We were thrilled to participate in the ILSI SEA Region (International Life Sciences Institute Southeast Asia Region) Symposium on Nutrition and Healthy Longevity. Our scientists, Dr. Aaron Thong, Dr. Darel Wee Kiat Toh, and Dr. Germaine Yong, shared their research capabilities in sensory science and oral processing, facial morphology for nutritional monitoring, and diet-gut microbiome interaction.

SIFBI's Executive Director, Dr. Sze Tan, and Prof. Patricia Conway from NTU co-chaired the session on Nutrition Interventions, Innovations, and Digital Solutions for Healthy Longevity. This is a topic of significant global interest, with a strong demand for solutions to bridge the gap between healthspan and lifespan through preventive healthcare and creating environments that keep seniors active and engaged.

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀:

𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙨: Dr. Aaron Thong delivered a talk on "Food Oral Processing and Sensory Perception in Seniors – Impact on Nutrition and Healthspan." This presentation provided a fresh perspective that got the audience thinking about the importance of decoding how texture, aroma, and taste impact appetite, which in turn significantly impacts healthspan. These useful insights will guide the design of meals that nourish and enjoy as we age.

𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩: Dr. Darel Toh Wee Kiat presented a poster on "Smartphone Scans, Smarter Health: A digital framework for fast, non-invasive, and scalable nutritional assessment." This innovation highlights our capabilities in developing accessible, high-tech solutions to make nutritional monitoring easier for everyone, empowering communities with real-time dietary insights.

𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙉𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝘿𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙨: Dr. Germaine Yong’s poster, “Tracking personalised gut microbiome and glycaemia responses to Asian diets – a scalable community-based approach,” describes a 9-day, primarily remote full-feeding intervention with participants from the general population. By measuring postprandial glucose and lipid responses to common Asian meals and mapping acute shifts in the gut microbiome, her work lays the groundwork for precision-tailored nutrition solutions that address metabolic health in Asians.