Nutrition and Metabolism - Research lines

• Nutrigenomics research group 

The Nutrigenomics research group, recognised by the Generalitat of Catalonia as a consolidated research group, studies the interaction of non-nutrients with the metabolism and their regulation using methodological approaches characteristic of biochemistry and molecular biology, in addition to omic technologies. The main areas of interest are the metabolic disturbances caused by obesity and phenolic compounds.

• MoBioFood research group

This group currently studies the interaction of flavonoids with the entero-endocrine system (as regulators of glucose homoeostasis, and also in terms of their effects on food intake), and the ability of these compounds to maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier and/or act as anti-inflammatory agents in the gastrointestinal tract.

• Cheminformatics and Nutrition research group  

The Cheminformatics and Nutrition research group uses computational drug design tools (such as the development of virtual screening, protein-ligand docking methods, pharmacophores, etc.) applied to databases of natural products to find new bioactive ingredients. In the group we combine a computational part (in silico) with an experimental part (in vitro and in vivo), which allow us to find new bioactive compounds and demonstrate the predicted activities.

• Nutrition and Health research group 

The research of this Nutrition and Health research group group focuses on the validation of the beneficial health effects of bioactive ingredients of natural origin and their mechanism of action through in vitro and in vivo models, human intervention studies, and the use of omic technologies and bioinformatics tools.

• Nutrition and Mental Health research group 

The Nutrition and Mental Health research group has experience with epidemiology of diseases related to nutrition and health in populations, nutritional status during pregnancy and neurobehavioural development of the child, and community intervention programmes in nutrition education and health.

• Research Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis 

The Research Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis (URLA) has studied the lipid metabolism, the mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis, its clinical manifestations (cardiovascular diseases) and its risk factors in general. Because the Unit has been a member of CIBERDEM (ISCIII) since 2008, diabetes is of special importance. Its mission is to conduct basic research in the field of biomedicine at a level of international excellence in order to improve the care of patients who have atherosclerosis or are at risk of developing it.

• Nutrition, Diet, Growth and Mental Health research group 

Nutrition, Growth and Mental Health research group is concentrated on: the epidemiological study of nutritional status and diet-related diseases, especially obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Controlled intervention studies to determine the effect of diet and nutrients on the metabolism. The relationship between obesity and its comorbidities and inflammation.

Multi-centre intervention studies with the Mediterranean diet to assess its effect on cardiovascular disease in primary prevention and on other chronic diseases (obesity, diabetes, etc.) or intermediate markers, systemic inflammation or oxidation processes. The relationship between nutritional status before and during pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and newborn health, especially with regard to aspects of gene regulation. Genetic and nutritional regulation of homocysteine ​​levels and health consequences.

• YanesLab