How Nutrients Affect Human Health and Metabolism

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has appointed Lydia Afman as professor and chair of the Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics chair group for the Division of Human Nutrition and Health, with effect from April. Prof. Dr. Ir. Lydia Afman aims to understand how food and nutrients work on the molecular, cellular and organic level and how they influence human health and metabolism. “My ambition for the group is to place greater emphasis on our translational approach, which should be taken even further. This means translating findings from animal and cell models to humans, and vice versa. In the latter case, we take insights gained from human studies and explore them in more detail in animal and cell models”

Multidisciplinary Approach

Recognising that a multidisciplinary approach is needed to tackle future research challenges, Afman stresses the importance of effective collaboration. “I strive to create a positive environment that encourages teamwork, openness, inclusivity and creativity." With her broad perspective on nutrition, she aims to link various disciplines and identify new collaborative opportunities. Prior to her new role, she served as an associate professor in the Human Nutrition and Health Department at Wageningen University & Research.

Pioneer in Nutrigenomics

Since starting her postdoctoral work at Wageningen University & Research, Afman has become a pioneer in the burgeoning field of nutrigenomics, particularly in its application to human nutritional intervention studies. Her large-scale and intricate nutritional intervention studies, which involve a comprehensive characterisation of the participants and detailed molecular analysis of metabolic and inflammatory processes, have yielded significant new insights.

Personalised Diet

She has combined this study with 'omics' techniques and sensor data to investigate how nutrition affects metabolic health. In recent years her research has centred on precision nutrition, aiming to uncover the mechanisms behind individual variations in response to food and develop an optimal personalised diet for improved health and disease prevention.

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