The John E. Kinsella Memorial Lecture was established by University College Dublin and the University of California, Davis, to mark the outstanding contribution Professor Kinsella made to Food and Health research during his career. Professor John E. Kinsella graduated from the Agricultural Science Programme at University College Dublin and following his PhD research in Pennsylvania State University, joined the faculty at Cornell University where he was appointed Chair of the Department of Food Science and Director of the Institute of Food Science. Following a series of accolades including, the prestigious Babcock-Hart Award, the USDA Atwater International Award, as well as awards from the American Chemical Society for outstanding research in chemistry, Professor Kinsella took up his role as Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science at UC Davis where he worked until his untimely death in 1993.

The John E. Kinsella Memorial Lecture award is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the science of food and health and has demonstrated the successful application of the science to positively impact on the economy, industry, policy or society.