Professors Jingyuan Fu and Merel Keijzer from Groningen are two of the eight winners of the Ammodo Science Award for scientific research 2023. They both win a cash prize of 350,000 euros for new research into the functioning of our intestinal microtree.
Who does what?
Fu conducts research into the bacteria in the intestines. She has discovered that medicines can have a positive influence on the intestinal bacteria. Keijzer conducts research into learning a new language. She has discovered that people who are multilingual have healthier brains. By switching between different languages, the aging of the brain slows down.
Fu, professor of Systems Medicine, receives the prize for her research into the gut microtree in relation to disease and health. The jury admires Fu’s research into complex diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. For example, the research showed that the gut microtree, eating habits and genes have a major influence on our health.
The English linguist and professor Merel Keijzer studies how learning a new language contributes to healthy ageing. She uses innovative and multidisciplinary research methods and works closely with neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists. Keijzer showed, among other things, that people who are multilingual, and who still actively use these languages, generally show better cognitive functioning. In particular, frequent switching between different languages seems to be able to compensate for aging processes in the brain, such as mild memory loss.
Listen to the interview in the OOG Morning Show below
