Chris Van Den Akker

Dr. Chris van den Akker is a Consultant Neonatologist at Amsterdam UMC – Emma Children’s Hospital, specializing in neonatal nutrition, metabolism, and intensive care. He has been actively involved in neonatal research since 2005, focusing on fetal and neonatal protein metabolism, lipid metabolism, human milk, and probiotics.

Dr. van den Akker earned his PhD under the supervision of Prof. J.B. van Goudoever, where he investigated protein metabolism in preterm infants. His research has since expanded to nutritional strategies for neonates, contributing to international guidelines on neonatal nutrition. He is an active co-author of several ESPGHAN guidelines, including those on parenteral nutrition (2018), probiotics (2020), and enteral nutrition (2021).

His work integrates clinical neonatology with advanced nutritional research, ensuring that preterm and critically ill newborns receive optimal nutritional support. He has contributed to studies on human milk fortification, metabolic adaptations in neonates, and the role of probiotics in neonatal gut health, shaping best practices in neonatal intensive care.

Beyond his research, Dr. van den Akker is actively involved in medical education and mentorship, training healthcare professionals in neonatal nutrition and intensive care. He collaborates with international research networks, contributing to multicenter studies on neonatal metabolism and nutritional interventions.

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