NUTRIM aims to contribute to health maintenance and personalised medicine by unraveling lifestyle and disease-induced derangements in metabolism and by developing targeted nutritional, exercise and drug interventions.
This is facilitated by a state of the art research infrastructure and close interaction between scientists, clinicians, master and PhD students.
NUTRIM research focuses on chronic diseases, including diabetes, COPD, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease and renal disease, and contributes to improving cancer care. Biomedical research is directly linked to clinical trials and research focusing on behavioural interventions and health promotion. A primary goal is to accelerate the translation of science to patient and population.
Central disorders that are investigated in NUTRIM Division II include inflammatory bowel disease, liver failure, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer cachexia, cholestasis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Research in Division III aims to understand the onset of disease related to age and lifestyle and to identify people with an enhanced risk for disease and (re-)hospitalisation.
NUTRIM offers a PhD training programme for students who aspire a broad understanding of human nutrition, metabolism and toxicology, next to outstanding research capabilities. NUTRIM researchers also teach in several master’s programmes, such as ‘Biomedical Sciences’, ‘Physician Clinical Scientist’ and ‘Health Food Innovation Management’.
Doctoral theses in all three NUTRIM divisions listed by publication year.
Scientific and societal impact - projects, best practices and stories
An unhealthy lifestyle can have disastrous consequences for the liver. Fatty liver disease can develop, a chronic liver condition that can lead to liver failure or even liver cancer. Fatty liver also contributes to the development and worsening of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
What she eats matters less to her than who her tablemates are. Ronit Shiri-Sverdlov, professor of Inflammation and Metabolic Health, is happiest when eating at home with her family. The chef is whoever feels like cooking, the food is whatever they happen to have on hand.
Older people are hit hardest by the coronavirus, but by far the second most prevalent group is people with obesity. They are more likely to contract a severe case of COVID-19, and more likely to die from it. Gijs Goossens, associate professor of Human Biology, is studying whether drugs that lower blood pressure can reduce the risks. “Obesity is a major risk factor, so I would like to see the media emphasise not only the prevention of infection, but also the importance of a healthy lifestyle when people are working from home or are in quarantine.”
NUTRIM works in close cooperation with the Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+). MUMC+ is known both nationally and internationally for its focus on prevention and taking an integrated approach to health care: from prevention, promotion of good health, and basic care, to top-level clinical diagnostics and treatment. Patient safety is our top priority in all of our endeavours. MUMC+ is part of The Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres.