Henk Schols

Dr. Henk Schols is an Associate Professor in Food Chemistry at Wageningen University & Research. His research focuses on carbohydrate chemistry, gut microbiota interactions, and functional food components. He leads projects exploring pectin structure-function relationships, prebiotic effects of dietary fibers, and immunomodulatory properties of food polymers.

Research Interests:

• Pectin bioactivity and structural characterization
• Gut microbiota modulation via dietary fibers
• Carbohydrate digestion kinetics
• Immunomodulation by food-derived polysaccharides

Recent work emphasizes translational research between carbohydrate structure and health outcomes, with collaborations in human nutrition and animal science. Over 600 publications and 46 active research projects highlight his interdisciplinary impact.

Supervises PhD candidates in areas like exopolysaccharide bioactivity, mucin glycosylation, and functional carbohydrate formulations.