We are proud to announce that Ruurd van Elburg, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, has been appointed as Professor of Early Life Nutrition at the University of Amsterdam’s Faculty of Medicine. This endowed chair has been established by the Danone Research & Innovation Foundation.
Prof. van Elburg’s work will explore the effects of nutrition, specifically around the first 1000 days of life. This is the period from the first day of pregnancy until a child is 2 years of age when all organs and tissues are being formed and developed. Therefore, this period offers a critical window of opportunity to shape long-term health. Van Elburg will study the short term as well as long term effects of nutrition in preclinical studies and clinical research.
Since May 2011 Prof. van Elburg has been Chief Scientific Officer at Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, where he is responsible for the clinical and medical evaluation of the scientific research programs. He is also associate professor of Paediatrics at VU University Amsterdam Medical Center and a guest researcher at Utrecht University.
Prof. van Elburg has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers mainly in the field of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Neonatology. Besides his academic experiences, Prof. van Elburg is a national and international instructor and course director for the European Newborn Life Support Course which is organized by the European Resuscitation Council, and was an instructor on Advanced Pediatric Life Support in Europe and Africa.
Biography
Prof. van Elburg studied at the Medical School of the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He graduated as a MD in 1989. From 1989 – 1995 he worked at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands on ‘The Sugar Absorption Test; Clinico-pathophysiological considerations’ including studies on food allergy, celiac disease and cystic fibrosis in children. He obtained his PhD degree in 1995.
From 1993 – 1998, he was resident in Pediatrics at the University Medical Center Groningen and Isala Clinics Zwolle, The Netherlands. During his training, he continued his research activities on nutrition and the gastrointestinal tract in neonates and children.
From 1998 – 2000, he did a fellowship in Neonatology at the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
From 2000-2011, he worked as a Pediatrician-Neonatologist at the same institute.
In 1992, he received a Travel Grant Award from the European Academy Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In 1993, he was awarded the NESPEN Award of the Dutch Society of Gastroenterology.