Prof. Aron Troen

NEW
WORKING PAPER (Pre-peer-review preprint):
Nutritional Assessment of Food Aid Delivered to Gaza via Israel during the 'Swords of Iron' War

Prof. Aron Troen is a member of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he directs the Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory and teaches in the School of Nutrition Science and the School of Public Health. Much of his research is concerned with clarifying the basic biological connection between dietary quality and brain health. However, for many people, putting nutritional insight into practice is not simply a matter of life-style choices, but a matter of life-circumstances. Prevalent food insecurity is a key driver of ill health, deprivation and economic harm worldwide, including in High Income Countries like Israel. Evidence-based policy is essential to improve the food security, welfare, health and resilience of individuals and nations, to enhance the quality of the food supply, and to ensure that it is equitable, safe and sustainable. Therefore, in addition to his core translational research, Troen’s evolving research and public service activities examine Israeli food policy reform and anti-obesity legislation, micronutrient fortification and food security, including during the COVID pandemic. He is particularly interested in how Israeli policies affect disparities in diet and health that correspond to socioeconomic and ethnic differences in food insecurity. He serves on several government committees on nutrition, health and food security, and on the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute steering committee for evaluating the Israeli government’s front of package food labeling policy, and he recently led a Food Security round table in the State of Israel Food System Dialogues in preparation for the UN World Food Summit.

Troen received his doctorate from Oxford University and BSc from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prior to returning home to join the Hebrew University, he was on faculty at the Freidman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and the Jean Mayer United Stated Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

Aron_Troen

Curriculum Vitae

Aron M. Troen, DPhil

Associate Professor, Nutrition
Director, Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory
Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition
Office address: Freiburg building, Room #102

November 2021

Education

2001-2003	Postdoctoral Research Associate; Vitamin Metabolism & Aging Laboratory, and Nutrition & Neurocognition Laboratory; Jean Mayer United Stated Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (JM USDA HNRCA)
2000	DPhil Physiological Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
1996	BSc Biology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Professional Experience

2016 – present	Associate Professor (with tenure), Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition; The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment
2010 –2016	Senior Lecturer (tenure-track), Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition; The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment
2010 - 2018	Visiting Scientist, JM USDA HNRCA
2010 - 2015	Adjunct Assistant Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (FSNSP), Tufts University
2009 - 2010	Scientist II; JM USDA HNRCA, Tufts University
2008 - 2010	Assistant Professor, FSNSP, Tufts University
2003 - 2009	Scientist III; JM USDA HNRCA, Tufts University
2006 - 2007	Adjunct Assistant Professor; FSNSP, Tufts University

Honors And Awards

2010	Golda Meir Fellow and Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2003	NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Postdoctoral Travel Award
2002	The Alzheimer's Association Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute New Investigator Research Grant Award
1996 - 1999	Oxford University Dept. of Pharmacology, Departmental Scholarship

Editorial Boards And Professional Activity

2021–present	Associate Editor, Frontiers in Nutrition and Brain Health
2020	Reviewer for Environmental Health Fund annual report
2019	Member, Myers JDC Brookdale Institute, Nutrition Labelling National Evaluation Survey scientific advisory committee
2017	Member AARP Global Council on Brain Health expert panel on nutrition and brain health
2016 –present	Editorial Board, Nutrition Reviews
2016 –present	Editorial Board, Food and Nutrition Bulletin
2015 –present	Member Israel Ministry of Health Committee for Food Fortification, continued consulting for MOH Nutrition Division on Food Policy, Fortification and Food Security
2014 –present	Member ad hoc Research Committee, National Nutritional Security Council (Government of Israel statutory advisory committee)
2012 –present	Representative of Israel to the Iodine Global Network (formerly ICCIDD, International Council for Combating Iodine Deficiency Disorders)
2012 - 2016	Founding editorial board member of Epigenetics of Neurodegenerative Diseases
2011- present	Associate Editor – Frontier in Nutrigenomics
2011 - 2012	Guest Editor Special issue of Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism on Folate Nutrition and Health
2011 - 2012	Guest Editor Special issue of Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research on Nutrition and Dementia
2006 - 2007	Associate Editor, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Peer review

for the following journals: JAMA Psychiatry, Annals of the New York Academy of Science, Neurobiology of Aging, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Journal of Nutrition, British Journal of Nutrition, BMC Nutrition, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Journal of Health Nutrition and Aging, American Journal of Physiology, Nutrients, Nutrition Reviews, Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Nutrition and Metabolism, European Journal of Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Research, Food and Nutrition Bulletin, International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Journal of Vascular Research.

Grant review

for the following funding agencies: Israel Science Foundation (ISF); Israel Ministry of Education; The United States – Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD); The Alzheimer’s Association (International); South Africa Medical Research Council (SA MRC), Israel-USA Binational Science Foundation (BSF), COST (EU)

Membership in professional societies (past and present)

Association of Public Health Physicians in Israel
Israeli representative to the Iodine Global Network (IGN)
The American Society of Nutrition (ASN)
The Society for Neuroscience
Israel Society for Neuroscience
ISTAART (International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment)
The American Aging Association
Vas-Cog (The International Society for Vascular Cognitive and Behavioral Disorders)
The International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism

Conference organization

2022	Co-chair, Bathsheva de Rothschild Workshop, Avoiding the coming food security crisis: Novel solutions at the intersection of agriculture, environment and health (proposal pending for June 2022)
2022	Initiator and Steering Committee, Food Insecurity – The Continuing Pandemic: Towards Sustainable Food Systems for Israel; Israel Academy of Science and Humanities”. 25.01.2022 (pending)
2021	Convener and Chair, International Webinar on Food Security in the Days of Corona, Hosted by Hebrew University in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Haifa University and Ariel University, Featuring former USA Secretary of Agriculture, the Hon. Dan Glickman, Deputy Director, Trade and Markets Division, UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Dr. Joseph Schmidhuber, and a round panel of Government of Israel senior civil servants and policymakers discussing the challenges and need for a holistic and integrated food policy for Israel in the wake of the pandemic. 2.3.2021
2020	Convener and Chair, COVID-19 Implications for Public Health Nutrition Priorities Round Table (Israel Association of Public Health Physicians and The Hebrew University Webinar) 26.4.2020
2019	Initiator and Steering Committee – Micronutrient Deficiencies and Food Fortification for Israel – Israel Ministry of Health, Israel Association of Public Health Physicians and Ashkelon Academic College. November 2019
2019	International advisory committee, 12^th International Conference on One-Carbon Metabolism, B Vitamins and Homocysteine; June 9-13, Reus, Spain
2013	Student and Young Investigator Awards Committee, 9^th International Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism and One-Carbon Metabolism; Sept. 8-12, Dublin, Ireland
2013	Initiator and Chair, Israel Iodine Initiative, Sept 2, 2013, Rehovot Israel; Roundtable meeting on Iodine Nutrition in Israel under auspices of School of Nutrition and Israel Ministry of Health, with participation of Prof. Michael Zimmerman, Executive Director of the International Council for Combating Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) and Zurich ETH.
2012	Scientific Steering Committee, Pears International Workshop Challenges in Global Nutrition; September 2-4 2012, Rehovot, Israel
2005	Initiated and organized an international conference on nutritional deficiencies and food security in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, together with Irwin H. Rosenberg (Tufts University), Drora Fraser (Ben Gurion University) and Ziad Abdeen (AlQuds University). The conference was held in Beer-Sheva, Israel, on February 6-9, 2005 under the joint auspices of Tufts University, Ben Gurion University and AlQuds University.

Doctoral Dissertation Opponent

(Gard Frodahl Tveitevåg Svingen, Components of the choline oxidation pathway in relation to acute myocardial infarction, mortality, and type 2 diabetes); 6-8.04.2016, 2016 Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Bergen (UiB), Norway.

Advanced Training and Other activities

Graduate of 1^st annual UC Davis Food & Health Entrepreneurship Academy; Davis, California; Feb 22-28, 2009.
Advanced Course - 2^nd Annual Isotope Tracers in Metabolic Research: Principles and Practice of Kinetic Analysis; Little Rock, Arkansas; May 4-8, 2009.
FSNSP Admissions Committee; Finance and Fundraising Advisory Committee
HNRCA Strategic Planning Committee; Seminar Committee; Pilot Grant Review Study Section
HNRCA Speakers Bureau – community lectures on nutrition and cognitive function

Research Grants

Period	Title	Funding Organization	Total
2021-unrestricted	Food Security	Gitler Foundation	56,128 NIS
2021-2022	"In-sight" into consumer healthy-food decisions: An eye-tracking technology study of the real-world efficacy and mechanism of FOP food labels’ influence on consumer decisions	Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research	136,340 NIS
2017	Institutional Equipment Grant No. 2197/17; High Pressure/Perfomance Liquid Chromatograph – Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometer	Israel Science Foundation	798,746 NIS
2016 - 2017	Israel National Iodine Nutrition and Health Survey in Pregnant Women and Children	Israel Ministry of Health	150,000 NIS
2016	A study on the need for salt iodization in Israel	Medical Research and Development Fund for Health Services - Jerusalem	50,000 NIS
2015-2019	The effect of glycation-lowering dietary intervention on Mild Cognitive Impairment	Sagol Center for Brain Research at Sheba Medical Center	357,936 NIS
2015-2018	EUThyroid consortium	Horizons 2020	€8,000
2015 - 2016	The importance of Milk and Milk Products as a source of dietary iodine in humans for preservation of Thyroid Health	Israel Ministry of Health	100,000 NIS
2014-2016	Development of methods for assessing food insecurity	Leket Israel	101,512 NIS
2014-2015	NOFAR Award - Development of a novel strain of Passion Fruit for preservation of brain health	NOFAR Grant - Israel Ministry of Economy	463,770 NIS
2013 - 2014	The Liver-Brain Axis	Nutrigenomics Center Intramural Pilot Grant	$40,000
2011 - 2015	Microvascular and nutritional mechanisms of cognitive impairment	Israel Science Foundation	$250,312
2011 - 2015	NUVASCOG (NUtrition and microVAScular dynamics in COGnitive health	Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG	€100,00
2010 - 2012	Renal Transplantation, Homocysteine Lowering & Cognition (Subcontract to Hebrew University)	United States National Institutes of Health (NIH NIDDK 5R01DK065114-05)	$88,579
2010	Baseline B-vitamin status and response to B-vitamin homocysteine-lowering therapy in The Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study	San Francisco Coordinating Center, NIH Subcontract	$75,949
2008 – 2011	Animal models of cerebrovascular function – A Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy Study	Unilever N.V. – Tufts JM USDA HNRCA 4 Year Strategic Partnership: Cognition	$250,000
2008	Nutritionally-modifiable genetic risk for age related cognitive impairment”,	The Ross Aging Initiative – Seed Grant	$12,000
2007 – 2008	The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) Ancillary Study: Gene-Nutrient Interactions and Age-Related Diseases	University of California at Los Angeles, NIH Subcontract	$41,494
2004 – 2005	Life Span Extension by Dietary Methionine Restriction in Drosophila Melanogaster	Jean Mayer USDA HNRCA Pilot Grant	$15,000
2003 – 2011	Renal Transplantation, Homocysteine Lowering and Cognition	United States National Institute of Health NIH-NIDDK/ODS (R01 DK65114-01)	$ 2,100,000
2002 – 2004	The Effect of Hyperhomocysteinemia on Cerebrovascular and Neurological Integrity in a Murine Model	The Alzheimer's Association, New Investigator Research Grant (NIRG-02-4119)	$ 90,000

Service To The Institution

2021-present	Chair, Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment IACUC Committee
2019-present	Curriculum Committee, MSc program in Nutrition Science
2016 – 2017	Faculty Teaching and Academics Committee, Faculty of Agriculture
2016	Authority for Biological and Preclinical Models Development Committee
2013-present	Executive Committee, Hebrew University Authority for Biological and Preclinical Models
2013	Faculty of Agriculture Scholarship Committee
2012 – 2020	Faculty of Agriculture IACUC Committee
2011-present	Curriculum Committee, School of Nutritional Sciences
2011-2013	Seminar Coordinator, Institute of Biochemistry Food Science and Nutrition

Teaching

	Currently offered courses
65129	Introduction to Nutrition and Food Policy – An Israeli Perspective (2 credit, 3^rd year undergraduate elective, open to MSc students)
65313	Introduction to Epidemiology (4 credit, 2^nd year undergraduate)
71490	Nutrition in Neurodegenerative Diseases (2 credit MSc course)
73524	Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health (2 credit MSc course, open to School of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Medical students and DVM-MPH students)

	MSc Students
2021-present	Vered Admoni – "Food Waste in School Lunch Programs –Israeli and International perspectives”
2020	Sama Qasem (International Nutrition MSc) – “Prenatal Choline Intake and Offspring Cognition – Implications in Palestine”
2016-2017	Ghada Baransi – “Factors affecting the composition of food baskets distributed by non-profit organizations to the food insecure population in Israel”
2015	Yared Ha Sherawade (International Nutrition MSc) - "Alleviating food security by establishing food banks for the needy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"
2015-2017	Lior Chatow - “The effect of folate deficiency on vasculature and methylation-dependent pathways in the aging brain”
2014-2017	Dana Philip - “Better quality food-aid is linked to better nutrition among food pantry users in the Leket Israel Food Bank collaborative
2014-2017	Yael Yellin - “Testing Passiflora's potential for prevention of neurocognitive aging”
2014–2017	Amir Bros - “Can consumption of a Passiflora extract protect the aging brain from microvascular damage?”
2013–2017	Emil Mahamid -”Do the angiodynamic effects of folate-deficient diets alter brain circulation?“ (DVM thesis)
2013	Tirhas Mebratu Gebretsadikan (International Nutrition MSc.) - "Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorder in Mothers and Infants in Ethiopia"
2012-2014	Yael Tal -“The neuroprotective potential of a novel strain of passion fruit” (Co supervised with Oren Tirosh)
2011-2013	Shani Martsiano - “Folate deficiency impairs Notch signaling in rat brain”
2011-2013	Vered Vayman - “Non invasive detection of diet-induced brain microvascular changes by near infrared spectroscopy”
	PhD Students
2013-2021	Nur Abu Ahmad - “Methyl-donor deficiency and the Liver Brain Axis”
2015-2020	Ronnie Lotan - “A dietary intervention to reduce Advanced Glycation End-Product intake in Diabetics with Mild Cognitive Impairment” (Co supervised with Michal Beeri)
2013-2017	Yaniv Ovadia - “Determinants of Iodine Deficiency and Thyroid Health in Israel” (Co supervised with Dubi Gefel)
2013-2014	Zmira Binyamin (withdrew)
2006-2008	Renee Kalambach (Co supervised with Jacob Selhub and Paul Jaques at Tufts University)
2009-2013	Bertan Hallacoglu (Co supervised with Sergio Fantini at Tufts University)
	Postdoctoral Fellows
2020	Efrat Elimelech – Food Security during COVID
2019	Jannetta Azarieva - School Feeding Programs and Food Security
2011-2012	Yaarit Nahum Biala – B Vitamins and Neurodegenerative Disease
2008-2009	Denish Moorthy - Nutrigenomics
2009-2013	Merav Shaul – Nutrition and Cerebrovascular Function

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Aron_Troen

List of Publications

WORKING PAPERS (Pre-peer-review preprint):
	Naomi Fliss Isakov, Dorit Nitzan, Moran Blaychfeld Magnazi, Aron M. Troen, Joseph Mendelovic, Sharon Alroy Preis, Ronit Endevelt (2024) "Nutritional Assessment of Food Aid delivered to Gaza via Israel during the 'Swords of Iron' War" (pre-peer-review preprint)
Doctoral Dissertation:
	Troen AM (2000) “A role for one carbon metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease” Oxford University, Oxford, UK. (Research published only as thesis).
Chapters in collections:
1)	Lotan R, Troen AM, Beeri, M. (2017) "The influence of advanced glycation end-products on brain and cognition"; Chapter 10, in Uribarri, J, Editor: Dietary AGEs and Their Role in Health and Disease; CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Publishing Group ISBN 9781351646352
2)	Troen AM. (2012) "Folate and vitamin B12: function and importance in cognitive development";in Bhutta Z, Hurrell RF, Rosenberg IH, (eds.): Meeting Micronutrient Requirements for Health and Development. Nestlé Nutr Inst Workshop Ser, Nestec Ltd., Vevey S. Karger AG., Basel, 2012, vol 70, pp 161-171.
Review Articles and Hypotheses:
1)	Selhub J, Miller JW, Troen AM, Mason JB, Jacques PF. Perspective: The High-Folate-Low-Vitamin B-12 Interaction Is a Novel Cause of Vitamin B-12 Depletion with a Specific Etiology-A Hypothesis. Adv Nutr. (2021) Oct 11:nmab106. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab106. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34634124.
2)	Fuso, A; Troen AM. (2021) Environmental Epigenetics: Myth and Reality. Organisms. Journal of Biological Sciences, [S.l.], v. 4, n. 2, p. 31-34, feb. 2021. ISSN 2532-5876. doi:https://doi.org/10.13133/2532-5876/17351. Available at: https://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/Organisms/article/view/17351. Date accessed: 23 mar. 2021. [Invited Review]
3)	Alber J, Alladi S, Bae HJ, Barton DA, Beckett LA, Bell JM, Berman SE, Biessels, GJ, Black SE, Bos I, Bowman GL, Brai E, Brickman AM, Callahan BL, Corriveau RA, Fossati S, Gottesman RF, Gustafson DR, Hachinski V, Hayden KM, Helman AM, Hughes, TM, Isaacs JD, Jefferson AL, Johnson SC, Kapasi A, Kern S, Kwon JC, Kukolja J, Lee A, Lockhart SN, Murray A, Osborn KE, Power MC, Price BR, Rhodius-Meester HFM, Rondeau JA, Rosen AC, Rosene DL, Schneider JA, Scholtzova H, Shaaban CE, Silva NCBS, Snyder HM, Swardfager W, Troen AM, van Veluw SJ, Vemuri P, Wallin A, Wellington C, Wilcock DM, Xie SX, Hainsworth AH (2019). White matter hyperintensities in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID): Knowledge gaps and opportunities. Alzheimers Dement (N Y); Apr 9;5:107-117. doi: 10.1016/j.trci.2019.02.001. eCollection 2019. Review.
4)	Hainsworth AH, Allan SM, Boltze J, Cunningham C, Farris C, Head E, Ihara M, Isaacs JD, Kalaria RN, Lesnik Oberstein SA, Moss MB, Nitzsche B, Rosenberg GA, Rutten JW, Salkovic-Petrisic M, Troen AM (2017). Translational models for vascular cognitive impairment: a review including larger species. BMC Med. 15(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12916-017-0793-9.
5)	Völzke H, Caron P, Dahl L, de Castro JJ, Erlund I, Gaberšček S, Gunnarsdottir I, Hubalewska-Dydejczyk A; Ittermann T, Ivanova L, Karanfilski B, Khattak R, Kusic Z, Laurberg P, Lazarus J, Markou KB, Moreno-Reyes R, Nagy E, Peeters RP, Pīrāgs V, Podoba J, Rayman M, Rochau U, Siebert U, Smyth PP, Thuesen BH, Troen A, Villa L; Vitti P, Zamrazil V, Zimmermann M,; for the Iodine Global Network (IGN) West Central Europe group (2016); "Ensuring effective prevention of iodine deficiency disorders (Position Paper) Thyroid 12 (2) 189-96. doi:10.1089/thy.2015.0543
6)	Selhub J and Troen AM. (2016) “Sulfur amino acids and atherosclerosis: a role for excess dietary methionine” Annals of the New York Academy of Science 1363 (1) 18-25. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12962.
7)	Nachum-Biala Y, Troen AM. (2012) “B-vitamins for neuroprotection: Narrowing the evidence gap”. Biofactors. 38(2):145-50. [Invited critical review]
8)	Selhub J, Troen AM, Rosenberg IH. “B Vitamins and the Aging Brain“ (2010) Nutrition Reviews 68 Suppl 2:S112-8 [Jointly written invited review]
9)	Troen A, Fraser, D, Abdeen, Z, Rosenberg, IH. (2006) “Child Nutrition Initiative in Israel and Palestine: Status of food security, micronutrient malnutrition, and behavioral change and communication programs” Food and Nutrition Bulletin; 27(2): 180-185
10)	Troen AM, Rosenberg IH (2005) “Homocysteine and Cognitive Function” Seminars in Vascular Medicine; 5 (2):209-14. [Invited Review]
11)	Troen AM (2005) “The Central Nervous System in Animal Models of Hyperhomocysteinemia” Progress in Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry; 29 (7):1140-1151 [Invited Review]
Articles:
1)	Lotan R, Ganmore I, Livny A, Itzhaki N, Waserman M, Shelly S, Zacharia M, Moshier E, Uribarri J, Beisswenger P, Cai W, Troen AM, Beeri MS. (2021) Effect of Advanced Glycation End Products on Cognition in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Results from a Pilot Clinical Trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2021;82(4):1785-1795. doi: 10.3233/JAD-210131.
2)	Lotan R, Ganmore I, Livny A, Shelly S, Zacharia M, Uribarri J, Beisswenger P, Cai W, Schnaider Beeri M, Troen AM. (2021) Design and Feasibility of a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial to Reduce Exposure and Cognitive Risk Associated With Advanced Glycation End Products in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Front Nutr. 2021 Feb 15;8:614149. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.614149.
3)	Lotan R, Ganmore I, Shelly S, Zacharia M, Uribarri J, Beisswenger P, Cai W, Troen AM, Schnaider Beeri M. Long Term Dietary Restriction of Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Is Feasible and Efficacious-Results from a Pilot RCT. Nutrients. (2020) Oct 15;12(10):3143. doi: 10.3390/nu12103143.
4)	Monti N, Cavallaro RA, Stoccoro A, Nicolia V, Scarpa S, Kovacs GG, Fiorenza MT, Lucarelli M, Aronica E, Ferrer I, Coppedè F, Troen AM, Fuso A. CpG and non-CpG Presenilin1 methylation pattern in course of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration is associated with gene expression in human and murine brain. Epigenetics. (2020) Aug;15(8):781-799. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1722917. Epub 2020 Feb 5.
5)	Abu Ahmad N, Raizman M, Weizmann N, Wasek B, Arning E, Bottiglieri T, Tirosh O, Troen AM. (2019) Betaine attenuates pathology by stimulating lipid oxidation in liver and regulating phospholipid metabolism in brain of methionine-choline-deficient rats. FASEB J. May 23:fj201802683R. doi: 10.1096/fj.201802683R.
6)	Ovadia YS, Sabastian C, Dahl L, Troen AM, Mabjeesh SJ. (2018) The Effect of Iodophor Post-Milking Teat Disinfection on Iodine Content in Goat Milk, Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine Vol. 73 (4): 14-22.
7)	Efrati Philip D, Baransi G, Shahar DR, Troen AM. (2018) Food-Aid Quality Correlates Positively With Diet Quality of Food Pantry Users in the Leket Israel Food Bank Collaborative. Front Nutr. Dec 18;5:123. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2018.00123.
8)	Ovadia YS, Gefel D, Weizmann N, Raizman M, Goldsmith R, Mabjeesh SJ, Dahl L, Troen AM. (2018) Low Iodine Intake from Dairy Foods Despite High Milk Iodine Content in Israel. Thyroid. Aug;28(8):1042-1051. doi: 10.1089/thy.2017.0654
9)	Scott TM, Rogers G, Weiner DE; Livingston K; Selhub J; Jacques PF, Rosenberg IH, Troen AM for the FACT Study Investigators (2017); “B-Vitamin Therapy for Kidney Transplant Recipients Lowers Homocysteine and Improves Selective Cognitive Outcomes in the Randomized FAVORIT Ancillary Cognitive Trial”; Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease; 4(3):174-182. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2017.15.
10)	Stone KL; Lui LY; Christen WG; Troen AM; Bauer DC; Kado D; Schambach MFA; Cummings,SR; Manson JAE (2017) “Effect of Combination Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 Supplementation on Fracture Risk in Women: A Randomized, Controlled Trial”; Journal of Bone Metabolism Research; 32(12):2331-2338. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3229.
11)	Philip D, Hod-Ovadia S, Troen AM (2017). “A Technical and Policy Case Study of Large-Scale Rescue and Redistribution of Perishable Foods by the "Leket Israel" Food Bank”. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 38(2):226-239. doi: 10.1177/0379572117692440.
12)	Ovadia YS, Arbelle JE, Gefel D, Brik H, Wolf T, Nadler V, Hunziker S, Zimmermann MB, Troen AM (2017). “First Israeli National Iodine Survey Demonstrates Iodine Deficiency Among School-Aged Children and Pregnant Women”. Thyroid. 27(8):1083-1091. doi: 10.1089/thy.2017.0251
13)	Ovadia Y, Gefel D, Aharoni D, Turkot S, Fytlovich S, Troen AM (2016) "Can desalinated seawater contribute to Iodine Deficiency Disorders?: An observation and hypothesis" Public Health Nutrition 19(15):2808-17. doi: 10.1017/S1368980016000951
14)	Tal Y, Weinstein M, Samach A, Tirosh, O, Troen AM (2016) "The neuroprotective properties of a novel variety of Passion Fruit" The Journal of Functional Foods 23 (2016) 359-369. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2016.02.039
15)	Gebretsadikian TM, Troen AM (2016) "Progress and Challenges in Eliminating Iodine Deficiency in Ethiopia: a Systematic Review"; BMC Nutrition 2:12. doi: 10.1186/s40795-016-0051-0
16)	Philip D, Buch A, Moorthy D, Scott TM, Parnell LD, Lai Chao-Qiang, Ordovas JM, Selhub J, Rosenberg IH, Tucker KL, Troen AM (2015) "Dihydrofolate reductase 19-bp deletion polymorphism modifies the association of folate status with memory in a cross-sectional multi-ethnic study of adults" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 102 (5) 1279-88. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.111054
17)	Ovadia YS, Gefel D, Turkot S, Aharoni D, Fytlovich S, Troen AM (2014) "Elevated Serum Thyroglobulin and Low Iodine Intake Are Associated with Nontoxic Nodular Goiter among Adults Living near the Eastern Mediterranean Coast." J Thyroid Res. ;2014:913672. doi: 10.1155/2014/913672. Epub 2014 Dec 14.
18)	Shaul, ME; Hallacoglu, B; Sassaroli, A; Shukitt-Hale, B; Fantini, S; Rosenberg, IH.; Troen, AM (2014) "Cerebral Blood Volume and Vasodilation are Independently Diminished by Aging and Hypertension: A Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study" Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 42(S3);S189-S198.
19)	Moorthy D, Peter I, Scott TM, Parnell LD, Lai CQ, Crott JW, Ordovás JM, Selhub J, Griffith J, Rosenberg IH, Tucker KL, Troen AM (2012) “Status of Vitamins B-12 and B-6 but Not of Folate, Homocysteine, and the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Polymorphism Are Associated with Impaired Cognition and Depression in Adults “ Journal of Nutrition 142(8):1554-60
20)	Hallacoglu B, Sassaroli A, Wysocki M, Guerrero-Berroa E, Schnaider-Beeri M, Haroutunian V, Shaul M, Rosenberg IH, Troen AM, Fantini S (2012) "Absolute measurement of cerebral optical coefficients, hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation in old and young adults with near-infrared spectroscopy". Journal of Biomedical Optics 17(8):081406-1.
21)	Troen AM, Scott T, D’Anci, KE, Moorthy D, Dobson B, Rogers B, Weiner DE, Levey AS, Dallal GE, Jacques PF, Selhub J, Rosenberg IH and the FAVORIT investigators. (2012) "Cognitive dysfunction and depression in adult kidney transplant recipients: Baseline findings from the FAVORIT Ancillary Cognitive Trial (FACT)" Journal of Renal Nutrition Mar;22(2):268-276. [Impact Factor 1.750; Journal Rank 47/76 in Nutrition & Dietetics, 34/73 in Urology & Nephrology, Citations 4]
22)	Ye X, Lai CQ, Crott JW, Troen AM, Ordovas JM, Tucker KL (2011) "The Folate Hydrolase 1561C>T Polymorphism Is Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Puerto Rican Adults." Psychosomatic Medicine. 73(5):385-92.
23)	Hallacoglu B, Sassaroli A, Fantini S, Troen AM (2011) "Cerebral perfusion and oxygenation are impaired by folate deficiency in rat: absolute measurements with noninvasive near-infrared spectroscopy" Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. 31(6):1482-92.
24)	Lai CQ, Parnell LD, Troen AM, Shen J, Caouette H, Warodomwichit D, Lee YC, Crott J, Qiu WQ, Rosenberg IH, Tucker KL, Ordovás JM (2010) “MAT1A variants are associated with hypertension, stroke, and markers of DNA damage and are modulated by plasma vitamin B-6 and folate” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 91(5): 1377-86
25)	Linhart HG, Troen AM, Bell GW, Cantu E,Chao WH, Moran E, Steine E, He T, Jaenisch R. (2009) “Folate Deficiency Induces Genomic Uracil Misincorporation and Hypomethylation But Does Not Increase DNA Point Mutations” Gastroenterology; 136(1):227-235.e3. Epub 2008 Oct 9.
26)	Troen AM, Shea-Budgell M, Shukitt-Hale B, Smith DE, Selhub J, Rosenberg IH (2008) “B-vitamin deficiency causes hyperhomocysteinemia and vascular cognitive impairment in mice” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 105 (34): 12474-12479
27)	Troen AM, Chao WH, D’Anci KE, Shukitt-Hale B, Crivello NA, Albuquerque BM, Casseus S, Smith DE, Selhub J, Rosenberg IH. (2008) “Cognitive impairment in folate-deficient rats corresponds to depleted brain phosphatidylcholine and is prevented by dietary methionine without lowering plasma homocysteine” Journal of Nutrition 138(12):2502-2509
28)	Kalmbach RD, Choumenkovitch SF, Troen AM, Jacques PF, D’Agostino R, Selhub J. (2008) Circulating folic acid in plasma: Relation to folic acid fortification” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 88 (3):763-768
29)	Kalmbach RD, Choumenkovitch SF, Troen AM, Jacques PF, D’Agostino R, Selhub J (2008). “A 19-base pair deletion polymorphism in dihydrofolate reductase is associated with increased unmetabolized folic acid in plasma and decreased red blood cell folate” Journal of Nutrition; 138: (12) 2323-2327
30)	Johnson EJ, McDonald K, Caldarella SM, Chung H, Troen AM, Snodderly, DM. (2008) “Cognitive findings of an exploratory trial of docosahexaenoic acid and lutein supplementation in older women” Nutritional Neuroscience;11(2): 75-83
31)	Bernardo A, McCord M, Troen AM, Allison JD, McDonald MP. (2007) “Impaired spatial memory in APP-overexpressing mice on a homocysteinemia-inducing diet” Neurobiology of Aging; 28(8):1195-205.
32)	Troen AM, French EE, Roberts JF, Selhub J, Ordovas JM, Parnell LD, Lai CQ (2007) “Lifespan modification by glucose and methionine in Drosophila melanogaster fed a chemically defined diet.” Age; 29(1):29-39. Erratum in: Age (Dordr). 2010 Mar;32(1):123
33)	Troen AM, Mitchell B, Johnston A, Wener A, Sorensen B, Wood B, McTiernan A, Yasui Y, Selhub J, Ulrich CM (2006) "Unmetabolized Folic Acid In Plasma Is Associated With Reduced Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Among Postmenopausal Women" Journal of Nutrition; 136: 1-6
34)	Troen AM, Shukitt-Hale B, Smith DE, Selhub J, Rosenberg IH (2006) "The Cognitive Impact of Nutritional Hyperhomocysteinemia in Apolipoprotein-E Deficient Mice" Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease; 9(4): 381-392
35)	Spiegelstein O, X Lu, Le XC, Troen A, Selhub J, Melnyk S, James SJ, Finnell RH (2005) "Effects Of Dietary Folate Intake And Folate Binding Protein-2 (Folbp2) On Urinary Speciation Of Sodium Arsenate In Mice" Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology; 19(1): 1-7.
36)	Spiegelstein O, Gould A, Wlodarczyk B, Tsie M, Lu X, Le C, Troen A, Selhub J, Piedrahita JA, Salbaum JM, Kappen C, Melnyk S, James J, Finnell RH (2005) “Developmental Consequences Of In Utero Sodium Arsenate Exposure In Mice With Folate Transport Deficiencies”; Toxicology Applied Pharmacology; 203(1):18-26
37)	Kado DM, Karlamangla AS, Huang MH, Troen A, Rowe JW, Selhub J, Seeman TE (2005). "Homocysteine Versus The Vitamins Folate, B12 And B6 As Predictors Of Cognitive Function In Older High Functioning Adults: Mac Arther Studies Of Successful Aging" American Journal of Medicine; 118(2):161-167.
38)	Spiegelstein O, Lu X, Le XC, Troen A, Selhub J, Melnyk S, James SJ, Finnell RH (2003). "Effects Of Dietary Folate Intake And Folate Binding Protein-1 (Folbp1) On Urinary Speciation Of Sodium Arsenate In Mice" Toxicology Letters; 145(2): 167-174.
39)	Troen AM, Lutgens E, Smith DE, Rosenberg IH, Selhub J (2003). "The Atherogenic Effect of Excess Methionine Intake" Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 100(25): 15089-150
Other Publications (Letters, Editorials and Reports):
1)	Eiran, E., Elias, M., Troen, AM. (2021). No Bread, No Peace. National security experts need to put food back on the table as a core issue. Foreign Policy, January 23, 2021. https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/23/food-hunger-national-security-issue...
2)	Troen AM et al., May 2020. Position paper to the National Security Council (MAL”L) on Food and Nutrition Security and National Resilience in Israel in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3)	Ish-Shalom S, Troen AM, Dawson-Hughes B. April 5, 2020. Position paper on vitamin D supplementation to reduce risk of acute upper respiratory tract infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopted by the Israel Ministry of Health. https://govextra.gov.il/media/15886/nutdic-vitamind.pdf
4)	Edited Conference Proceedings: Do Micronutrient Deficiency Conditions Exist in Israel in 2019? Challenges and Opportunities for Food Fortification. (2019) Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel. Available from: https://www.aac.ac.il/wp-content/uploads/ACC-MN-Conference-Proceedings-2....
5)	Goldschmidt R, Abu-Saad K, Adler D, Ohad N, Oren M, Azarjeva J, Endveld M, Endevelt R, Epel B, Berry EM, Berkely N, Troen AM, Kachal Y, Chernechovski D, Kauffman R, Kaufman-Shariki V, Kolter-Leibovitch O, Rotem N, Shahar D, Shepon A (in alphabetical order). (2018) National Council on Food Security, Research and Survey Committee Report (Government of Israel).
6)	The EUthyroid Consortium (2018) The Krakow Declaration on Iodine: Tasks and Responsibilities for Prevention Programs Targeting Iodine Deficiency Disorders. Eur Thyroid J. Aug;7(4):201-204. doi: 10.1159/000490143. https://www.iodinedeclaration.eu/declaration/
7)	Global Council on Brain Health. Brain Food: GCBH Recommendations on Nourishing Your Brain Health. Washington, DC: Global Council on Brain Health, January 2018. https://doi.org/10.26419/pia.00019.001
8)	Abu-Saad K, Ohad N, Oren M, Azarjeva J, Endveld M, Endevelt R, Epel B, Berry E, Berkely N, Goldschmidt R, Troen AM, Kachal Y, Chernechovski D, Kauffman R, Kaufman-Shariki V, Kolter-Leibovitch O, Rotem N, Shahar D, Shepon A (in alphabetical order) (2015) National Council on Food Security, Research and Survey Committee Report (Government of Israel) August 2015.
9)	Ovadia Y, Troen AM, Gefel D (2013). Seawater desalination and iodine deficiency: is there a link? ICCIDD Newsletter 30.8.2013 3/2013. (http://www.iccidd.org/newsletter/idd_aug13_israel_1.pdf)
10)	Coppedè F, Bosco P, Fuso A, Troen AM. “Nutrition and Dementia”; Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research (2012) [Invited editorial introducing guest edited volume.
11)	Troen AM, Rosenberg IH. (2009) “Reply to Gueant et al: How comparable are brain changes induced by dietary methyl-donor deficiency occurring before birth or after weaning? (Letter)” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 106 (1), pp. E2
12)	Kado DM, Karlamangla AS, Huang MH, Seeman TE, Selhub J, Troen A (2005). “Reply to: Folate, mitochondria, ROS, and the aging brain” (Letter) The American Journal of Medicine 118,(10):1174
Patents:
	NEUROPROTECTIVE NATURAL EXTRACT FROM PASSION FRUIT. US patent application 2013/0171284 filed June 28 2011 and granted July 2016. Samach A, Tirosh O, Pesis E, Artan A, Goldenberg L, Troen AM.
Manuscripts submitted or in preparation:
1)	Azarieva J, Berry EM, Troen AM. (2021) Child food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: urgent need for policy evaluation and reform in Israel’s school feeding programs (Submitted to Israel Journal of Health Policy Research).
2)	Barnet-Itzhaki Z., Ehrlich D, Troen AM, Rorman E, Groismann L, Blaychfeld Magnazi M, Endevelt R, Berman T. (2021) Results of the National Biomonitoring Program show Persistent Iodine Deficiency in Israel (Submitted to Israel Journal of Health Policy Research)
3)	EUthyroid WP1 manuscript in preparation: Register-based information on thyroid disease in Europe: Lessons and results from the EUthyroid collaboration (2021) (Submitted to Eur J Endocrinology).
4)	Food Security of Families of Israeli School-Age Children and Suspension of School Feeding Programs During COVID-19 (In Preparation)
5)	The prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among Israeli college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic (In Preparation)
6)	Modeling the impact for flour fortification with folic acid to prevent Neural Tube Defects in Israel (In Preparation)
7)	Age-related vascular cognitive decline dominates structural and functional effects of experimental folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia in rat (In Preparation)

Aron_Troen

Nutritional Assessment of Food Aid Delivered to Gaza via Israel during the 'Swords of Iron' War

WORKING PAPER (Pre-peer-review preprint)

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Naomi Fliss-Isakov^1,2,3, Dorit Nitzan⁴, Moran Blaychfeld Magnazi^3,5, Joseph Mendlovic^3,6 Sharon Alroy Preis³, Gilad Twig ^2,7,8, Aron M. Troen⁹, Ronit Endevelt^3,10

Department of Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology & Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
Master's Program in Emergency Medicine, School of Public Health and Food Systems, One Health and Resilience Research Center (BGU-FOR), Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Department of Pediatrics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, affiliated with the Hadassah University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
The Institute of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Institute of Biochemistry Food and Nutrition Science, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
Faculty of Welfare and Health, School of Public Health University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Corresponding author: Naomi Fliss-Isakov

Email: naomi.fliss@moh.gov.il

Note: This working paper is undergoing peer review. The findings are provisional and the conclusions may change

Abstract

Background: The ongoing Hamas-Israel war puts the civilian population in Gaza at risk of severe food and nutrition insecurity. Our goal was to provide objective, verifiable data to ascertain amounts and nutritional content of food donations entering Gaza through Israeli border crossings from January to July 2024. We aimed to assessed their compliance with Sphere international humanitarian standards for food security and nutrition maintenance in crisis affected populations.

Methods: We obtained the registry of all food aid delivered to Gaza via air drops and land crossings for the study period from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). This registry itemizes daily food shipments, items and estimated weights. It provides more complete data than the UN dashboards because it includes food supplied by state, private, and commercial sector donors, who are not affiliated with the UN aid clusters. Each food item in each shipment was categorized, quantified, and assessed for its nutrient composition. We then summed the energy, protein, fat, and iron content of all shipments, and calculated supply per capita per day, according to the size of Gaza’s population. Finally, we compared it to the Sphere standards for food security and nutrition.

Results: After accounting for food loss, a net total of 478,229 metric tons of food was delivered to Gaza. The average amount of energy available per person per day was 3,004 kcal, with 98 grams of protein (13.0% of energy), 61 grams of fat (18% of energy), and 23 milligrams of iron. Except for February there was a steady increase in the caloric, macronutrients and iron donated into Gaza that was registered by COGAT. The amounts of energy, protein, and fat exceed Sphere standards and remain consistent even after making adjustments for high food loss and the age distribution of the Gazan population.

Conclusions: This study assessed humanitarian food aid deliveries and availability in the Gaza Strip, the first pillar for meeting nutritional needs of the Gazan population. We found that with the exception of February, food aid delivered to Gaza during January-July 2024 exceeded the minimal daily per capita needs of all the people in Gaza, meeting humanitarian standards. While availability, the first pillar of food security, appears to be adequate, ensuring the food security of the population requires evaluation of the three remaining pillars of food security: access, utilization, and stability. With increased cooperation, the UN Food Security Cluster and COGAT could develop a comprehensive and continuously updated database of available food in Gaza. This would not only improve the transparent and objective assessment of food insecurity, but also ensure that future donations and their distribution could be tailored to meet the population's dynamic needs and circumstances.

Keywords: Hamas-Israel war, Food insecurity, Famine

	preprint-nutritional-assessment-of-food-aid-delivered-to-gaza-via-israel-during-the-swords-of-iron-war.pdf	1.02 MB

Aron_Troen

Conferences and Lectures

Participation in Scientific Conferences and Invited Lectures

International Conferences - Invited Lectures

2003, Troen AM, The Potential for Neuroprotection through Folate Supplementation and Homocysteine-Lowering in Alzheimer’s disease, The 32^ndAnnual Scientific Meeting of the American Aging Association Conference, Baltimore MD, June 6-9, 2003. Invited Plenary Lecture

2004, Troen AM, Animal Models of Hyperhomocysteinemia, The 5^th International Congress on Neuropsychiatry; Athens, Greece. October 14-19, 2004. Symposium on Homocysteine & MTHFR Polymorphism in Psychiatry: State of the Art. Invited Lecture

2005, Troen AM, Child Nutrition in Israel & Palestine: Seeking Joint Initiatives. International Conference under the joint auspices of TuftsUniversiy, AlQuds University and Ben-Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel. February 6-9, 2005. Conference Organizer and Co-Chair, Micronutrient Deficiencies Session

2005, Troen AM, Homocysteine and Brain Dysfunction: Insight from Animal Models 5th International Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism, Milan, Italy. June 26-30, 2005. Invited Plenary Lecture

2006, Troen AM, Neurotoxicity, vascular or metabolic insult? Modeling homocysteine-related brain dysfunction, FASEB Summer Conference on Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, and One-Carbon metabolism. Indian Wells CA, August 5-10, 2006. Invited Plenary Lecture

2007, Troen AM, Cognitive Dysfunction and Brain Phospholipids in a Rat Model of Dietary Homocsyteinemia: Relation to Folate and Methionine, 6th Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism, World Congress on Hyperhomocysteinemia, Saarbruecken, Germany June 5-9, 2007. Invited Lecture

2007, Troen AM, Panel on animal models of Vascular Cognitive Impairment - A mouse model of homocysteine-related vascular cognitive impairment, The Vas-Cog Congress, 2007 San Antonio TX, July 11-14, 2007. Invited Lecture

2009, Troen AM, Marabou Conference on Nutrition and the Aging Brain, Marabou Foundation for the promotion of nutritional research: Stockholm, Sweden June 12-24, 2009: Invited discussant

2010, Troen AM, Dietary regulation of cerebral microvascular plasticity, hemodynamics and cognitive function in rat, FASEB Summer Research Conference on Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, and One-Carbon metabolism: Carefree, Arizona August 2010. Invited Plenary Lecture

2010, Hallacoglu B, Sassaroli A, Rosenberg IH, Fantini S and Troen AM, Detection of decreased cerebral blood volume and oxygen saturation in folate deficient rats using non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy, Biomedical Optics: Miami, Florida, 2010. (Presentation by PhD student; Dr. Troen is PI)

2011, Troen AM, Mechanisms of disturbed brain function, experimental evidence, 8th International Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism: Lisboa, Portugal, June 2011. Invited Plenary Lecture

2011, Troen AM, Folic acid and Vitamin B12: Function and Importance for Cognitive Development, 70th Nestlé Nutrition Institute Workshop Program - Meeting Micronutrient Requirements for Health and Development: Cebu, Philippines, March 2011. Invited Plenary Lecture

2012, Troen AM, Insights into mechanisms of neurological complications in hyperhomocysteinemia, Advances and Controversies in B-Vitamins and Choline:, March 5-8, 2012 Leipzig Germany. Invited Plenary Lecture

2013, Troen AM, Brain microvascular changes in animal models of VCI: Non-invasive detection by absolute Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS); 6th Congress of the International Society for Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders; (VASCOG); June 26-28, 2013 Toronto Canada. Oral Presentation and Session Chair on Animal Models of Vascular Cognitive Impairment

2013, Troen AM, Modeling the metabolic modulation of behavior – The case of B-vitamins and dementia International Behavioral Neuroscience Society Meeting; Dublin, Ireland, June 25-30, 2013. Invited Symposium Lecture

2013, Troen AM, Iodine Status in Israel, The International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) Global Network Satellite Symposium; Sept. 7^th 2013, Leiden, The Netherlands. Invited Lecture.

2013, Troen AM, Reversible cerebrovascular impairment in hyperhomocysteinemic rats – is metabolic background important? 9^th International Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism and One-Carbon Metabolism, Sept. 8-12, 2013, Dublin, Ireland. Invited Plenary Lecture.

2013, Troen AM, A role for microvascular disease in cognitive impairment: Non-invasive detection by Absolute Near Infra Red Spectroscopy (niaNIRS), 8th International Congress on Vascular Dementia (ICVD 2013), 17-20 October, Athens Greece. Invited Lecture.

2015, Troen AM, 12th Nestlé International Nutrition Symposium: Cognition and Brain Health, Lausanne, Switzerland, 21-23 October 2015. Invited Participant. Participation in the Symposium is by personal invitation only. Each participant is selected for excellence in research in the field.

2015, Troen AM, 9th International Congress on Vascular Dementia – ICVD 2015,16-18 October, 2015, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Member of Consensus Working Group on Animal Models of Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.

2016, Troen AM, One-Carbon Metabolism and Cerebrovascular Function, FASEB Summer Meeting on Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, and One-Carbon Metabolism, August 7-12, 2016 Steamboat Springs, CO, USA. Invited Lecture.

2016, Troen AM, 13th Nestlé International Nutrition Symposium: Nourishing the World. Lausanne, Switzerland, 26-29 October 2016. Invited Participant. Participation in the Symposium is by personal invitation only. Each participant is selected for excellence in research in the field.

2017, Troen AM, “Neurocognitive Outcomes in Homocysteine-Lowering Trials“ 7^th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in the Middle East, February 23-25, Abu Dahbi, United Arab Emirates, Invited Lecture.

2017, Troen AM, “Cognition, dementia and B vitamins – animal models, trials and epidemiology”, 11th International Conference on Homocysteine and One-Carbon Metabolism, May 14 - 18, 2017, Aarhus, Denmark, Invited Lecture.

2017, Troen AM Co-chair EUThyroid Satellite Session, European Thyroid Association, September 9^th, Belgrade, Serbia.

2018, Troen AM, “Neuroprotective nutritional interventions”, BIRAX Ageing Meeting, September 4-6, King’s College London, UK, Invited Lecture.

2018, Troen AM, “Overcoming deficiencies in Nutrition and Public Heath – Iodine Status in Israel”, European Thyroid Association / Iodine Global Network meeting, September 15, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, Invited Lecture.

2018, Troen AM, “Les aliments, les nutriments ou la diète peuvent-ils agir sur le vieillissement du cerveau? (Can foods, nutrients or diets prevent brain aging?)” 11ème Colloque Scientifique Franco-Israélien CERVEAU et NUTRITION, November 18, Paris, France, Invited Lecture.

2019, Troen AM, “Is the evidence sufficient to recommend dietary interventions to reduce the risk of AD? - Pro“ 13th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy) April 4-7, Madrid, Spain, Invited Debate.

2020, Troen AM, 1 Carbon Metabolism and Brain Function, FASEB Virtual Summer Research Conference on Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and One-Carbon Metabolism, August 17-19, 2020. (Invited Session Chair).

2020, International Conference on Controversies in Neurology (CONy), London, (Invited Session Chair) Postponed

2020, Troen AM, “The COVID Trifecta in Israel: Health, Economics and Politics” Tufts University COVID-19 Research Symposium November 17-18, 2020, Boston MA, USA, (Virtual https://viceprovost.tufts.edu/about-speakers-covid-19-research-symposium), Invited Lecture.

2021 International Webinar on Food Security in the Days of Corona, International Webinar, hosted by Hebrew University in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, Haifa University and Ariel University, Featuring former USA Secretary of Agriculture, the Hon. Dan Glickman, Deputy Director, Trade and Markets Division, UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Dr. Joseph Schmidhuber, and a round panel of Government of Israel senior civil servants and policymakers discussing the challenges and need for a holistic and integrated food policy for Israel in the wake of the pandemic. March 2^nd, 2021. Convener and Webinar Chair.

2022, Troen AM, Hiding hunger in the measurement of food insecurity, Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Conference on Food Security Cornell University Ithaca NY, April 7-9, 2022, Invited lecture (pending).

Other Lectures

2006, Troen AM, Evaluating Cognitive Function in Renal Transplant Recipients: An Ancillary Study of the FAVORIT Trial, Kidney Interagency Coordinating Subcommittee Meeting, NIH, Bethesda MD. March 24, 2006. Invited Lecture

2008, Troen AM, Dietary folate deficiency severely impairs dopamine release in rat brain, Society for Neuroscience Meeting, Washington, DC. November 15-19, 2008. Oral Presentation

2008, Troen AM, Hot Topic: B-vitamins and Cognition Nutrition Agenda 2008 and Beyond – The Friedman School Symposium; Boston MA, September 24-26, 2008. Invited Plenary Lecture

2013, Troen AM, Can niaNIRS be used for the early detection and monitoring of brain microvascular disease? Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2013; July 13-18, Boston, MA, USA.

2015, Troen AM, From liver to brain dysfunction – a pilot study in methionine and choline deficient rats, 10th Conference on One Carbon Metabolism, Vitamins B and Homocysteine, France, July 7th – 11th, 2015.

2015, Troen AM, The dihydrofolatereductase (DHFR) 19 base-pair deletion polymorphism modifies the association of folate status with memory , 10th Conference on One Carbon Metabolism, Vitamins B and Homocysteine, France, July 7th – 11th, 2015.

2015, Troen AM, Metabolic interpay of B-vitamins and homocysteine with neurocognitive and cerebrovascular risk; Invited Lecture, Sapienza University, Rome, October 18th 2015.

2016, Troen AM, Interactions between vitamin status and gene-variants in the folate and homocysteine pathway influence cognitive outcomes in a cross-sectional multi-ethnic cohort; The 10th Conference of the International Society of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics (ISNN), Tel Aviv, Israel, May 22-26, 2016.

2018, Troen AM, Better biomarkers for brain metabolism? – Flash presentation. ILSI Europe Symposium on ‘Nutrition for the Ageing Brain: Moving Towards Clinical Applications’, August 30-31, Madrid, Spain.

2019, Troen AM, “Memory Matters in the Aging Brain“; Sarasota Institute of Lifelong Learning (SILL), Sarasota, Florida, February 19, 2019. Invited Lecture.

2019, Troen AM, “Finding hope and avoiding hype in dementia prevention research“; Sarasota Institute of Lifelong Learning (SILL), Sarasota, Florida, February 20, 2019. Invited Lecture.

2019, Troen AM, Modeling Metabolic Risk for (µ)Vascular Cognitive Impairment, August 6^th, 2019. Virginia Tech, VA USA. Invited Lecture

2020, Troen AM, The Homocysteine Hypothesis of Dementia and the Liver-Brain Axis. February 24^th, 2020, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute; February 25^th, The Nutrition Department, Kings College London, London, UK. Invited Lecture.

2020, Troen AM and Eileen Kennedy, Nutrition, Food Security and COVID-19: Sustaining ourselves and our communities in a pandemic. The Consulate General of Israel to New England, Tufts University and American Friends of the Hebrew University. July 27^th, 2020. (Invited Lecture, Via Zoom and FaceBook).

2021, Troen AM, Food Security, Bringing Science and Politics to the Table“; Sarasota Institute of Lifelong Learning (SILL), Sarasota, Florida, February 25^th, 2021. (Webinar due to COVID) Invited Public Lecture.

2021, Troen AM, Food Fights: When Scientists, Advocates and Politicians Set the Table. April 12^th 2021. Hebrew University “Torch Talks” Alumni Association. (Webinar - Invited Talk)

2021, Troen AM and Malchi T, “Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture: Addressing Health through Agriculture” Harvard School of Public Health, GID Ethiopia Seminar, Boston MA (via zoom) August 30^th, 2021. Invited Lecture.

2021 Troen AM, “Response to Israeli Red/Green Front of Package Labeling (early impressions)”; Food and Beverage Product Reformulation – Global Trends and Consequences Webinar (with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Global Food Research Program), Sept 23^rd 2021, invited lecture.

Local Conferences - Invited Lectures

2012, Troen AM, From Food to Memory and everything in between, Kenes ATID, Israeli Dietetic Association annual meeting, Wingate Institute Israel, September 14, 2012. Invited Plenary Lecture

2012, Troen AM, Opportunities and Challenges for Nutritional Neuroprotection, The 5^th Conference on Food Innovation (FOODLAB); Feb. 9, 2012, Rehovot, Israel. Invited Lecture

2012, Troen AM, Narrowing the evidence gap: B-vitamins for Neuroprotection, The Israeli Nutrition Week & The 2012 AODA Regional Conference; Sept 12-14, 2012, Tel Aviv, Israel. Invited plenary lecture and Session Chair.

2015, Troen AM, The metabolic interplay of B-vitamins and homocysteine with cerbrovascular risk, The 3rd Sagol Symposium on Cognitive Function in Metabolic Syndrome, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, November 11, 2015, Tel Aviv Israel. Invited Lecture.

2019, Troen AM, Nutritional prevention of dementia – do we have enough evidence yet? ATID dietetic association and Peres Academic College, Rehovot, Israel, May 14, 2019. Invited Lecture.

2020, Israeli EAT Lancet Report Launch. Israel Forum for Sustainable Nutrition, Tel Aviv University Museum of Science, March 4^th, 2020. Invited panelist.

2020, COVID-19 Implications for Public Health Nutrition Priorities Round Table (Israel Association of Public Health Physicians and The Hebrew University Webinar, April 26^th 2020. Convener and Chair.

Other Lectures

2017, Troen AM, Overcoming Deficiencies in Nutrition and in Public Health Policy: Micronutrient Fortification for Israel, Annual Meeting of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, June 5, 2017, Ramat Gan, Israel.

2018, Panel Moderator: Populations at Excess Risk of Food Insecurity. First Afula Conference of the National Nutritional Security Council, Afula, Israel, February 13, 2018.

2020, Troen AM, Food Security and National Resilience: Lessons of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Israel, MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health Global COVID-19 Forum, May 24^th 2020 (Invited Lecture, International Webinar).

2020, Troen AM, Lessons of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Food and Nutrition Security: The Israeli Experience. Tel Aviv University Manna Center Program for Food Safety & Security and MASHAV Agricultural Training Center. June 8^th 2020 (via zoom, Invited Lecture).

2020, Troen AM, Overcoming Deficiencies in (Israeli) Nutrition and Public Health, Ariel University Public Health Nutrition Seminar, December 9^th, 2020. Invited Lecture.

2021, Troen AM, Food Security in Israel During COVID - Between Science and Policy, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Public Health Seminar, Beer Sheva, Israel. May 26^th 2021. Invited Lecture.

Other Lectures and seminars

2007, Troen AM, Nutritional Neuroscience: An Introduction (“What we eat = who we ARE?”) Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy Seminar Series, Tufts University, Boston MA, November 13, 2007

2008, Troen AM, Granny's dementia is about hardening of the arteries after all, Jean Mayer USDA HNRCA at Tufts University – Seminar; Boston MA, March 24, 2008

2008, Troen AM, Rodent models of homocysteine-related cognitive impairment: a role for choline metabolism? University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, April 2, 2008, Seminar, Host: Steven Zeisel

2008, Troen AM, (Mis)understanding nutritional risk for cognitive decline: the case of hyperhomocysteinemia, Boston University Alzheimer Disease Research Center Seminar, Boston MA, May 21, 2008. Invited Lecture

2008, Troen AM, B-vitamins and Brain Aging: The Challenge of Nutritional Neuroprotection, Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Rehovot, Israel, Dec 30 2008. Invited Seminar

2008, Troen AM, B-vitamins and Brain Aging: The Challenge of Nutritional Neuroprotection, Faculty of Life Sciences, Haifa University: Haifa Israel: Jan 12 2009. Invited Seminar

2008, Troen AM, B-vitamins and Brain Aging: The Challenge of Nutritional Neuroprotection, Adams Super Center for Brain Studies, Tel Aviv University: Tel Aviv Israel: Jan 8 2009. Invited Seminar

2012, Troen AM, Folate and B12 in neurocognitive development: Beyond neural tube defects. Pears Workshop – Challenges in Global Nutrition; Sept 2-4 2012, Rehovot, Israel. Organizing committee and plenary lecture.

2013, Troen AM, Modeling the metabolic modulation of behavior – The case of B-vitamins and dementia, Metabolic Syndrome Research Club, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel, Jan 23, 2013. Invited Seminar

2016, Troen AM, One carbon metabolism and cerebrovascular disease, Invited Seminar, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, August 17, 2017, Boston MA, USA.

2017, Troen AM, Overcoming Deficiencies in Nutrition and in Public Health Policy: Micronutrient Fortification for Israel, Invited Seminar, Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University, January 18^,2017, Jerusalem, Israel.

2017, Troen AM, Is there a good biomarker for brain 1C metabolism? Poor correlation of blood and brain 1C metabolites in vivo, Invited Seminar, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, April 6, 2017, Boston MA, USA.

2017, Troen AM, Hunger in the midst of Plenty: Responses to Food Insecurity in Israel, Invited Lecture, Manna Center Summer Institute on Food Security, July 4 2017, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv.

2018, Troen AM, "Nutritoinal prevention of dementia - from hype to hope”, Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization. Community Lecture, Haifa, Israel, November 20, 2018

2020, Troen AM, “Hiding Hunger in Plain Sight –Food Security Policy in Israel”, Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization. Community Lecture, Haifa, Israel, March 16^th, 2021

Basic Research

Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory

Preventing the decline in cognitive function that attends normal and pathologic brain aging is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The current trends of population growth and aging predict dramatic increases in the burden of dementia, cerebrovascular disease and stroke, while therapies for prevention and treatment of these conditions remain limited. Understanding the role of nutrition in brain aging and cognitive decline is of major fundamental, clinical and public health importance because nutritional interventions may offer safe and effective measures for brain protection, and for the insight it can provide into the fundamental mechanisms of brain aging.

The long-term goal of our research program is to establish nutritional and pharmacologic interventions to prevent age-related cognitive impairment. A primary focus is to understand how dietary and genetic modulation of one-carbon metabolism regulates microvascular and neuronal plasticity in the adult and aging brain. We use dietary interventions in rodents to model clinically relevant associations between nutrition and brain-aging in humans (for example, by modifying dietary folate intake). The mechanistic basis for these associations can then be delineated by identifying the integrated effects of diet on in vivo brain metabolism, cellular regulation, cerebrovascular and neuroanatomy, physiology, and ultimately behavior. Integrating these outcomes we aim to: 1) define the role of microvascular plasticity and neuronal-centric processes for maintaining cognitive function; 2) identify diet-responsive microvascular and neuronal signaling pathways; 3) establish new, clinically relevant and urgently needed animal models of vascular cognitive impairment; 4) establish novel, standardized, objective and quantitative anatomical and functional measures of microvascular health for basic and pre-clinical research; thereby laying the foundation for new ways of preventing and treating age-related cognitive impairment

This in vivo work is both informed by and informs ongoing collaborative research projects on epidemiological studies and clinical trials deigned to determine the role of nutritional status, gene-nutrient interactions and nutrition based-interventions on cognitive health in older adults.

In support of these aims we are leading a collaboration with the Fantini laboratory in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University on developing and applying a non-invasive, quantitative near infra-red spectroscopy instrument for fundamental and pre-clinical research in animal models, and for translational application to human studies.

Open positions

Now hiring outstanding, highly motivated PHD and MSc students.
Background in metabolism and nutrition science, biochemistry or neurobiology are preferred.

Aron_Troen

Animal Facilty
Rat models of age-related cognitive decline will be exposed to dietary and other interventions

Metabolic Cages
monitor food intake, activity calorimetry

Biochemistry/Metabolic Outcomes
HPLC, LCMSMS, GCMS

Cellular and Molectular Outcomes
real time PCR, gene arrays
protein expression and proteomics

Brain Anatomy and Pathology
Quantitative evaluation of structural brain response to interventions

Physiological Outcomes
Propietary,novel non-invasive NIRS system for brain circulation and oxygenation will be built in continued collaboration with Tufts Dept. of Biomedical Engineering.

Behavior Core
used to define functional cognitive response to interventions

Aron_Troen

Food Security

Aron_Troen conferences

Open Positions

Interested candidates should send CV and brief statement of interest to:

Prof. Aron Troen

Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory
Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition
The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
P.O.Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel

Email Address: aron.troen@mail.huji.ac.il

Aron_Troen

Prof. Aron Troen

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Professional Experience

Honors And Awards

Editorial Boards And Professional Activity

Peer review

Grant review

Membership in professional societies (past and present)

Conference organization

Doctoral Dissertation Opponent

Advanced Training and Other activities

Research Grants

Service To The Institution

Teaching

List of Publications

WORKING PAPERS (Pre-peer-review preprint):

Doctoral Dissertation:

Chapters in collections:

Review Articles and Hypotheses:

Articles:

Other Publications (Letters, Editorials and Reports):

Patents:

Manuscripts submitted or in preparation:

Nutritional Assessment of Food Aid Delivered to Gaza via Israel during the 'Swords of Iron' War

WORKING PAPER (Pre-peer-review preprint)

Conferences and Lectures

Participation in Scientific Conferences and Invited Lectures

International Conferences - Invited Lectures

Other Lectures

Local Conferences - Invited Lectures

Other Lectures

Other Lectures and seminars

Basic Research

Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory

Food Security

Open Positions