Aranka Hillebrink is a PhD candidate at the Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University, where she works under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ellen Blaak and Prof. Dr. Gijs Goossens. Her research is part of GLUCOTYPES, a project funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Challenge, which aims to develop personalized nutrition strategies for the prevention of type 2 diabetes. In her PhD, Aranka investigates whether individuals with distinct metabolic phenotypes, characterized by tissue-specific insulin resistance in muscle, liver or adipose tissue, or by beta-cell dysfunction, respond differently to dietary macronutrient composition. In addition, she explores whether continuous glucose monitoring can be used to identify these phenotypes, or ‘glucotypes’, in daily life.

Aranka obtained a BSc and MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences, with a specialization in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism from Maastricht University.