Dr. Thomas Agius

Research area

Plant-based meat analogs and their impact on human nutrition and health.

Keywords: nutrition, metabolism, endocrinology, translational medicine.

Dr. Thomas Agius is a Postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich, specializing in human nutrition and health, to evaluate the nutritional and health benefits of new innovative plant-based meat analogs.

Current Research Focus:

As the global population approaches an estimated 9 billion by 2050, a corresponding 70% increase in food consumption is anticipated, with a significant rise in protein demand influenced by socio-economic trends. The environmental unsustainability of traditional meat production, coupled with its association with public health risks, environmental degradation, and animal welfare concerns, underscores the urgency for sustainable alternatives. Recent advancements in plant-based (PBMA) and cell-based meat alternatives (CBM) have emerged as viable solutions. These innovations tackle environmental concerns while also respecting the deep-rooted cultural significance of meat consumption in industrialized societies. However, the nutritional equivalence of these alternatives to animal meat, which is a crucial source of energy, essential macronutrients and micronutrients, remains mostly unknown and a pivotal research question.

Student projects and Open positions:

Are you passionate about sustainable food innovation and human health? Join our interdisciplinary research initiative focused on plant-based meat analogs (PBMA). This collaborative project is led by the Sustainable Food Processing Laboratory and the Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics. As a HiWi, Bachelor’s, or Master’s student, you’ll become an integral part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team.

More information here: HiWi / BSc / MSc Thesis Projects Available

Background:

Dr. Thomas Agius holds a Ph.D. in Life Science from the University of Lausanne (UNIL and CHUV), Switzerland, where he worked in the laboratory of vascular surgery (Dr. Alban Longchamp). He was also a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (Prof. Korkut Uygun), and holds a Master of Science in Nutrition and Digestive Health from the University of Toulouse III, France.

Dr. Thomas Agius has developed a strong foundation in health science, in vivo metabolic research, and multiomics analysis. During his Ph.D., he gained in understanding metabolic responses to stresses such as ischemia-reperfusion injury and surgery. He employed multimodal approaches combining in vivo experimentation, bioinformatics, and bioengineering to decipher the complex nature dietary intervention on tissue metabolism under stress conditions. He developed innovative diets and treatments to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury and improve postoperative recovery of patients.

As a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Agius established a new research project focusing on ex-vivo kidney preservation in collaboration with physicians and bioengineers. He developed kidney ex-vivo perfusion systems and innovative perfusate composition, aiming to expand the conservation of organs from day to weeks. He also explored transplanted patients databases to find new biomarkers and prognostic models of early acute liver dysfunction.