Geja Hageman
event_seat Assistant Professor

The role of oxygen free radicals in chronic inflammatory diseases


inbox G.Hageman@grat.unimaas.nl
phone 043 3882148
account_balance 4.146


Dr. Hageman studied agricultural sciences at Wageningen University. She graduated in 1985, having specialized in human nutrition and food science. She received her PhD in Health Sciences at Maastricht University for her thesis ‘Heat-processed fats: analysis of genotoxicity’ in 1990. She has been involved in research on genotoxic risk assessment of environmental contaminants, as well as on antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity of food components. She is currently involved in research on the role of oxygen free radicals in genomic stability and chronic inflammatory diseases, more specifically chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. This research takes place in close collaboration with the Human Toxicology section of the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and with the department of Respiratory Medicine of the university hospital Maastricht.

Her research focuses on the cellular stress response to reactive oxygen species, and its consequences for cellular function and (chronic) inflammation. Her main interest is the mediating role of the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) in the cellular stress response and its potential inhibition by dietary factors. Oxidative stress as well as PARP-enzymes play important roles in genomic stability, including telomere stability. Therefore, a recent line of research is initiated to elucidate the roles of and interactions between dietary factors, chronic oxidative stress and PARP-enzymes in telomere length and epigenetic regulation of transcription. Her research activities as principal investigator range from fundamental to clinical studies.

Associated Projects

DNA damage and repair

Modulation of DNA damage and repair by Inflammation More »