Maria Henström
Assistant professor
Postdoctoral researcher and nutritionist working with mHealth/eHealth interventions to a promote a healthy lifestyle from the start of life. Also highly involved in nutrition education and teaching.
About me
Nutritionist and postdoctoral researcher in the IMPACT research group led by Prof Marie Löf. I am also affiliated to the University of Newcastle, Australia, as an Honorary Lecturer through a collaborative child feeding intervention project (PICNIC).
Research description
I am involved in various research projects and preventive health interventions within mHealth/eHealth, healthy eating behaviour, physical activity and screen time – both in adults (mainly pregnant women) as well as children and their parents. We are also part of the Centre for Nutrition at BioNut, KI, as well as the KI eHealth Core Facility which aim to support other researchers within eHealth. I have a nutrition background (educated nutritionist) and finished my PhD in Medical Science in May 2018 at the Dept. of Biosciences and Nutrition (BioNut), Karolinska Institutet (project: Genetics of irritable bowel syndrome, IBS). Since then, I’ve changed my research area completely. Now, my greatest interest lies in the first years of life, especially child nutrition, eating behaviour and parents feeding practice, and therefore I aim to contribute to more research on how to better support parents in establishing healthy eating and activity habits for their children – from the start of life.
Teaching portfolio
I am highly involved in higher education through teaching and course leading at bachelor-, master- and doctoral level. I have a pedagogic interest and do teaching and course leading at the bachelor/masters program in nutrition at SU/KI, e.g. in digestion, genetics of IBS, and clinical nutrition. Since 2022 I am the Deputy study director of the bachelor program in Nutrition (run by Stockholm University in collaboration with BioNut, KI).
Education
PhD at Karolinska Institutet 2013-2018. Project: Genetics of irritable bowel syndrome
Masters' programme in Nutrition 2012-2013, Stockholm University in collaboration with BioNut, KI (finished 1.5 years)
Bachelor degree in Nutrition, Stockholm University in collaboration with BioNut, KI