Friday the 14th July saw the formal opening of the new Kissileff Laboratory for the Human Ingestive Behaviour Laboratory, in the presence of Dr. Harry Kissileff and his wife Karen. Steve Cooper, Head of Department and Kissileff Laboratory Director, welcomed the guests to the Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, in which this new purpose-built research facility is located. Steve gave a short introduction to the audience, and in response, Harry made a speech expressing his appreciation of the honour, acknowledgmg his own debt to his mentors and co-workers over the years.
As many of you know, Harry started his academic career at the University of Pennsylvania studying biology, and then Zoology at the postgraduate level. He moved to New York in 1966 for a NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University. After retuning to the University of Pennsylvania as a Lecturer for six years, Harry arrived at St Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital Columbia University in 1976. Harry became Director of the Laboratory for Appetite Behaviour at the Obesity Centre, St Luke's Roosevelt in 1981. After initially studying animal feeding patterns, Harry was an early pioneer of laboratory-based study of human ingestive behaviour, formulating novel and detailed means of characterising eating within the meat (e.g. the Universal Eating Monitor). Harry's work has covered a broad range of topics in human ingestive behaviour, including the role of various physiological mechanisms in the development of within meal satiation, and the characterising of within meal satiety disturbances in bulimics and the obese.
Whilst the other guests were attending the reception after his speech, Harry was the first to tour the new laboratory suite named in his honor. The laboratory (1500 sq. ft) consists of a large, fully-fitted catering kitchen with separate food preparation, weight back, and disposal areas. The main study room contains 10 individual subject booths, and is adjacent to a second large study room in which two Universal Eating Monitors (Kissileff Style!) Video analysis and observation equipment are currently being set up as well. In addition, the laboratory has a bedroom/participant examination room, an office, a separate participant waiting area, and two bath/shower rooms. Building started in October 1999 in conjunction with the complete re-fit of the whole department, and the construction, fitting and equipping of the Kissileff Laboratory continued to July (well into the evening before Harry's arrival!) Protocols have already been drawn up, and preparation is underway for the first studies in the Kissileff Laboratory. Harry will soon be returning to,Liverpool to start initial studies and take up his honorary position within the Department.
This new laboratory will add to the University's existing strength in studying ingestive behaviour and obesity. It is hoped in particular to form close research links with the Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Group in the faculty of Medicine (under the directorship of Professor Gareth Williams). Gareth Williams has also been made Clinical Associate of the Kissileff Laboratory. Pictures of the Laboratory opening and of the Kissileff Laboratory facilities are available at http://www.liv.ac.uk/Psychology/kissilefflab.html