Prof. Dr. Kristin Junge is a Professor for Nutritional Science at AKAD University Stuttgart in the School of Health & Social Sciences, and a Cooperating Scientist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, where she works in the Department of Environmental Immunology. She is also a Guest Scientist at UFZ and serves as Chair of the examination board for Health & Social Sciences at AKAD University. Additionally, she is a member of the specialist group "Physiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition" of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the COPLANT study at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Dr. Junge completed her Habilitation in nutritional physiology and biochemistry of nutrition at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in 2024. Her academic journey began with her studies in Nutritional Sciences at the same university (2001-2006), followed by PhD research in the Department of Human Nutrition (2006-2009). She also completed a postdoc at McMaster University in Canada (2010). Her research focuses on the relationship between perinatal exposure to lifestyle and environmental factors and the development of overweight and allergies in infancy, with particular emphasis on the impact of nutritional compounds like vitamin D and epigenetic mechanisms. Dr. Junge's work takes a translational approach, combining data from human epidemiological cohort studies with mechanistic investigations using disease-associated stem cell culture models, including adipocyte differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells and eosinophil/basophil progenitor cell differentiation. She also investigates how nutritional compounds influence atherogenesis and lipid metabolism. Dr. Junge has received several notable awards throughout her career, including participation in the 64th Nobel Laureate Meeting in Physiology/Medicine (2014), the Luther-Award from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (2010), a postdoctoral fellowship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (2009), and an award from the society for the support of agricultural and nutritional sciences at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (2007). As an educator, Dr. Junge has been teaching Bachelor's and Master's level courses in Nutritional Sciences at Martin Luther University since 2018. Her research is closely connected to the LINA birth cohort study, which investigates environmental and lifestyle factors affecting child health outcomes. Her work at the UFZ's Department of Environmental Immunology places her within a vibrant research community focused on understanding how environmental factors impact immune function and health outcomes.












