Maria Kafyra, winner of the Public Health award, is a dietitian/nutritionist and postdoctoral researcher, who has worked and studied in Greece, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. Her work focuses on identifying obesity-related determinants of health and developing personalized interventions which address individual genetic differences in metabolism and treatment responses, aligning with the growing need for personalized healthcare strategies. She is currently working on the impact of excess weight on securing employment and the ability to conceive and among Greek men and women aged 25-40 with overweight or obesity.
Maria, great to connect for this interview! Please tell the EASO community a bit about yourself, where did you grow up? Feel free to share insights into your early life and upbringing, family environment, and formative experiences that may have influenced your career path.
I grew up in Athens, Greece, in an urban family of four. My parents devoted everything—time, energy, and every possible resource—to ensuring that my sister and I had access to the best education and upbringing they could provide. For them, our success was not just a hope but a purpose, and they instilled in us the belief that education was the foundation upon which our future would be built.
Achieving a good education was the very cornerstone of our daily lives. Every effort and every choice they made was geared toward ensuring that we had the tools to excel. From an early age, we understood that knowledge was power—not just in the academic sense but as the key to developing critical appraisal skills, to truly understanding the world around us, and to navigating its complexities with clarity and purpose.
This relentless pursuit of knowledge sparked in me a deep curiosity about the origins of things—where they come from, how they work, and why they function the way they do. I realized that the only way to uncover such answers was through continuous research, driven by intellectual rigor. This passion for learning became more than a personal journey; it transformed into a desire to contribute to society’s collective understanding, to push the boundaries of knowledge, and to discover insights that could enrich not only my own perspective but that of the world at large.
Fantastic! Please share an overview of your educational background and research experiences, particularly those that led you to specialise in obesity research.
Studying in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Harokopio University of Athens during my Bachelor’s was the foundation of my future in research. Early on, I developed a profound interest in the metabolic processes that regulate food intake and how they interact with physiological, genetic, and environmental factors. The complexity of these mechanisms, particularly in relation to obesity, captivated me, making it clear that I wanted to delve deeper into the academic field. This realization solidified my decision to pursue a Master’s degree, and having always aspired to study in the UK, I was fortunate enough to be able to do so. These opportunities not only shaped my academic identity but also reaffirmed my determination to further my research through a PhD.
My passion for understanding and explaining biological mechanisms found its perfect counterpart in genetics when I recognized the intricate nature of obesity. Despite being largely influenced by lifestyle, genetic predisposition plays a critical role in determining whether and how obesity manifests. This insight deepened my commitment to unraveling the complex interplay between genes, metabolism, and environmental influences.
Eager to gain expertise in this field, I joined Professor George Dedoussis’ research team—an irreplaceable opportunity that continues to shape my scientific perspective. Through this experience, I was introduced to nutrigenetics, further broadening my understanding of how individual genetic profiles influence responses to diet and metabolism. My academic journey then expanded beyond Greece, as I had the honor of joining Dr. Sophie Siest’s lab at Université de Lorraine in France and later Dr. Toshiko Tanaka at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in the USA through a Fulbright Grant. These experiences profoundly shaped my professional, academic, and research identity, exposing me to world-class scientists and invaluable mentorship.
With enriching experiences across the UK, France, and the USA, pursuing a career in research and academia became the only path that truly resonated with me. Each step of this journey was made possible through the support of scholarships, without which my aspirations would not have materialized. The opportunity to explore obesity from multiple perspectives, bridging genetics, nutrition, and metabolic science, has only strengthened my resolve to contribute meaningful insights to this critical field.
This interdisciplinary approach in Public Health is brilliant, Maria. How have your academic training and professional experiences equipped you to take on the complexities of obesity research? I’m curious to learn how your research interests have developed over time, and what factors have steered you towards prioritising obesity in your work?
My academic training and professional experiences have provided me with a strong multidisciplinary foundation in obesity research. Beginning with my Bachelor’s in Nutrition and Dietetics, my growing interest in the biological underpinnings of nutrition and its impact on obesity led me to pursue a Master’s degree, where I deepened my understanding of the physiological and genetic determinants of metabolic health. Supported by scholarships, I further expanded my expertise through research experiences in France and the USA, focusing on nutrigenetics and precision nutrition.
Over time, my research interests evolved from a broad focus on nutrition and metabolism to a targeted investigation of obesity’s multifaceted nature. I became particularly interested in the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental factors—how lifestyle influences biology in shaping obesity risk and treatment responses. My work with Professor Dedoussis’s research group, as well as collaborations with Dr. Siest and Dr. Tanaka, reinforced the importance of personalized approaches to obesity prevention and treatment.
Recognizing obesity as a global health challenge, I am committed to research that has direct, practical implications for improving quality of life. Obesity is not merely a clinical condition but a complex issue affecting physical, mental, environmental, and psychological well-being, with profound consequences for longevity.
Now, as project manager of the BETTER4U initiative, I contribute to implementing biologically tailored interventions for obesity. This role allows me to integrate my background in metabolic research, genetics, and public health to develop innovative, evidence-based strategies for obesity prevention. Managing an interdisciplinary project of this scale requires not only scientific expertise but also the ability to translate research into real-world applications—a skill I have refined through years of working across diverse research environments. My journey has been shaped by a commitment to understanding obesity beyond a singular cause-and-effect model. Through BETTER4U, the priority is to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, ensuring that scientific advancements translate into meaningful, personalized solutions for individuals and communities.
Thanks for again mentioning the multidisciplinary approach. EASO is also a partner in BETTER4U. Can you discuss any other research projects or collaborations that have been particularly impactful in advancing your understanding of obesity?
Several research projects and collaborations have been instrumental in deepening my understanding of obesity, particularly its biological complexity and the necessity for personalized interventions. My work with Professor Dedoussis’s research group introduced me to nutrigenetics, highlighting the role of genetic predisposition in shaping obesity risk and metabolic responses, as well as their respective interplay with other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the age spectrum, such as Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Disease (MASLD) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). This experience reinforced my interest in the intricate relationship between genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle in obesity prevention and treatment. Expanding on this, my research at Dr. Siest’s lab (Université de Lorraine, France) and Dr. Tanaka’s team (National Institute on Aging, USA) exposed me to cutting-edge methodologies in precision nutrition and metabolic research, further refining my expertise in obesity’s multifactorial nature.
As part of my PhD, I contributed to the IMPROVE study, which explored cardiometabolic risk factors and their genetic and lifestyle interactions, providing critical insights into the mechanisms underlying obesity-related metabolic dysfunction. This work deepened my understanding of the complex interplay between metabolic pathways and cardiovascular health, reinforcing the importance of tailored interventions in obesity management.
Now, as the project manager of BETTER4U, I am at the forefront of implementing biologically tailored interventions for obesity. This interdisciplinary initiative translates research findings into real-world applications, addressing individual variability in obesity risk and treatment response. Through BETTER4U, I have gained invaluable experience in bridging scientific discovery with clinical and public health strategies, further solidifying my commitment to advancing obesity research in a way that directly benefits individuals and communities.
EASO sees obesity as a multidimensional chronic disease. It seems that interdisciplinary collaboration has featured in your work.
Interdisciplinary collaboration has been central to my work, as addressing obesity requires an integrative approach that bridges multiple fields. Throughout my research journey, I have worked alongside experts in nutrigenetics, metabolism, cardiometabolic health, bioinformatics and public health, allowing me to examine obesity from diverse scientific perspectives.
During my PhD, my involvement in the IMPROVE study provided firsthand experience in analyzing genetic and lifestyle interactions in obesity and metabolic dysfunction, emphasizing the need for cross-disciplinary insights. Similarly, my collaborations with Dr. Siest’s lab in France and Dr. Tanaka’s team at the NIA exposed me to advanced methodologies in precision nutrition and metabolic research, reinforcing the importance of integrating genetics, nutrition, and epidemiology in obesity studies.
Now, as project manager of BETTER4U, I actively engage with clinicians, reserachers, bioinformaticians, public health professionals, and policy experts to develop biologically tailored interventions for obesity. This interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in translating research into practical strategies that address the individual variability in obesity risk and treatment response, ensuring that scientific advancements have real-world impact.