Örebro University develops an international master’s programme in precision nutrition – in close collaboration with industry
Future health promoting initiatives require personalized solutions. In both nutrition research and medicine, there is a clear shift away from general “one size fits all” recommendations toward more tailored interventions based on individual biology. Despite this, there is a lack of educational programmes that bring together all the necessary perspectives – from gut microbiota, metabolism, and the brain to advanced study analysis, industry needs, and healthcare’s work with precision health.
The programme is initiative by the Centre for Food and Health at Örebro University (ORU), where research environments with expertise in areas such as nutrition, microbiota, gut-brain axis, immune function, systems biology, bioinformatics, AI, epidemiology, and food science collaborate closely with industry. A working group consisting of seven researchers, led by John Peter Ganda Mall, is responsible for developing the programme.
To ensure strong industrial relevance, an industry advisory board is being established with representatives from BioGaia, Sweden Food Arena, Orkla Foods, ILSI Europe, Örebro University Enterprise AB, and the Precision Medicine Centre Örebro (Region Örebro County). Their insights will help shape a programme that provides students with a unique skill set sought after in both academia and the food industry.
– “By combining academia’s deep expertise with the needs of industry, we can offer an education at the forefront – both scientifically and in terms of labour market relevance,” says John Peter Ganda Mall.
The two‑year project includes the development of course syllabi and programme content, ongoing meetings with the advisory board, and the creation of strategies for marketing, communication, and long‑term industry collaboration. The work will also be supported by ORU’s international coordinator for student recruitment and the Centre for Educational Development to ensure high pedagogical quality.
The project will conclude with a finalized programme plan, which will be submitted to the faculty office’s education analysts with the aim to launch in autumn 2028.