profile: prof. dr. r.p. mensink

Prof. Dr. Ronald P. Mensink is full professor in Molecular Nutrition at the Department of Human Biology at University Maastricht. He is research leader of Division 2 “Nutrition and Metabolism” of NUTRIM (Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht). He studied human nutrition (biochemical-physiological direction) at the Wageningen University. At the same university he was promoted to Doctor in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 1990. In 1991 he received the Prof den Hartog price, an award from the “Nederlandse Vereniging van Voedingsleer en Levensmiddelentechnologie” (NVVL) given every 4-year for the best thesis in the field of nutrition.
Since 1992 he also has an MSc-degree in epidemiology, and in 2006 became a registered nutritionist. In 1990 he moved to the Department of Human Biology at the University Maastricht, first as a postdoctoral fellow, later as a fellow of the Dutch Academy of Science (KNAW,1991-1996), and assistant professor (1996-98). Primary research interests are the relationships between nutritive and nonnutritive components in the diet - including functional foods - with chronic metabolic stress. Experiments are mainly carried out with human volunteers, but also with transgenic animals and cell cultures. Studies are designed not only to look at effects, but also to unravel the biochemical and molecular mechanisms, which underlie these effects. For this, experiments are carried out with stable isotopes, while molecular-biological techniques are used to measure gene-polymorphisms as well as mRNA and/or protein expression profiles.

memberships/awards

  • Chairman of the Deptartment of Human Biology, Maastricht University
  • Vice-chairman of the “Nederlandse Academie van Voedingswetenschappen”
  • Chairman of “Commissie van Toezicht en Beoordeling” for accreditation of nutritionists
  • Board Member graduate school VLAG
  • Chairman and organizer of scientific sessions at international symposia
  • Invited participant at industry strategy meetings
  • National and international invited lectureships on diet and health
  • Reviewer for national and international funding agencies
  • Former chairman of the Individual Theme Group on “Diet-related cardiovascular disease” within the PASSCLAIM-project (5th framework programme) coordinated by ILSI (International Life Sciences Institute)
  • Former member of working groups of the Health Council of the Netherlands

 

awards/prizes

2004 'Grande Covian' memorial lecture awarded by the Spanish Atherosclerosis Society
2000 Edmond Hustinx Science Price of Maastricht University. The Edmond Hustinx Prize was established to emphasize the importance of the application of science in our daily lives and to accentuate the importance of the study programmes offered by all faculties of Maastricht University for South-Limburg.

publications

36 Publications in peer-reviewed journals
2003-2006