The defense takes place

Friday November 17th, 2023. Time: 13.00
At the department of Clinical Medicine
Place: Aalborg Universitet København, Seminarrum 0.06,
Frederikskaj 12 (bygning B)

After the defense there will be held a reception. All are welcome.

 

Supervisors

Christina Brock, Professor, Aalborg University
Kristine Færch, Senior researcher, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
Jonas Salling Quist, Senior researcher, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen

Assessment Committee

Kristine Allin (chair), Associate Professor, Aalborg University, Denmark
Hans Törnblom, Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Ulla Kampmann Opstrup, Associate Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark

 

About the PhD thesis

The gastrointestinal tract serves the vital function of transporting nutrients and water to the designated sites of mixing, digestion, absorption, secretion, and excretion. These processes rely on the coordinated movement of food particles through the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal transit is regulated by a complex interplay of neurohormonal and mechanical factors and is essential in regulating postabsorptive metabolism, appetite, and body weight.

Gastrointestinal dysfunction can cause painful and debilitating symptoms and is common in metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity. Circadian and diurnal rhythms extensively regulate gastrointestinal motility, and alterations to enteric circadian clock genes are manifest in metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes. Time-restricted eating has been proposed as a dietary regimen for preventing adverse effects of circadian misalignment, including gastrointestinal dysfunction. Similarly, gastrointestinal transit is affected by physical activity, which may aid in relieving constipation.

Many aspects of gastrointestinal transit, how it is involved in diabetes and obesity, and how it is modulated by circadian rhythms, diet, and physical activity remain to be elucidated. Different methods exist for evaluating gastrointestinal motility, but the wireless motility capsule (WMC) technique is the only approach for the pan-enteric assessment of both motility and regional transit times.

The overall aim of the thesis was to apply the WMC to investigate how gastrointestinal transit is affected by circadian rhythms and lifestyle, i.e., meal timing and physical activity, in various populations ranging from healthy individuals with normal weight to those with diabetes, overweight, and obesity.

 

Contact information

You can contact MSc., Marie Møller Jensen if you have any questions about the defense by clicking here on her e-mail.

Marie Møller Jensen
E-mail: marie.moeller.jensen@regionh.dk
Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
Department of Clinical and Translational research
2730 Herlev