In vitro microbiome and ex vivo intestinal models for gut health

In my research within the chair of Oral Systems Biology, I strive to unravel the intricate interactions between microbial communities and host physiology in the oral cavity and respiratory tract. By bridging the gap between fundamental science and applications, I hope to develop innovative strategies for preventing and treating oral diseases.

Lifestyle medicine is a paradigm shift in medicine, as the patient becomes the protagonist, the living room replaces the waiting room and the operations move from 3×15 minutes to 365 days per year.

I am interested in the role that the human microbiome, particularly the gut microbiome, plays in human health and disease. The emphasis in my research is on finding ways to keep a healthy microbiome healthy and to get a disturbed microbiome healthy again. Dietary fibers and other natural ingredients play a major role in this research.

UMC Utrecht and TNO collaborate in research on food-borne risk factors for allergic and inflammatory diseases. We develop and apply methods to identify, characterize and manage food-borne risk factors that influence the inflammatory state of our body.