Three University of Sheffield medical students have received one of the highest honours in gastroenterology research after winning the prestigious Rome Foundation Ray Clouse Award for outstanding scientific research into Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Joy Bamidele, Grace Brownlow and Rosie Flack were recognised for their work on a clinical trial investigating the impact of the Mediterranean diet on IBS symptoms, conducted as part of their undergraduate BMedSci research projects.
Their paper, ‘The Mediterranean Diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomised Clinical Trial’, was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in December 2025 and selected by the Rome Foundation as the best published research article worldwide in functional gastrointestinal and motility disorders over the past year.
The award, named in honour of pioneering gastroenterologist Dr Ray E. Clouse, is regarded as one of the field’s most prestigious international accolades.
The students’ findings have already attracted global attention, with coverage from more than 160 media outlets, including BBC Radio, and are expected to influence future clinical guidelines for managing IBS.
IBS affects around one in 10 people globally and is commonly linked to abdominal pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits. While dietary changes are often recommended, existing approaches, including the low FODMAP diet, can be restrictive, time-consuming and difficult for patients to maintain.
The Sheffield research explored whether the Mediterranean diet could provide a simpler and more sustainable alternative.
The clinical trial involved patients with IBS being divided into two groups: one following traditional dietary advice and the other following a Mediterranean diet. Participants were monitored over six weeks, completing regular questionnaires on symptoms, wellbeing, anxiety and depression.
The study found that patients following the Mediterranean diet experienced greater improvements in symptoms than those following traditional dietary advice, providing strong evidence that the Mediterranean diet may offer real relief for sufferers, a finding with genuine potential to change the lives of the millions living with the condition.
Joy Bamidele, first author of the paper and medical student at the University of Sheffield, said: “Winning this award has been a wonderful surprise. A huge thank you to Dr Aziz and the Academic Department of Gastroenterology, the quality of supervision and the research environment there is truly exceptional.
“What made it particularly rewarding was knowing that this work could make a tangible difference to people living with IBS. It has been a deeply fulfilling experience.”
The research was led by Dr Imran Aziz, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Gastroenterologist at the University of Sheffield, who guided the project throughout and accepted the award on behalf of the team at a ceremony in Chicago in May 2026.
Dr Aziz said: “This is a well-deserved recognition for the whole research team, and for Joy, Grace and Rosie in particular. They took on a genuinely demanding project and delivered work that meets the standard at the highest level.
“The Academic Department of Gastroenterology has built a thriving research environment where medical students can do meaningful work alongside experienced clinicians, and this award reflects what that collaboration can produce. I am enormously proud of what they have achieved.”
The award highlights the University of Sheffield’s growing international reputation for student-led medical research and its commitment to tackling conditions that affect millions of people worldwide.