معرفی
Dr. Silvia Gratz serves as a Senior Research Fellow and Principal Investigator at the University of Aberdeen's School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, where she leads the Gut Health research group at the Rowett Institute. Her work bridges nutritional science and toxicology with significant implications for public health and food safety.
Her academic foundation includes:
- MSc in Human Nutrition from the University of Vienna, Austria (2002)
- PhD in Food Toxicology from the University of Kuopio, Finland (2007)
Dr. Gratz's research program investigates how gut microbiota processes dietary components and toxins, with particular expertise in mycotoxins (foodborne toxins from molds) and their impact on human health. She examines how microbial metabolism of these compounds affects intestinal toxicity and how dietary interventions like fiber supplementation can mitigate harmful effects. Her work on masked mycotoxins—bound forms that become active through gut bacterial action—has significantly advanced understanding of food contaminant risks.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on gut microbiome interactions with dietary components, mycotoxin metabolism across different food matrices, and development of biomarkers for human exposure assessment. Her work consistently bridges basic microbiological mechanisms with practical applications for food safety and nutritional recommendations.
Dr. Gratz actively contributes to scientific governance as a member of the FSA Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (since 2022) and serves on the editorial board of Frontiers in Predictive Toxicology. She demonstrates strong commitment to academic service through leadership roles including Co-lead of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Team at the Rowett Institute and membership on the Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team.
As an educator, she coordinates the MSc Clinical Nutrition course and lectures across multiple nutrition programs, while supervising PhD students in Nutrition and Health and Biomedical Sciences. Her substantial grant portfolio demonstrates research leadership across multiple funding sources including Scottish Government programs, research councils, and industry partnerships.
