Since its creation in 1976, the Benjamin Delessert Institute has promoted and worked to develop research in nutrition, at the crossroads of medical, human and social sciences.

Since 1988, the Benjamin Delessert Prize has been awarded to a renowned researcher for their work in nutrition, medicine, human or social sciences. The jury for this prize is made up of members of the Benjamin Delessert Institute's scientific committee.

In 2026, the Benjamin Delessert Prize was awarded to Saadi Lahlou, Professor of Social Psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Director of the Paris Institute for Advanced Studies. With a multidisciplinary background (statistics, economics, human biology, ethology, chronobiology, psychology and cognitive sciences), he initially focused on social representations of food (< Penser Manger, Trémolières Prize 1997). His major scientific contribution is the theory of installations, which revolutionises our understanding of behavioural change, particularly in relation to food. A member of the Académie des Technologies (France) and the Academia Europaea, he sits on the European Research Council's Synergy panel and the scientific committee of INRAE.

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