Human Nutrition Group
The Human nutrition group was established in 2018. Group was previously organized within the Chair of Plant Technology and then within the Chair of Plant Technology, Nutrition and Wine. The group's professional activities are focused on basic and applied science of human nutrition. Within the field of human nutrition, we are strong on the following specialties; life cycle human nutrition, clinical nutrition and sports nutrition.
We are cooperating on different pedagogic and research projects with Institut Jožef Stefan, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Harvard University, Uppsala University and University of Helsinki.
The future interests of our group are studying nutrition in different life cycles as well as screening nutrition in different organisations as kindergarten, school canteens and retirement homes. The future interests of our group are also studying, the influence of nutrition on developing diseases through metabolomics and epigenetics mechanism. We are interested in developing quick screening biomarkers in human biological material (urine, faeces, and blood) for different chronic disease.
The research activity of the Human nutrition group can be divided in three thematic areas:
i) Human Nutrition / Life Cycle Human Nutrition; (assistant prof. Ph.D. Tanja Pajk Žontar, prof. Ph.D. Janez Salobir). For more information see HERE
ii) Clinical nutrition and Nutritional Epidemiology; (assistant prof. Ph.D. Evgen Benedik, assistant prof. Ph.D. Nada Rotovnik Kozjek, prof. Ph.D. Rok Orel, prof. Ph.D. Nataša Mis Fidler). For more information see HERE
iii) Sports Nutrition; (assistant prof. Ph.D. Nada Rotovnik Kozjek, prof. Ph.D. Bojan Knap). For more information see HERE
In the scope of the Human nutrition group, we are teaching following subjects:
Undergraduate (BSc) study of Food Technology and Nutrition: Food Quality Evaluation and Legislation, Basic Nutrition, Food Habits, Clinical Nutrition Dietetics and Nutritional Epidemiology, Dietetics - Practical Course
MSc study of Nutrition: Food Safety, Human Nutrition, Life Cycle Nutrition, Alternative Nutrition, Nutrition Planning, Sports Nutrition, Current Issues in Nutrition, Evaluation of Nutritional Status and Requirements, Dietetics and clinical nutrition
MSc study of Food Technology and Nutrition: Food Safety, Sports Nutrition, Current Issues in Nutrition
Postgraduate (PhD) study of Life Sciences: Nutrition, Clinical nutrition
For more information GO HERE.
Researchers of the group:
Assistant prof. Ph.D. Tanja Pajk Žontar
Position: full assistant professor at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical faculty,Department of Food Science and Technology
Education: Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana: 2000 (BSc); 2005 (PhD).
Positions: Teaching Assistant: 2004 - 2016, Assistant Professor: 2016 -
Research activities: assistant prof. Pajk Žontar is engaged in the research programme group “Integrated food technology and nutrition” (P4-0234) financed by the Slovene research agency. The main fields of research interests are: food quality in the market, consumer perception of food / additives / new technology, nutritional quality and its importance in the balanced diet of differently aged populations, nutrition in aging, food marketing to children.
Teaching activities: assistant prof. Pajk Žontar is teaching in the scope of BSc, MSc and doctoral studies of Food Science and Technology, particularly focused on the field of nutrition, nutrition in life cycle (particularly in nutrition for elderly) and consumers perception.
Personal bibliography:
http://splet02.izum.si/cobiss/bibliography?code=21396&langbib=eng
Assistant prof. Ph.D. Evgen Benedik
Position: assistant professor at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology (50 % employment) and clinical nutritionist at the Children’s Hospital Ljubljana (50 % employment)
Education: MSc in Food science and Technology, PhD in Nutrition
Positions: Teaching Assistant: 2015-2018; Assistant Professor: 2018 -
Research activities: Experienced Clinical and Research Nutritionist with a demonstrated history of working in hospital & public health care. The main fields of research interests are paediatrics gastroenterology and neonatology, as well as nutrition during the first 8000 days, especially the period of first 3 months prior conception, pregnancy, breastfeeding, until 2 years of child age. Within this period the human gut and human milk microbiota composition, human milk composition (human milk oligosaccharides, vitamin D, fatty acids composition, hormones) and body composition are of great interest of research.
Teaching activities: Clinical dietetics and epidemiology of nutrition (BSc), Clinical dietetics – practicum (BSc), Food habits (BSc), Dietetics and clinical nutrition (MSc), Evaluation of nutrition and nutrition needs (MSc), Nutrition (PhD)
Personal bibliography:
http://splet02.izum.si/cobiss/bibliography?code=33338&langbib=eng
Teaching Assistant Ph.D. Saša Piskernik
Position: Teaching Assistant at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology
Education: 2008: Bachelor of Food Science and Technology; 2016: Doctor of Food Science – Postgraduate Study of Biological and Biotechnical Sciences, Field: Food Science and Technology
Positions: Teaching Assistant at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology
Research activities: ARRS Programme Integrated food technology and nutrition (P4-0234).
Teaching activities: laboratory and seminar exercise in Food Quality Evaluation and Legislation, Basic Nutrition (BSc), Food Habits (BSc), Human Nutrition (MSc), Life Cycle Nutrition (MSc), Alternative Nutrition (MSc), Nutrition Planning, Current Issues in Nutrition (MSc)
Personal bibliography:
http://splet02.izum.si/cobiss/bibliography?code=33605&langbib=eng
Teaching Assistant Ph.D. Neža Lipovec
Position: Teaching Assistant
Education: MSc in Nutrition, PhD in nutrition - in progress
Positions: Teaching Assistant at the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical faculty, Department of Food Science and Technology: 2019 -
Research activities: Clinical and research nutritionist currently also working at Children Hospital Ljubljana. The main field of research is nutrition in neurological diseases, especially ketogenic diet for treatment of children epilepsy. Furthermore, she is currently participating on a research project Sugars in Human Nutrition: availability in foods, dietary intakes and health effects, where she is responsible to determine the effectiveness of nutritional counselling in reducing the intake of free sugars (especially fructose) in obese adolescents. Another field of interest is also human milk composition in association with child development and composition of child microbiota.
Teaching activities: laboratory and seminar exercise in Clinical dietetics and epidemiology of nutrition (BSc), Clinical dietetics – practicum (BSc), Food habits (BSc), Dietetics and clinical nutrition (MSc), Evaluation of nutrition and nutrition needs (MSc)
Personal bibliography:
http://splet02.izum.si/cobiss/bibliography?code=52451&langbib=eng