Maria Traka

Dr. Maria Traka is the Deputy Head of UK Food Databanks and a Group Leader in Diet & Health at the Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB). Her research focuses on understanding the complex relationships between diet, disease prevention, and the gut microbiome. As part of the UK Food Databanks team, Traka contributes to maintaining and expanding the UK's authoritative source of information on the nutrient content of foods. Her work as a Group Leader in Diet & Health involves investigating how dietary components influence health outcomes and interact with the gut microbiome. Traka's research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which specific foods and nutrients can prevent diseases, taking into account the crucial role of the gut microbiome in mediating these effects. Through her dual roles, she bridges the gap between nutritional data collection and cutting-edge research on diet-health interactions, contributing to the development of evidence-based dietary recommendations for disease prevention and optimal health.