Malnutrition is still a big and growing problem within the health care setting, to which professionals currently do not have a suffucient answer. Although recognition of malnutrition has largely improved, there is still a lot to be achieved regarding adequate diagnosis and treatment, as well as prevention of malnutrition. To empower professionals and patients/clients with tools and treatment strategies to fight malnutrition as much as possible, the School of Health Care Studies of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences has appointed Dr. Harriët Jager-Wittenaar as Professor of Clinical Malnutrition and Healthy Ageing, within the Research and Innovation Group in Health Care and Nursing, from 1 September 2014.
The Professorship on Clinical Malnutrition and Healthy Ageing is the first one in the Netherlands that primarily focuses on the topic of (disease-related) malnutrition. Within this professorship, the Hanze University of Applied Sciences will perform scientific research on malnutrition in populations with chronic diseases and older people, in close collaboration with Dr. Ottery, the University Medical Center Groningen and other research groups worldwide, including the PG-SGA Research Consortium. The results of these studies will be translated to products, including apps, educational modules and practical guidelines.