Jim Mann

Sir Joel Ivor Mann (born 30 September 1944), generally known as Jim Mann, is a New Zealand nutritionist and endocrinologist. He is professor in human nutrition and medicine at the University of Otago and consultant physician (endocrinology) at Dunedin Hospital. He has researched the role of lipids and carbohydrates in coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, as well as the relationship between obesity and cancer. He was knighted in the 2022 New Year Honours.

Early life, family, and education Mann was born in George, Western Cape, South Africa, on 30 September 1944, the son of Pearl Mann (née Joseph) and Harry Bernard Mann. He studied at the University of Cape Town, graduating MB ChB in 1967, and PhD in 1971. He then completed Master of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees at the University of Oxford in 1975. and consultant physician (endocrinology) at Dunedin Hospital. He is also a director of the Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research (EDOR, a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Human Nutrition at the University of Otago) and a principal investigator for the Riddet Institute at Massey University. In 2015 he was appointed director of Healther Lives – He Oranga Hauora, a National Science Challenge based at the University of Otago. One of Mann's notable doctoral students is Professor Rachael McLean.

Research Mann and his team at the University of Otago carried out a major review for the World Health Organization (WHO) of the scientific evidence on sugar and weight gain, published in 2013 in the British Medical Journal. The review, which showed that sugar "unquestionably contributes to obesity", The report made examples of "good" carbohydrates being whole grain bread and oats, wholegrain cereals, pasta and bread, nuts and pulses 2002 – University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal 2004 – Sir Charles Hercus Medal of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi 2005 – Distinguished Researcher Award from the University of Otago Dunedin School of Medicine 2012 – Himsworth Award from the Nutrition Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes

In the 2022 New Year Honours, Mann was promoted to knight companion.

Selected publications Essentials of Human Nutrition. New York: Oxford University Press. Co-edited with Stewart Truswell. 1998; 2002, ; 2007, ; 2011, ; 2017 .