David is AB InBev Professor of Brewing Science at the University of Nottingham and liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Brewers. He brings to the Board the expertise on modern educational standards that will enable the IBD to develop its value proposition and support the IBD Chartership endeavours.

Born in Romsey, Hampshire, David holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry & Food Science from the University of Reading, UK. He has developed most of his career at the University of Nottingham where he started as a Research Assistant in 1997, completing a PhD in Food Flavour Technology in 2003. His PhD studies were sponsored by Firmenich SA (Geneva) and applied real-time flavour release measurements to understand better the impacts of viscosity on flavour perception.

David became a Lecturer in Brewing Science in 2006 and together with Professor Katherine Smart, helped to establish a successful brewing department at the University of Nottingham, creating a strong track record in research and education. He has been Course Director for the University's Masters-level brewing qualifications since 2006 and has played a significant part in developing innovative e-learning-based educational programs for professional brewers worldwide.

David has been involved in the IBD examinations since 2007 as a Member of the Board of Examiners for Diploma Brewing paper 1 (Materials and Wort). Since 2017, he is the AB InBev Professor in Brewing Science and head of the International Centre for Brewing Science at the University of Nottingham.

David currently has over 20 years of experience conducting research and teaching into brewing, malting, analytical food chemistry and flavour technology. His wealth of expertise and research findings are internationally recognised and are highly valued by students and researchers alike. His current research focuses on three broad themes: Brewing Raw Materials and Beer Quality, Malting Science & Technology, and Valorisation of Biomaterials and Co-product Streams. The Cook research group has a strong track record of collaboration and sponsorship across the industry, including maltsters and multinational brewing companies.

Specific areas of expertise include:

• Pilot malting for R&D projects, primarily aimed at novel process development, reducing malting losses and energy/ water inputs or the evaluation of malting performance of cereals/ new cultivars.
• Characterising the flavour and sensory quality of beers and brewing raw materials. It includes the application of advanced instrumental techniques (APCI-MS, GC-MS, GC-O, HPLC) to study the formation, composition and sensory impact of flavour congeners in foods/beverages.
• The application of Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy to predict and extend the shelf-life of packaged beer
• Study of thermal flavour and colour generation via Maillard, caramelisation and pyrolysis reactions as influenced by food/beverage processing conditions.
• Biomaterials processing and characterisation; development of biorefinery processes, valorisation of brewing co-product streams.

David is a Member of the European Brewery Convention (EBC) Brewing Science Group, and part of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, Cerevisiae, and Brewing Science.

In his free time, David loves to play guitar and record music, as well as being an avid fan of Chelsea FC. Relaxation involves long walks in the Notts countryside with his two border collies.