Dr. Natal Van Riel

Biography

Natal van Riel is a Professor of Biomedical Systems Biology in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology, leading the Computational Biology group. His research focuses on modeling metabolic networks and physiology using scientific machine learning to develop personalized models of human digital twins, alongside methods for analyzing complex dynamical systems. Van Riel applies these approaches to address cardiometabolic diseases, particularly obesity and type 2 diabetes. He actively collaborates with engineers, AI specialists, physiologists, clinicians, healthcare professionals, social scientists, and patients to translate data science into computational models with medical applications. His group is currently investigating the complex interactions of bile acids and the gut microbiome as they relate to metabolic health. He is involved in the NWO program 'Complexity Health Nutrition', focusing on metabolic adaptation in individuals with overweight. Van Riel has previously developed the Metabolic Health Index in cooperation with Catharina Hospital to quantify the benefits of bariatric surgery and resolve metabolic diseases. He works on developing metabolic digital twins for predictive and personalized medicine, contributing to several projects that empower patients in self-managing diabetes. Van Riel's interdisciplinary approach is fundamental to bridging biomedical research with clinical practice and education to prevent and cure diseases.

Research Interests

Experience