Natal van Riel

Natal van Riel is a Full Professor of Biomedical Systems Biology at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), leading the Computational Biology group and the Systems Biology and Metabolic Diseases research program. He holds a part-time Professorship in Computational Modelling at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AMC, University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Medicine). His research focuses on integrating computational models with experimental data to study metabolic networks, physiological processes, and digital twins for personalized medicine, particularly in obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Van Riel earned his MSc in Electrical Engineering from TU/e in 1995 and his PhD in Biotechnology from Utrecht University in 2000 under Prof. Theo Verrips. Previously, he worked in TU/e's Electrical Engineering department and served as a Visiting Scholar at UCSD's Bioengineering department. He has held academic roles including Assistant Professor (2003), Associate Professor (2014), and became Head of the Computational Biology group in 2023.

Research interests include systems biology applications in clinical practice, modeling bile acid-microbiome interactions, and metabolic resilience. Key projects include RESOLVE (gut microbiome and metabolic health), the NWO-funded Complexity in Health and Nutrition program, and the MHI index for bariatric surgery outcomes. He collaborates across disciplines, involving engineers, clinicians, and patients to bridge computational models and healthcare.

Van Riel chairs the TU/e Biomedical Engineering Examination Committee, coordinates the Biomedical Systems Modeling curriculum, and participates in committees like the Research Committee and Interdepartmental Engineering Committee. His educational activities include courses on Systems Medicine, Endocrinology, and Applied Clinical Data Science.

• Awards:
  • AMC Principal Investigator (2016)
  • COST Action BM1402 (2014)
  • Netherlands Royal Order of Orange-Nassau (2014)
• Labs/Teams:
  • Computational Biology group (TU/e)
  • Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center
  • EAISI Health (TU/e)

His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health) and 2 (Zero Hunger), combining mechanistic and data-driven approaches in nutritional and metabolic research. Current projects like DiaGame aim to empower diabetes patients via serious games, while the Dietary Digital Twin project focuses on personalized dietary advice for health and planetary sustainability.