The Global Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Raul's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About Raul
I am an Associate Professor of Human Nutrition and Physiology with an international academic career spanning Spain, Australia, and the United Kingdom. I contribute to teaching and curriculum development across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within the Faculty of Health, including the BSc (Hons) Dietetics, Master (Hons) in Dietetics, MSc Human Nutrition, and BSc (Hons) Nutrition, Exercise and Health.
For more than two decades, my research has focused on understanding how nutrition and physical activity influence nitric oxide metabolism and its implications for cardiovascular health and human performance.
I currently co-lead the Oral Microbiome Research Group with Prof Zoe Brookes, bringing together expertise in nutrition, physiology, and oral health to investigate the role of oral microbial communities in human health. In particular, I am interested in how oral bacteria regulate nitrate and nitrite bioavailability and influence cardiovascular, metabolic, and oral health outcomes.
Beyond human health research, I contribute to interdisciplinary projects within the Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Group and the Sustainable Food Production Research Group. These activities focus on developing sustainable agricultural systems and innovative approaches to mitigating nitrate pollution.
Supervised Research Degrees
Current students:
Mimoza Cana-Bishop (PhD), Investigating the effect of different mouthwashes on oral health and the microbiome (with Zoe Brookes and Robert Witton)
Geraldine Goldsmith (PhD), Investigating the effect of cooling interventions on heat sensitivity in patients with multiple sclerosis (with Luke Connelly and Jenny Freeman)
Samantha Harvey (PhD), Establishing the effect of microplastic and nanoplastic exposure on inflammatory bowel disease (with Nathaniel Clark and Lee Hutt)
Former students:
Lauren Hallewell (PhD), Integrating the dietitian into the dental practice to address childhood body weight and oral health (with Patricia Casas-Agustench, Zoe Brookes and Robert Witton) (2026)
Lisa du Toit (PhD), Investigating the link between the oral microbiome and cardiovascular health regarding nitrate/nitrite metabolism (with Zoe Brookes and Mary Hickson) (2025)
Amazon Doble (PhD), The potential for diagnosing high blood pressure at the dentist: an examination of periodontal disease and the oral microbiome (with Zoe Brookes and Robert Witton) (2025)
Craig Clarke (PhD), The role of oral nitrate reducing bacteria in cardiovascular health: impacts of diet and exercise (with Mary Hickson and Desley White) (2025)
Ann Ashworth (PhD), Effects of dietary nitrate from vegetables on blood pressure in healthy humans (2019)
Scott Betteridge (PhD), The role of nitrates in skeletal muscle metabolism during contraction (2015) (with Glenn McConell)
Teaching
Currently, I lead the following modules:
- Pathophysiology (DIET512, DADIET501), BSc [Hons] Dietetics
- Applied sports nutrition (HNUT703), MSc in Human Nutrition
I also support teaching and marking in the following modules:
- Physiology and Genetics (DIET414, BSc [Hons] Dietetics)
- Physiology and Immunology (DIET509, BSc [Hons] Dietetics)
- Project design (DIET605, BSc [Hons] Dietetics)
- Dissertation (DIET609, BSc [Hons] Dietetics) (ADV716, MSc [Hons] Human Nutrition)
- Nutritional science 2 (BHCS2025, BSc [Hons] Nutrition, Exercise and Health)
- Applying evidence to practice (ADV702, MSc [Hons] in Human Nutrition)
- Project design for research (ADV715), MSc [Hons] in Human Nutrition)
Contact Raul
InterCity Place, Plymouth Railway Station, North Road East, Plymouth, PL4 6AB
+44 1752 587585
raul.bescos@plymouth.ac.uk
