Welcome to the Nutrition, Integrative Metabolism and Obesity (NIMO) Lab

The NIMO Lab studies how different organs in the body work together to regulate metabolism. We focus on the communication between the gut, body fat, liver and skeletal muscles, and how this communication contributes to obesity, insulin resistance and related health problems affecting the heart and metabolism.

Our goal is to better understand how these health problems develop and what happens in the body as they progress. We also investigate how nutrition, physical activity and medication can improve metabolic health in people living with overweight or obesity. In addition, we study how environmental factors, such as the amount of oxygen available to the body, affect metabolism and cardiovascular health.

How do we conduct our research?

At the NIMO Lab, we study the body at different levels, from how the whole body functions to what happens inside tissues and individual cells.

We use advanced research methods to measure how the body processes nutrients, such as sugars and fats, and how different organs use and exchange energy. These methods include specialised tests that show how the body responds to insulin, techniques to track how nutrients are used, measurements of blood flow and nutrient exchange between tissues, medical imaging, and measurements of energy use and breathing.

We also study small samples of muscle and fat tissue collected from people to understand the processes taking place inside their cells. In the laboratory, we use human muscle, fat and liver cells to investigate these processes in more detail.

In addition, we study how gut bacteria break down food and produce substances that may influence our health. We use laboratory models that simulate fermentation in the colon, the part of the gut where many of these processes take place. We also examine which bacteria are present in the gut and what they do.

By combining these approaches, we aim to understand how different organs, tissues, cells and gut bacteria interact to influence metabolic health. Ultimately, our research seeks to identify ways to prevent and treat obesity and its related health complications.

Where are we based?

The NIMO Lab is part of the Department of Human Biology and the NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism. Both are part of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.