PhD Student: Marco Gellera (ORCID n. 0009-0001-8096-1148)
Supervisor: Prof. Patrizia Riso, DeFENS – Division of Human Nutrition
Co-tutor: Prof. Cristian Del Bo’, DeFENS – Division of Human Nutrition
Dean: Prof. Diego Mora
Research area: Food Science and Nutrition
Research topic
Bioavailability and biological activity of dietary compounds/patterns and their role on human health
Project Synopsis
From bioactives to diets: how food components and dietary patterns influence intestinal permeability and associated markers
This PhD project examines how dietary patterns and individual food components modulate intestinal permeability, a critical determinant of gut barrier integrity and systemic health. Increased permeability is implicated in the pathogenesis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), yet mechanistic insights remain limited. To address this, the project employs three complementary approaches: a systematic review to consolidate current evidence on nutrition-driven modulation of intestinal permeability; in vitro experiments utilizing human-derived cell lines (such as Caco-2) to elucidate molecular interactions of food components and their metabolites with key regulators such as tight junction proteins; and controlled human interventions to assess the impact of dietary patterns on permeability and associated biomarkers. By bridging existing knowledge gaps, this research aims to provide mechanistic and translational evidence for targeted dietary strategies to strengthen gut barrier function and mitigate NCDs development risk.
Project keywords
Dietary Pattern; Intestinal Permeability; Cell models; Health and nutrition
Contacts
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences DeFENS -Dipartimento di scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l’Ambiente
Division of Human Nutrition – Sezione di Nutrizione Umana – Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano
E-mail: marco.gellera@unimi.it
Sponsor
Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano
Others
Education:
2025 – Master’s degree in Human Nutrition (LM-61), University of Milan
2022 – Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology (L-26), University of Udine