Romain Barrès

Romain Barrès is a Professor, Group Leader, and Program Coordinator at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) at the University of Copenhagen. He leads the Environmental Epigenetics lab which he established in 2010, and serves as Head of the Gametic Epigenetic Consortium against Obesity (GECKO). He is also an Associate Editor for Frontiers Endocrinology and a member of the Editorial Board of Environmental Epigenetics. His research is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme.

Barrès received his Bachelor in Physiology from the University of Toulouse (France) followed by a Master and PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Nice Côte d'Azur (France). He completed postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Prof. Juleen Zierath at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and subsequently worked as a Lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney before joining the University of Copenhagen.

His research program focuses on how lifestyle factors influence the risk of developing metabolic disorders both in individuals and across generations. Specifically, his lab investigates how dietary factors and physical activity remodel the epigenetic content of metabolic cells and gametes. The Environmental Epigenetics group employs various genomic approaches across cell systems, animal models, and human interventions to understand epigenetic contributions to health and disease. His work benefits from the collaborative network of the GECKO consortium, which examines epigenetic inheritance related to obesity.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, metabolic disease mechanisms, and the impact of dietary patterns on health outcomes. His research spans multiple disciplines including molecular biology, nutrition science, reproductive health, and neuroscience, with particular emphasis on how environmental factors shape biological outcomes across the lifespan and generations. The work often involves innovative animal models and human intervention studies.

• Helmholtz Young Investigator in Diabetes Award (HeIDI)

Barrès serves as a trainer in Leadership and Management for scientists through hfp-consulting and consults for OHANA Bioscience. His research is highly collaborative, with numerous international partnerships reflected in his publication record. The GECKO consortium represents a major collaborative effort funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation to investigate epigenetic mechanisms in obesity across generations.

His Environmental Epigenetics lab at CBMR utilizes cutting-edge genomic approaches to investigate how lifestyle factors influence epigenetic modifications in metabolic tissues and gametes. The lab's work bridges basic molecular research with clinical applications, particularly in understanding how parental lifestyle choices can affect offspring health outcomes.