Speakers

Dr. Sanne Gijzel (GERION)

Dr. Pol Grootswagers (WUR)

As we journey through life, the inevitable march of time brings about changes in our bodies, making us more susceptible to various health challenges. Unravel the mysteries of aging and discover the keys to maintaining robust health in your later years. In the Science Café of January 24, Dr. Sanne Gijzel will share her expertise on healthy aging, focusing on resilience—the capacity to recover from inevitable health stressors. Drawing from her interdisciplinary research projects and hands-on experience in elderly care, Dr. Gijzel will share her view and insights on healthy aging in general, taking into account physical, social, and mental aspects. Then we will delve into the realm of nutrition and lifestyle with our second speaker, Dr. Pol Grootswagers. Uncover the secrets behind the role of nutrition in the aging process. Can the right diet and lifestyle choices slow down biological aging? Dr. Grootswagers will specifically speak about the importance of proteins from animal and plant sources on muscle mass during ageing.

Dr. Sanne Gijzel is a medical doctor with a passion for interdisciplinary research that can bridge the gap between scientific theory and the clinical practice. She did her PhD at Radboud University on approaches to measure resilience in older adults. As a doctor she worked in geriatric ward in de hospital and in different nursing homes. She chose to specialize and become an elderly care physician. It is unique in the world that the Netherlands have specially trained physicians in the long-term care for frail older people and patients with complex chronic health problems.

Dr. Pol Grootswagers is an assistant professor at Wageningen University, specialized in Nutrition and Ageing. His research focuses on plant-based proteins and muscle health in older adults, including creating a protein quality scoring system for diets, and on biological ageing. Dr. Grootswagers is also a board member of the Dutch Society on Research in Ageing, contributing to the understanding of nutrition’s role in the ageing process.