Dr. Maria Keller studied Nutritional Sciences at the Universities of Kiel and Vienna, completing her doctorate in 2015 at the University of Leipzig. Her research focused on the "Genetics and Epigenetics of Obesity and Associated Phenotypes." Since May 2020, she has been working as a scientist and independent project leader in Prof. Matthias Blüher's Clinical Obesity Research Group. Her research explores epigenetic changes and their implications for the development and treatment of obesity, with a particular focus on advancing personalized obesity therapies.
In her habilitation thesis she explored how lifestyle factors influence DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns and their association with metabolic outcomes, particularly in obesity and weight loss. Dr. Keller’s work highlights that diet, physical activity, and other factors significantly impact DNAm, sometimes more than obesity itself. Through intervention studies, she identified DNAm markers linked to weight-loss success, biological aging, and metabolic health, emphasizing the potential of dietary modifications, to regulate the epigenome. Finally, she demonstrated that blood DNAm changes can reflect adipose tissue inflammation, suggesting potential biomarkers for obesity-related conditions.