Professor Mari Smits appointed first holder of chair

Wageningen University, in the Netherlands, has created a chair Intestinal Health of Animals. Dr Mari Smits (1951) was appointed to the first holder of this chair, and was made professor at the university’s Animal Sciences department. The university hopes to expand its international position in the field of intestinal health.

Professor Mari Smits

A healthy gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) is an important precondition for preventing intestinal infection – which is in turn relevant in the ongoing battle to reduce usage of antibiotics and environmental damage. Prof Smits’ focus will be the synergy between intestinal epithelia, feed components and micro-organisms in the GIT. It is hoped that a better understanding of this synergy will lead to the development of new strategies for animal gut health management. Read more ...