Research Focus

Endocrinology, Metabolism & Developmental Disorders

Area of Research

Our main research areas are nutritional physiology and nutritional medicine, with a focus on obesity. We investigate the physiological regulation of appetite, including gastric emptying, gastrointestinal satiation hormones, intestinal microbiome as well as gut-brain-interactions in response to different food substances (fat, protein, sugar and sugar substitutes). We are also interested in the metabolic changes in obesity and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of action of metabolic surgery in order to optimize the surgical strategy and to get to the bottom of the causes of obesity.

2017-2018 Research Grant ‘Stiftung zur Förderung der gastroenterologischen und allgemeinen klinischen Forschung sowie der medizinischen Bildauswertung’: Effect of the natural sweeteners erythritol and xylitol on vascular function in obese volunteers.

2019-2022 Research Grant Botnar Foundation: Effect of the natural sweeteners erythritol and xylitol on gut microbiota and metabolic function and clinical application in obese children.

2020-2024 Research Grant Swiss Science Foundation: Replacing sugar with the natural sweetener erythritol as an alternative for artificial sweeteners: satiating and rewarding without calories?

2022-2026 Research Grant Uniscientia Foundation: Effects of oral administarion of the low-caloric sweeteners erythritol and xylitol on reward responses using flavor preference learning and on subsequent energy intake, as well as on gastrointestinal hormones, glycemic control, and appetite-related sensations.

National Collaborations

• PD Dr. Claudia Cavelti-Weder, Departement Biomedizin, University of Basel, Basel
• ‪PD Dr. Mitsugu Shimobayashi, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel
• Prof. Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss, Departement für Sport, Bewegung und Gesundheit, University of Basel, Basel
• Prof. Oliver Bieri, University Hospital Basel, Basel
• Prof. Marc Pfister, Universitätskinderspital beider Basel, Basel
• Prof. Pablo Sinues, Universitätskinderspital beider Basel, Basel
• Prof. Götz Schlotterbeck, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Muttenz
• Prof. Mark Fox, Klinik Arlesheim, Arlesheim
• Prof. Marco Bueter, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich
• Prof. Tilo Hühn, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Wädenswil
• Prof. Markus Mohaupt, Lindenhofgruppe AG, Bern
• Prof. Inta Dragos, University of Freiburg, Freiburg
• Prof. Jacques Schrenzel, University Hospital Genf, Genf

International Collaborations

• Prof. Jens Rehfeld, Rigshospitalet Copenhagen, Denmark
• Prof. Jens Holst, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Prof. Carel le Roux, Conway Institute University College Dublin, Ireland
• Prof. Owen O’Daly, Imperial College London, UK
• Prof. Rachel Batterham, Imperial College London, UK
• Prof. Marc-Emanuel Dumas, Imperial College London, UK
• Prof. Lukas Van Oudenhove, Katholieke University Leuven, Belgium
• Prof. Stefan Borgwardt, University of Lübeck, Germany
• Prof. Christophe Magnan, University of Paris, France

BASEC 298/12: Taste Physiology in Obese Volunteers Before and After Bariatric Surgery

BASEC 2016-00781: Effect of the natural sweeteners erythritol and xylitol on vascular function in obese volunteers: A pilot study

BASEC 2019-02109: Understanding gut-brain interactions and the effect of a low-carb dietary intervention in obese and depressive patients with and without glucose intolerance or diabetes: a pilot trial

BASEC 2019-01111: Acute Effects of the Two Alternative Sweeteners D-allulose and Erythritol on Gastrointestinal Hormone Secretion and Glycemic Control

BASEC 2020-02847: Effects of Oral Pre-loads on Subsequent Energy Intake, Gastrointestinal Hormones, Glycemic Control, Appetite-related Sensations, and Gastrointestinal Tolerance

BASEC 2021-00626: Effect of daily erythritol versus sucrose intake over 5 weeks on glucose tolerance in adolescents: a pilot trial

BASEC 2022-00156: Assessment of reward responses to oral erythritol using flavor preference learning and its effects on gastrointestinal hormones, glycemic control, appetite-related sensations and emotional state

BASEC 2019-02392: Swiss Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial on different Limb Lengths in Gastric Bypass Surgery (SLIM trial) – Metabolic Part 3