Marlene Lages, recently awarded her PhD at ciTechCare, participated as an invited speaker at the 8th Nutrition Sciences Conference, organized by the Nutrition Sciences Student Association (NECN) of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, on 23 and 24 February, where she delivered the presentation entitled “Chrononutrition: the Impact of Meal Timing on Metabolic Health.”

Her presentation addressed the functioning of the circadian system and underscored the importance of synchronizing biological rhythms with dietary patterns, particularly meal timing, highlighting the role of chrononutrition in the promotion of metabolic health and the prevention of chronic diseases.

Evidence suggests that prolonged eating windows or the consumption of meals at later times may be associated with poorer metabolic health indicators, including increased abdominal adiposity, thereby reinforcing the potential of chrononutrition as an effective intervention strategy.

The researcher also presented findings from her doctoral research, supervised by Professor Maria Guarino (ciTechCare), Professor Sara Carmo-Silva (ESTeSCoimbra), and Professor Renata Barros (FCNAUP), which suggest a possible association between the lipid composition of the diet—namely the types of fats consumed—and the expression of clock genes responsible for coordinating a range of physiological processes.

The event further included sessions in the fields of sports nutrition, community nutrition, and public health, as well as on sustainability and food innovation.