Research projects

How does reducing sitting time improve glucose and lipid metabolism? Changes in lifestyle are responsible for an important part of the type 2 diabetes epidemic of the last decennia. The western society is characterized by a sedentary lifestyle. Recent...

Project 1: Optimizing the beneficial health effects of exercise for diabetes: focus on the liver! One of the earliest hallmarks of type 2 diabetes is resistance of the peripheral tissues liver and muscle to the action of insulin, which is generally...

High Intensity Interval Training and Skeletal Muscle Insulin Sensitivity A common metabolic disturbance in obesity and obesity-associated disorders is reduced skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity, resulting in compromised glucose homeostasis. Skeletal...

Targeting the NAD+ metabolism Our western society is characterized by an increase in the prevalence of obesity, which is accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases....

Project 1: Nutritional approaches to preserve and improve mitochondrial health and physical function in the elderly (Mitochondrial Health) Mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses, are essential organelles in all cells relying on aerobic metabolism t...

Project 1: Targeting mitochondrial function in pre-diabetic subjects: a role for SIRT1 activation by resveratrol? It is well known that exercise and calorie restriction are the two most potent non-pharmacological therapies to improve metabolic...

Project 1: Day-night Rhythm in Human Skeletal Muscle Metabolism Many processes in the body are synchronized to a day-night rhythm, mastered centrally in de hypothalamus. However, in our 24/7 culture, we often do not obey to the daynight cycle imposed...

Project 1: Ectopic fat Fat accumulation in liver and muscle is one of the major determinants of metabolic health. Very little is known about the dietary factors that determine fat content in these tissues in humans, which is mainly due to the inaccessibility...

Myocellular lipid droplets, insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function: a microscopic approach Skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients is characterized by high levels of intramyocellular lipid (IMCL), which associates with insulin...

Preservation of metabolic flexibility by acetylcarnitine formation Insulin resistant subjects and type 2 diabetic patients are characterized by a decreased metabolic flexibility: a reduced capability to switch from fat oxidation in the basal state...

Projects Brown adipose tissue and cold acclimation BMP9 mediated effects on human brown adipose tissue adipogenesis and metabolism Brown adipose tissue and cold acclimation Upon mild cold exposure people can increase their energy expenditure....