Nick Read (www.nickread.co.uk) is a retired gastroenterologist, physiologist and nutritionist and currently maintains a private practice in psychotherapy. During his academic career, he held chairs in Gastrointestinal Physiology, Human Nutrition and Integrated Medicine, published over 500 original papers and reviews and 11 books, including ‘Sick and Tired; healing the illnesses, doctors cannot cure,’ (Phoenix, 2006), which helps people understand and manage illnesses that have no clear cause or pathology. Dr Read is now an active blogger (www.thesensitivegut.wordpress.com) and the Chair of Trustees and medical adviser for The IBS Network (www.theibsnetwork.org), the UK’s national charity for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with a mission to facilitate patient efficacy and self-management. A dedicated advocate of self-care, Dr Read attempts to delay the ageing process by fell running, wild swimming and infinite curiosity. His new book, Cooking for The Sensitive Gut (Pavilion) co-authored with Joan Ransley, will be published in January 2016.