About our research group/lab
Our research
Research
In the Nutrition & Lifestyle research group we investigate the role of lifestyle and nutrition in health throughout life in order to develop effective strategies to improve population’s health. We study determinants, markers, and health consequences of diet, physical activity, alcohol use, exposure to air pollution, smoking, and obesity in various populations and life stages, from pregnancy and infancy to old age.
Cohort studies
Most of our research is embedded in large prospective cohort studies, such as the Generation R Study and Rotterdam Study. In addition, we collaborate in several international consortia we have extensive experience and expertise in performing systematic reviews and meta-analyses to summarize published evidence.
Research
Main research topics in our group include:
- Associations of nutrition and lifestyle with and incidence, progression and reversal of
cardiometabolic diseases.
- Novel markers and analyses of nutritional status, body composition, physical activity,
sedentary behavior, air pollution.
- Nutrition in early life, pregnancy, infancy, childhood and its associations with long-term
health.
International
Over the years, many scientists and students have worked in the Nutrition & Lifestyle group, from various scientific disciplines (health sciences, nutrition science, movement science, psychology, biomedical sciences) and from all over the world (30+ nationalities over the last years). Till now, 16 PhD students have finalized their PhD in our group and more than 100 MSc or MD research projects have been completed in the team.Our projects
Examples of previous and current projects:
• Protein intake in infancy and adiposity• Plant-based eating and health
• Epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) on blood lipids, obesity, and diet
• Diet and gut microbiome composition in childhood and adulthood
• Gene x diet interactions in health and disease risk
• Bidirectional associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with mental health
• Coffee consumption, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes
• Diet quality of children and associations with body composition and cardiometabolic
health
• Air pollution and metabolic health
• Impact of various lifestyle factors on life expectancy with and without chronic diseases
• Reducing ethnic inequalities in children’s adiposity through diet, screen time and sports
participation interventions
Key Publications
Career opportunities
Our team
Principal Investigator:
R.G. Voortman
Team:
Management Assistant:
Mirjam Roosen-Niesing
m.roosen-niesing@erasmusmc.nl
MSc students
Amber Meulenbeld
MSc student air pollution and health
531427am@student.eur.nl
PhD students:
M. Amiri
T.O.E. de Crom
B.N.R. Ginos
A. Hofman
M.A.M. Limpens
Y. Mou
H. Sun
X. Wang
Y. Wu
Post Docs:
Z. Chen
C.P. Ochoa-Rosales
M.J.J. Steur
