AG&M annual report 2017

Mission, vision and role of the
AG&M research institute
We have to sustain our daily energy expenditure by the efficient digestion and metabolism
of our diet. The body’s machinery required to manage this task is one of the most important
organ systems burdened by disease in the Western world. Diet induced obesity, diabetes,
cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and liver
are some of the major illnesses that affect our society. Many of these diseases seem to be
associated with a Western diet and lifestyle. Inborn errors of metabolism cause rare diseases
that require specialized care but also offer a unique opportunity to study human metabolism
in health and disease.
As of January 2017, the Amsterdam Gastroenterology and Metabolism (AG&M) research
institute unites the research at the Amsterdam UMC (locations AMC and VUmc) involved
at the intersection of nutrition, microbiology, digestion, endocrinology and metabolism.
Together, we aim to make an important contribution to improve gastrointestinal, endocrine
and metabolic health and reduce the burden of disease.
4