The main research areas of the GENUD group are nutritional assessment of children and adolescents, epidemiology and prevention of nutrition-related disorders, especially obesity, and applied nutrition. The group is composed by more than 30 professionals. The GENUD group is member of the Food and Agriculture Institute of Aragón (IA2). The GENUD group has focused from its origin in the study of lifestyle (nutrition and physical activity) and its relation with growth and development in children and adolescents. The development of obesity in children is due in part to genetic susceptibility together with consumption of energy-dense foods. However, the interaction between genetic and environmental factors is still poorly understood. In this respect, the GENUD group has contributed to scientific knowledge with several publications. The group has participated in 9 DG Research (European Commission) funded projects. Most of them are interdisciplinary in nature: HELENA, IDEFICS, iFamily, ToyBox, Feel4Diabetes, GrowH! and DigiCare4You. Researchers in these projects include nutritionists, biochemists, paediatricians, endocrinologists, physical activity graduates, nurses and psychologists. Moreover, the group has long lasting experience of collaboration with different food companies and has obtained financial support by the CDTI, (Spanish Government), CENIT and CIEN programs.

Research projects

1. Multifactorial evidence based approach using behavioural models in understanding and promoting fun, healthy food, play and policy for the prevention of obesity in early childhood (ToyBox) (FP7) http://www.toybox-study.eu/
2. Investigating the determinants of food choice, lifestyle and health in European children, adolescents and their parents (I.Family) (FP7) http://www.ifamilystudy.eu/
3. Developing and implementing a community-based intervention to create a more supportive social and physical environment for lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes in vulnerable families across Europe (Feel4Diabetes) (H2020) http://feel4diabetes-study.eu/es/
4. An intersectoral innovative solution involving DIGItal tools, empowering families and integrating community CARE services for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and hypertension (DigiCare4You) (H2020)
5. Growing up healthy: Obesity prevention tailored to critical transition periods in the early life-course (GrowH!) (JPI A healthy diet for a healthy life) growh.eu

Relevant publications

1. Iguacel I, Fernández-Alvira JM, Ahrens W, Bammann K, Gwozdz W, Lissner L, Michels N, Reisch L, Russo P, Szommer A, Tornaritis M, Veidebaum T, Börnhorst C, Moreno LA; IDEFICS consortium (2018). Prospective associations between social vulnerabilities and children’s weight status. Results from the IDEFICS study. Int J Obes (Lond);42(10):1691-1703.
2. Larqué E, Labayen I, Flodmark CE, Lissau I, Czernin S, Moreno LA (Corresponding author), Pietrobelli A, Widhalm K (2019). From conception to infancy – early risk factors for childhood obesity. Nat Rev Endocrinol;15(8):456-478.
3. Miguel-Berges ML, Santaliestra-Pasias AM, Mouratidou T, Androutsos O, de Craemer M, Pinket AS, Birnbaum J, Koletzko B, Iotova V, Usheva N, Kulaga Z, Gozdz M, Manios Y, Moreno LA; ToyBox-study group (2017). Associations between food and beverage consumption and different types of sedentary behaviours in European preschoolers: the ToyBox-study. Eur J Nutr;56(5):1939-1951.
4. González-Gil EM, Huybrechts I, Aguilera CM, Béghin L, Breidenassel C, Gesteiro E, González-Gross M, de Henauw S, Kersting M, Donne CL, Manios Y, Marcos A, Meirhaeghe A, De Miguel-Etayo P, Molina-Hidalgo C, Molnár D, Papadaki A, Widhalm K, Moreno LA, Bel-Serrat S. Cardiometabolic Risk is Positively Associated with Underreporting and Inversely Associated with Overreporting of Energy Intake Among European Adolescents: The Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) Study. J Nutr. 2021 Mar 11;151(3):675-684.
5. Seral-Cortes M, Sabroso-Lasa S, De Miguel-Etayo P, Gonzalez-Gross M, Gesteiro E, Molina-Hidalgo C, De Henauw S, Erhardt É, Censi L, Manios Y, Karaglani E, Widhalm K, Kafatos A, Beghin L, Meirhaeghe A, Salazar-Tortosa D, Ruiz JR, Moreno LA, Esteban LM, Labayen I. Interaction Effect of the Mediterranean Diet and an Obesity Genetic Risk Score on Adiposity and Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents: The HELENA Study. Nutrients. 2020 Dec 16;12(12):3841.

Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie – BIPS, Germany.

Harokopio University of Athens – HUA, Greece

University of Ghent – Ughent, Belgium

Laboratorios Ordesa, S.L. – Ordesa, Spain

NOVAPAN S.L. – NOVAPAN, Spain

A secondment for 3 to 6 months is proposed at Laboratorios Ordesa. Laboratorios Ordesa has a Cereal Pilot Plant and Dairy Pilot Plant and a research Laboratory located at Scientific Parc of Barcelona, fully equipped to carry out basic and applied research using in vivo studies with a great variety of methodologies including molecular biology techniques, cell culture, OMICS (Metabolomics, Proteomics, Metagenomics, Transcriptomics, Lipidomics) and biofermentations. This secondment will offer the postdoctoral fellow an opportunity to use key infrastructure and find synergies in the transfer of knowledge between academia and industrial partners.

Another secondment will be offered at NOVAPAN for 3 to 6 months where he/she will contribute in the application to the latest findings in the human nutritional field. NOVAPAN is compromised with the development of new healthier products. On the other hand, the postdoctoral fellow will get experience in the industrial activity.

Also additional research stays will be possible at international collaborators: the university of Harokopio in Athens to host the postdoctoral researcher for training on lifestyle behaviors assessment methods and how to modify these behaviors in a positive direction; the university of Ghent in Belgium to contribute to a collaborative work on research lines in the field of diet, nutrition and public health and joint application of grants and projects; and the Leibniz-Institute for prevention research and epidemiology to get training on advance research methods and enlarge international partnerships.

The postdoctoral researcher will work in collaboration with three academic groups from Bremen (Germany), Ghent (Belgium) and Athens (Greece). The group in Bremen coordinated the IDEFICS and iFamily EU projects. The group in Athens coordinated the ToyBox, Feel4Diabetes and DigiCare4You EU projects. The group in Ghent coordinated several work packages in the HELENA, IDEFICS and iFamily EU projects. Further collaborative work is expected with non academic partners: Laboratorios Ordesa S.L. and Novapan, which are partners of GENUD in two national projects (SMARTFOODS and MedKids).