Research Interests
My research activities are targeted to perform interdisciplinary research at the interface between exercise science, nutrition and medicine. I aim to gain a better understanding of the role of diet and physical activity for promoting life expectancy, especially measuring how nutritional strategies and lifestyle modifications may facilitate overall health and help to improve, preserve or restore functional capacity, with a particular focus on muscle–immune interactions.
Themes: Ageing, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Wellbeing
Projects
HDHL-INTIMIC (2019–2021)
Knowledge Platform on Food, Diet, Intestinal Microbiota and Human Health
Funding: ERA-Net Cofund, BM für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
Principal Investigator (Task Leader)
Objectives:
– To explore the relation between dietary/physical activity patterns and the microbiome
– To look into the mechanisms by which gut microbiota is able to influence muscle health
– To disseminate the results of research to the stakeholders and the general public
HIP (2016–2017)
High Protein in Older Hip Fracture Patients
Funding: Austrian Workers’ Compensation Board (AUVA)
Principal Investigator
OMNI-BIOTICS (2015–2016)
Probiotics Supplementation for Athletes
Funding: Institute Allergosan GmbH
Principal Investigator
KORA-AGE (2014–2016)
Impact of Muscle Strength for Successful Aging – A Population-based Analysis
Funding: Tyrolean Science Fund (Project No 0404/1398)
Principal Investigator
VAT (2014–2015)
Abdominal Obesity and Vascular Function
Grant: U.S. NINDS (R01NS75565, APH), NIA (F31AG040890, MMG), Fulbright
Co-Investigator
Collaborations
Medical University Vienna, Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Austria
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany
University Giessen, Department of Exercise Physiology and Sports Therapy, Germany
University Regensburg, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Germany
University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Clinical Neuroscience Lab, USA
JPI-HDHL – Knowledge Platform on Food, Diet, Intestinal Microbiomics and Human Health
(Austrian partners: MUG, MUW, SFU, UNIGRAZ, VMU)