Preventive Medicine via Precision Nutrition Conference
The human gut microbiome is a complex system fueled by thousands of microorganisms and influenced by both microbial and human genetics. Research fields related to the gut microbiome composition are thriving at the intersection of dietary science and anti-inflammatory medicine, enabling strategies for individuals to manage their gut health and suppress gut inflammation through precision-based nutritional diets.
Preventive medicine is increasingly moving towards a future where nutrition can be tailored to individual biology and disease risk. Researchers and clinicians gathered at SciLifeLab in Stockholm for the Preventive Medicine via Precision Nutrition conference to explore these emerging directions, bringing together expertise from nutrition science, spatial biology research, and clinical medicine.
Opening the event, Francisco Vilaplana (Director of KTH FOOD) discussed how dietary fibers support gut health and contribute to healthier food design, while Rikard Landberg (Chalmers University of Technology) highlighted how precision nutrition approaches may help prevent cardiometabolic diseases by accounting for individual variability in dietary responses. Continuing with the molecular perspective, Stefania Giacomello (Co-director of KTH FOOD) presented new spatial biology technologies that map microbe and host interactions within the gut tissue.
The subsequent session discussed the relation between microbiome and disease development. Georg Zeller (Leiden University) explored how the colorectal cancer microbiome can improve diagnosis and support diet-based prevention, followed by Cecilia Williams (SciLifeLab and KTH Royal Institute of Technology), who discussed dietary factors that can shape the gut microenvironment and influence disease development.
Addressing systemic metabolism and health, Fredrik Bäckhed (University of Gothenburg & Technical University of Denmark) presented research on microbial metabolites contributing to cardiometabolic disease, Yolanda Sanz (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC) focused on microbial functions to support personalized metabolic care, and Robert Brummer (Örebro University) addressed the growing evidence linking precision nutrition and gut health to mental well-being.
The final segment focused on connecting the research discoveries into clinical practice and public health. Grigorios Petrousis and Sara Andersson (Karolinska University Hospital) reviewed current approaches for diagnosing and managing inflammatory bowel disease and the role of nutritional therapy in patient care. Closing the program, Christopher Gardner (Stanford University) shared perspectives on creating healthier, more sustainable dietary habits by chef-driven food innovation and institutional meal programs.
Ultimately, the event highlighted how advances in microbiome science, molecular technologies, and nutrition are converging to establish food as a central component of preventive and precision medicine. We thank all speakers and the organising committee for contributing to this interdisciplinary collaboration.