Disease-related malnutrition (2025)

Welcome to Disease-related malnutrition

PhD Programme: Clinical Science and Laboratory and Translational Medicine (CSLTM)

Description: This PhD course aims at providing thorough, reflective, and reflexive knowledge on the overall aspects of disease related malnutrition and is especially intended for students with clinical projects. Moreover, this course aims to meet students’ needs in addition to covering essential elements of clinical research and evidence-based practice. Additionally, the course will attend especially to the issue of translational nutrition from the more cell based experimental nutrition over clinical nutrition to applied research methods. Prerequisites:

Students enrolled in PhD program and at a point where they have finished their general courses. Students doing quantitative and mixed method research in nutrition, regardless of research setting, are encouraged to apply for this course

Learning objectives. After the course the students should be able to: Explain the scientific basis and relevance and relevance of disease related malnutrition. Decide on scientific approaches and methodologies special for clinical nutrition research.

Teaching methods: This course will be run in a combined lecture and workshop style and the students will be encouraged to active participation.

Organizer:  Mette Holst, Professor, Head of Research, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University

Lecturers: Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen, Professor, Consultant, MD, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University

Randi Tobberup, Head of Dietetics, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital

Helle Nygaard Lærke, Senior researcher, PhD. Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Section for Monogastric Nutrition, Aarhus University

Charlotte Lauridsen, Head of Department, Professor. Primary affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University; Secondary affiliation. Adjungated Professor at Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University.

Mette Holst, Professor, Head of Research, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University

Additional external lecturers awaiting confirmation

ECTS: 3.0

Dates: 10,11,12,13 November 2025

Time: 9-16

Number of seats: 20

Deadline: 21. oktober 2025

Important information concerning PhD courses: Criteria for assessment: Active participation in the course including brief presentation of own project and ‘methodology challenge you wish to tackle’. Presence at least three out of four days.

Online participation is not offered.

Literature/Requirements: Chapters from: Sobotka L et al. “Basics in Clinical Nutrition” Fifth. Ed. Publishing House Galèn,  ISBN978-80-7492-427-9 and other literature will follow upon signing for the course.

Program:

Day 1. 10.11.2025 10.00-16.00 Disease related malnutrition (Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen and Randi Tobberup)

10.00-10.30 Registration and coffee

10.30-11.15 Welcome and introduction

11.15-12.45 Background and definitions. Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen

Metabolism in healthy individuals, fasting and disease.

12.45- 13.30 Lunch (self-payment)

13.30-16 Nutritional assessment; Body composition and function (l) Randi Tobberup

·       Assessment of skeletal muscle mass, BIA, CT, UL and MR Randi Tobberup and externals

·       Anthropometric measures

·       Measures of physical function

·       Practical workshop in groups (Randi Tobberup, Marianne Køhler, Mette Holst and evt externals)

Day 2. 11.11.2025.  9.00-16.00 Nutritional Assessment (ll) (Helle Nygaard Lærke and Charlotte Lauridsen)

Digestion and absorption of nutrients (including also anatomy of the bowel)

Nutrients and their requirements in health and disease (energy, protein, amino acids, fat and fatty acids, vitamins and minerals)

12.45- 13.30 Lunch (self-payment)

Diet and inflammation

The role of the microbiota in inflammation and metabolism. External

Nutritional and inflammatory markers

Research methods in experimental nutrition; Surrogate models

Day 3 12.11.2025 9.00-16.00 Nutritional assessment (lll) (Mette Holst and Randi Tobberup)

Nutrition Impact Symptoms (NIS) and their implications on nutrition intake (Mette Holst)

NIS assessment methods for use in clinical practice and research

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMS) for use in clinical practice and research

Nutritional treatment (Plenum and case based work in groups) (Randi Tobberup)

·       Methods for quantifying nutrition intake

·       Estimation and measurements of nutritional requirements in different phenotypes, including indirect caloriemetry)

12.45- 13.30 Lunch (self-payment) Targeted nutritional therapy

·       Introduction to case

1)     Generalized interventions and specific therapies aimed at inflammation and body composition

2)     Specific nutrients and bioactive substances targeting anabolism and inflammation

Nutrition intervention methods; Oral, enteral and parenteral

Case work in groups

Day 4 13.11.2025 9.00-15 Research methods in clinical nutrition (Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen and Mette Holst)

Relevant clinical outcomes in clinical nutrition

Clinical research designs

1)           Clinical: Observational and intervention studies

2)           Applied: Questionnaires, qualitative methods and implementation studies

11.30-12.15 Lunch (Self-payment)

Workshops in groups

Journal club (Article will be disposed ultimo September 2025)

Group discussions related to individual group members Ph.d. study. Which methodological issues shall I consider in my study

Presentation from group sessions

Sum up and evaluation of course

15.00 Good bye

Learning objectives: 

After the course the students should be able to: Explain the scientific basis and relevance and relevance of disease related malnutrition. Decide on scientific approaches and methodologies special for clinical nutrition research.

Teaching methods: 

This course will be run in a combined lecture and workshop style and the students will be encouraged to active participation.

Form of evaluation:

Criteria for assessment: 

Active participation in the course including brief presentation of own project and ‘methodology challenge you wish to tackle’. Presence at least three out of four days.

Online participation is not offered.

Remarks:

Key literature: 

Chapters from: Sobotka L et al. “Basics in Clinical Nutrition” Fifth. Ed. Publishing House Galèn,  ISBN978-80-7492-427-9 and other literature will follow upon signing for the course.

Organizer: 

Mette Holst, Professor, Head of Research, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University

Lecturers: 

Henrik Højgaard Rasmussen, Professor, Consultant, MD, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University

Randi Tobberup, Head of Dietetics, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital

Helle Nygaard Lærke, Senior researcher, PhD. Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Section for Monogastric Nutrition, Aarhus University

Charlotte Lauridsen, Head of Department, Professor. Primary affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University; Secondary affiliation. Adjungated Professor at Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University.

Mette Holst, Professor, Head of Research, PhD. Centre for Nutrition and intestinal Failure, Aalborg University hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University

Additional external lecturers awaiting confirmation

Important information concerning PhD courses: 

There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.

We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.

To attend courses at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology you must be enrolled as a PhD student.

For inquiries regarding registration, cancellation or waiting list, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk. When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.