Dr Randy L. Jirtle, Professor of Epigenetics, has won the Linus Pauling Functional Medicine Award, which recognises clinicians and researchers whose work pioneers important principles in addressing the underlying causes of disease.

Functional Medicine is a model that empowers patients and practitioners to achieve the highest expression of health by working in collaboration to address the underlying causes of disease

Dr Jirtle from the University of Bedfordshire’s Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences was presented the award, which has been running since 1996, at the Institute for Functional Medicine's (IFM) 2014 Annual International Conference, held in San Francisco, California.

Leading genetics scientist, Dr Jirtle, who was nominated for TIME Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ in 2007, has dedicated his life's work to proving that genes can be affected by what goes on around us, they are not simply fixed from birth.

His work illuminates the separation between nature and nurture, while allowing for individuals to recognise and optimise functionality of their distinct genes.

Following the award Jeffrey Bland, PhD, IFM Chairman Emeritus, described Dr Jirtle as an “extraordinary discoverer, who become the father of environmental epigenomics and the father of nutritional epigenetics”.

For Information visit www.functionalmedicine.org