career has been marked by a variety of awards. In 1978, the British Society of Gastroenterology honoured him with their Research Medal whilst in 1999 he received the John Lennard Jones Medal from BAPEN. The first was for research excellence that has been sustained over the subsequent two decades. The second award was an appreciation of the skill required to bring together several professional groups into a national organization whose objective has been to improve the standard of nutritional care of patients in British hospitals. The present award complements these others because it is bestowed in recognition of his outstanding contribution to both clinical research and practice of nutritional support in the hospitalized patient.