The ERA Chair FOODOMICS project at the University of Ljubljana is pleased to announce that Dr. Kajetan Trošt has joined the research team at the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, where he began his position as a Senior Researcher and Assistant Professor on 1 September 2026.
Dr. Trošt brings extensive international experience in the fields of metabolomics, lipidomics, and mass spectrometry-based analytical sciences. Previously, he was a Staff Scientist at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he was part of the Metabolomics Platform supporting research at the Center and the broader Danish scientific community. Prior to this, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, one of Denmark’s leading institutions in clinical research and health promotion, with a particular focus on diabetes treatment and prevention.
Over the past decade, Dr. Trošt has focused on biomarker discovery and translational research across a range of scientific disciplines, ranging from food and nutrition research to clinical and preclinical studies. His research primarily focuses on the early identification of biomarkers associated with various diseases, particularly cardiometabolic diseases. His work also explores physiological changes influenced by factors such as diet, exercise, circadian rhythms, the microbiome, and pharmaceutical interventions.
His scientific expertise includes the development and application of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and lipidomic methodologies, high-throughput analytical workflows, advanced chromatographic techniques, including GC-MS, LC-MS, and GC×GC-TOF, as well as innovative approaches to sample preparation and data processing. A particular focus of his work has been the optimization of metabolomics methodologies for high-throughput applications and large-scale biobank screening, complementing genetic analyses and enabling the integration of metabolic data with other biological information.
The metabolite data generated through his research are typically integrated with clinical phenotypic measurements and other omics technologies to create multi-omics datasets. This integrative approach enables the identification of molecular signatures and biomarkers and supports a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying health and disease.
Throughout his career, Dr. Trošt has participated in numerous international collaborative projects addressing metabolic diseases such as fatty liver disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular complications, as well as nutritional intervention studies and biomarker discovery initiatives. His work has contributed to bridging clinical research with advanced analytical chemistry and data-driven biological interpretation.
In addition to his research activities, Dr. Trošt has extensive experience in one of Denmark’s leading institutions in clinical research and health promotion, including laboratory organization, equipment implementation, automation of workflows, and training of researchers. He has also contributed to project coordination, laboratory management, scientific dissemination, supervision of personnel, clinical trial design, and international research consortia.
Within the ERA Chair FOODOMICS project, Dr. Trošt will contribute his expertise to strengthening the project’s metabolomics and analytical chemistry platform. His experience in food and nutrition research, metabolic health, biomarker discovery, and high-throughput metabolomics will support ongoing research on metabolic responses to environmental and nutritional factors. Looking ahead, Dr. Trošt aims to contribute to preclinical drug discovery and the development of more specific, personalized, and timely approaches to medical diagnostics, with the goal of enabling earlier disease detection and improving the efficiency and precision of patient care.
His arrival marks an important step in the continued expansion of the FOODOMICS team, further enhancing its capacity for interdisciplinary research, advanced metabolomics, and international collaboration.
The FOODOMICS group warmly welcomes Dr. Trošt and looks forward to his contributions to the scientific excellence, research capacity, and further development of the project.
