Yvonne Lamers

PhD

Investigator, BC Children's Hospital
Canada Research Chair in Human Nutrition and Vitamin Metabolism

My research interests relate to underlying mechanisms of nutrition and disease risk. I am eager to contribute to targeted and population-based prevention strategies of chronic diseases. My research specifically focuses on B-vitamins and their functions in human metabolism. B-vitamins are essential nutrients for normal cell growth and the nervous system and thus have an impact on human health from the embryo to the older adult. Low folate and/or vitamin B-12 status may yield pregnancy complications, low birth weight, and cognitive impairment.

The overarching theme of my research is nutrient adequacy. My current research projects focus on maternal-fetal nutrient dependency, periconceptional vitamin adequacy, and the role of maternal and infant nutrition on growth and development. In the UBC Nutritional Biomarker Laboratory that I established, my team has set up a wide array of externally validated analytical methods. One of our goals is to identify sensitive nutritional biomarkers for early diagnosis of micronutrient inadequacies. With the use of stable-isotope-tracer-protocols, we are able to investigate metabolic and functional consequences of nutrient inadequacies and imbalances. The studies help evaluate optimal vitamin intake to maintain biochemical functions. I am specifically interested in the metabolic effects of folic acid and less than optimal vitamin B-12 intake.