Applicants submit a peer-reviewed, published paper from the preceding year which investigated an aspect of obesity. The award is judged on the academic quality and excellence of the paper, the originality of the work and its potential impact on the research area.

Laura’s paper, 'Attachment anxiety, disinhibited eating and body mass index in adulthood', published in the International Journal of Obesity, highlights for the first time that adults with an 'anxious' attachment orientation (a set of ideas and expectations around interpersonal relationships characterised by a fear of abandonment) are more likely to overeat and have a high body mass index.

She will be presented with the award and the £250 prize – and will have the opportunity to present the paper – at an ASO conference in London in June.