G. Elizabeth Benz I.

Alumni

My name is Elizabeth Benz. I have received formal training in Physical Therapy (BSc), Clinical Epidemiology (MSc) and Public Health (MPH). Currently, I am completing my PhD thesis on the topic of musculoskeletal ageing and chronic airway diseases at the Erasmus Medical Center University, in Rotterdam (the Netherlands).

Favorite

Food: I love Italian gelatos and French bread, and I like to cook new recipes like Jamie Oliver’s style, that contain fresh and simple ingredients to share with my family and friends.

Sports: swimming, basketball, biking and running

Travel: I like to visit new places, and enjoy the weather, food, art, and nature of each place”

I aimed to understand the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and potential biomarkers (related to metabolic and inflammatory pathways) of sarcopenia (and its components), as well as the risk of all-cause mortality in older adults with COPD or asthma. I did so by employing data from the Rotterdam Study cohort.

In 2022 I started working on the European SO-NUTS Project at Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand (France), under the leadership of  Prof. Yves Boirie at the Unit of Human Nutrition. The main focus of my research within the SO-NUTS Project is on the sarcopenic obesity phenotype and its associated risk factors among older people. Currently, I am working on creating a z-score that can be used to assess sarcopenic obesity. This approach relies on the diagnostic criteria recommended by the ESPEN/EASO consensus. I am using data from well-established cohorts such as the Rotterdam Study and the Health ABC Study. I also participate in additional initiatives led by Prof. Fernando Rivadeneira, which specifically address sarcopenia, physical activity, and proteomics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2023

 Best Abstract & Travel Awards ESPEN   

2010

Scholarship