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Jumpstart Clinical Nutrition Award Winner Announced at ESPEN Congress

Lee Zheng Yii receives €250,000 research grant for fish oil nutrition study

September 13, 2023


We are excited to congratulate Lee Zheng Yii as the recipient of the third JUMPstart Clinical Nutrition Award research grant. The winner was announced at the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) Congress, in Lyon, France, the largest and most important medical nutrition conference in Europe. 

The €250,000 research grant will go towards Dr. Lee Zheng Yii’s proposed study, titled: “The effect of intravenous fish oil emulsion on inflammatory markers, muscle mass and organ function in critically ill patients with high inflammatory status. A phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding, randomized controlled trial.”

The study, which is set to begin early next year, will further contribute to a better understanding of tailored nutritional therapy in specific patient subgroups. As with previous JUMPstart awards, the caliber of the entries was extremely high, with judges having a hard time separating them. The five shortlisted projects were aimed at further evaluating the role of protein on muscle function and assessment of nutritional targets. 

As a member of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malay, in Malaysia, Dr. Lee Zheng Yii joins previous winners from South Africa and Germany, showing the global reach and importance of the JUMPstart award.  

“This year’s entrants have raised the bar in terms of research topics and scope, with all of them having the clear focus of providing clinical nutrition that improves patient care and recovery,” said Dr. Valentin Färber, Vice President – Head of Medical-Scientific Affairs, Pharma & Nutrition, Fresenius Kabi.

“The JUMPstart Clinical Nutrition Award is fast becoming a global opportunity for promoting better clinical nutrition research, providing the next generation of clinical experts with mentorship and funding, as well as a platform to exchange ideas and the potential for inclusion in a well-established professional network.”, knows Prof. Hon. Mette Berger, Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland  and Scientific Committee Chair.

The award winner was announced during a satellite symposium, on 12 September, at the ESPEN congress in Lyon, France. The symposium looked closely at the theme of ‘Empowering muscle health and resolution of inflammation’, with speakers from South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.

The international scientific committee judging the award included Prof. Mette Berger, Switzerland, Prof. Olav Rooyackers, Sweden, Prof. Robert Martindale, United States, Prof. Ho-Seong Han, South Korea, and Prof. Tim Friede, Germany.

Details for the next wave of the JUMPstart Clinical Nutrition Award will be announced in autumn.