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
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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) |
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2000 |
DPhil Physiological Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK. |
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1996 |
BSc Biology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel |
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2016 – present |
Associate Professor (with tenure), Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition; The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment |
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2010 –2016 |
Senior Lecturer (tenure-track), Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition; The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment |
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2010 - 2018 |
Visiting Scientist, JM USDA HNRCA |
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2010 - 2015 |
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (FSNSP), Tufts University |
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2009 - 2010 |
Scientist II; JM USDA HNRCA, Tufts University |
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2008 - 2010 |
Assistant Professor, FSNSP, Tufts University |
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2003 - 2009 |
Scientist III; JM USDA HNRCA, Tufts University |
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2006 - 2007 |
Adjunct Assistant Professor; FSNSP, Tufts University |
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2010 |
Golda Meir Fellow and Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
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2003 |
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Postdoctoral Travel Award |
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2002 |
The Alzheimer's Association Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute New Investigator Research Grant Award |
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1996 - 1999 |
Oxford University Dept. of Pharmacology, Departmental Scholarship |
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2021–present |
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Nutrition and Brain Health |
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2020 |
Reviewer for Environmental Health Fund annual report |
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2019 |
Member, Myers JDC Brookdale Institute, Nutrition Labelling National Evaluation Survey scientific advisory committee |
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2017 |
Member AARP Global Council on Brain Health expert panel on nutrition and brain health |
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2016 –present |
Editorial Board, Nutrition Reviews |
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2016 –present |
Editorial Board, Food and Nutrition Bulletin |
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2015 –present |
Member Israel Ministry of Health Committee for Food Fortification, continued consulting for MOH Nutrition Division on Food Policy, Fortification and Food Security |
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2014 –present |
Member ad hoc Research Committee, National Nutritional Security Council (Government of Israel statutory advisory committee) |
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2012 –present |
Representative of Israel to the Iodine Global Network (formerly ICCIDD, International Council for Combating Iodine Deficiency Disorders) |
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2012 - 2016 |
Founding editorial board member of Epigenetics of Neurodegenerative Diseases |
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2011- present |
Associate Editor – Frontier in Nutrigenomics |
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2011 - 2012 |
Guest Editor Special issue of Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism on Folate Nutrition and Health |
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2011 - 2012 |
Guest Editor Special issue of Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research on Nutrition and Dementia |
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2006 - 2007 |
Associate Editor, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease |
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.
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)
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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) |
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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) |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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2019 |
International advisory committee, 12th International Conference on One-Carbon Metabolism, B Vitamins and Homocysteine; June 9-13, Reus, Spain |
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2013 |
Student and Young Investigator Awards Committee, 9th International Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism and One-Carbon Metabolism; Sept. 8-12, Dublin, Ireland |
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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. |
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2012 |
Scientific Steering Committee, Pears International Workshop Challenges in Global Nutrition; September 2-4 2012, Rehovot, Israel |
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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. |
(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.
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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 |
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2017 |
Institutional Equipment Grant No. 2197/17; High Pressure/Perfomance Liquid Chromatograph – Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometer |
Israel Science Foundation |
798,746 NIS |
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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 |
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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
|
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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 |
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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 |
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2021-present |
Chair, Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment IACUC Committee |
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2019-present |
Curriculum Committee, MSc program in Nutrition Science |
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2016 – 2017 |
Faculty Teaching and Academics Committee, Faculty of Agriculture |
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2016 |
Authority for Biological and Preclinical Models Development Committee |
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2013-present |
Executive Committee, Hebrew University Authority for Biological and Preclinical Models |
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2013 |
Faculty of Agriculture Scholarship Committee |
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2012 – 2020 |
Faculty of Agriculture IACUC Committee |
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2011-present |
Curriculum Committee, School of Nutritional Sciences |
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2011-2013 |
Seminar Coordinator, Institute of Biochemistry Food Science and Nutrition |
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Currently offered courses |
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65129 |
Introduction to Nutrition and Food Policy – An Israeli Perspective (2 credit, 3rd year undergraduate elective, open to MSc students) |
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65313 |
Introduction to Epidemiology (4 credit, 2nd year undergraduate) |
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71490 |
Nutrition in Neurodegenerative Diseases (2 credit MSc course) |
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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) |
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MSc Students |
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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” |
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2016-2017 |
Ghada Baransi – “Factors affecting the composition of food baskets distributed by non-profit organizations to the food insecure population in Israel” |
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2015 |
Yared Ha Sherawade (International Nutrition MSc) - "Alleviating food security by establishing food banks for the needy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia" |
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2015-2017 |
Lior Chatow - “The effect of folate deficiency on vasculature and methylation-dependent pathways in the aging brain” |
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2014-2017 |
Dana Philip - “Better quality food-aid is linked to better nutrition among food pantry users in the Leket Israel Food Bank collaborative |
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2014-2017 |
Yael Yellin - “Testing Passiflora's potential for prevention of neurocognitive aging” |
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2014–2017 |
Amir Bros - “Can consumption of a Passiflora extract protect the aging brain from microvascular damage?” |
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2013–2017 |
Emil Mahamid -”Do the angiodynamic effects of folate-deficient diets alter brain circulation?“ (DVM thesis) |
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2013 |
Tirhas Mebratu Gebretsadikan (International Nutrition MSc.) - "Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorder in Mothers and Infants in Ethiopia" |
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2012-2014 |
Yael Tal -“The neuroprotective potential of a novel strain of passion fruit” (Co supervised with Oren Tirosh) |
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2011-2013 |
Shani Martsiano - “Folate deficiency impairs Notch signaling in rat brain” |
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2011-2013 |
Vered Vayman - “Non invasive detection of diet-induced brain microvascular changes by near infrared spectroscopy” |
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PhD Students |
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2013-2021 |
Nur Abu Ahmad - “Methyl-donor deficiency and the Liver Brain Axis” |
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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) |
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2013-2017 |
Yaniv Ovadia - “Determinants of Iodine Deficiency and Thyroid Health in Israel” (Co supervised with Dubi Gefel) |
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2013-2014 |
Zmira Binyamin (withdrew) |
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2006-2008 |
Renee Kalambach (Co supervised with Jacob Selhub and Paul Jaques at Tufts University) |
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2009-2013 |
Bertan Hallacoglu (Co supervised with Sergio Fantini at Tufts University) |
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Postdoctoral Fellows |
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2020 |
Efrat Elimelech – Food Security during COVID |
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2019 |
Jannetta Azarieva - School Feeding Programs and Food Security |
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2011-2012 |
Yaarit Nahum Biala – B Vitamins and Neurodegenerative Disease |
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2008-2009 |
Denish Moorthy - Nutrigenomics |
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2009-2013 |
Merav Shaul – Nutrition and Cerebrovascular Function |