10.02.2025Interview with Prof. Dr. med. Giancarlo Natalucci

Dr. Natalucci, please introduce yourself to our participating parents!

"I am a pediatrician with a keen interest in research"

I am a pediatrician with a keen interest in research and I am fortunate to lead a wonderful research group at the University of Zurich. I was born and raised in Lugano in the Ticino region, and my family comes from the mountains of the province of Lucca in Italy. So I am Swiss and Italian.

You are both a doctor and head of the LEARN research project. How did you end up in research as a doctor? What attracted you to this field?

"There is still a lot to learn about children with developmental risks."

Thank you for your question. After working as a general paediatrician, I specialised in developmental paediatrics. It was in this field that I began to study the development of children at risk and developed a keen interest in the subject. Before that, I had already gained experience in neonatology. The knowledge of the origin and the problems of these children made a great impression on me and was of great benefit for my personal development. Subsequently, I found two mentors for my career, the co-head of developmental paediatrics at the Children's Hospital Zurich and the former head of neonatology at the University Hospital Zurich. With their help, I discussed and proposed a career project bilaterally, which also led me to specialize in neonatology and to practice in this field. Subsequently, I acted as a link between the two centers.

There is still a lot to learn about children with developmental risks. My daily work then, as now, consisted not only of clinical intervention or diagnostics, but also of research. Every day, new insights arise. Each of these children, for example premature babies, is unique and at the limits of our medical abilities. In this sense, all the experiences we have every day can be defined as part of a learning process, through which we can learn more about the further course of the disease and work to optimize treatment. This is how I automatically got into clinical research.

What does your typical day look like as a doctor and researcher?

"I see it as my job to inform, advise and support them."

As a doctor, it is particularly important to me to be in contact with patients, and in my specific field, of course, also with parents. I see it as my job to inform, advise and support them. In my daily work as a doctor, I have the privilege of continuing to treat children. I conduct developmental studies with former premature patients at the clinic and support their families even after they have been discharged from the neonatal unit. As a researcher, I use the data we collect on the children in the neonatal unit to conduct analyses. This helps me to understand the big picture and determine how the children are doing and what interventions we could offer to promote their health.

And when you're not working, where can people find you?

In my free time, I like to spend time at home with my family, that is, my wife and two daughters, especially in the garden. In addition, family trips to historical sites and archaeological finds are among my favorite activities. I would like to spend more of my free time on family trips, but in reality, I am often at home.

Let's move on to the LEARN project. What was the central question for you when you started the LEARN project?

"The two aspects of nutrition and learning environment play a crucial role in everyday life."

With LEARN, I was able to broaden my range of interests a little bit together with the team. While I used to focus on children at risk, LEARN now offers me the opportunity to look at the general population of newborns.

The two main questions I asked myself were as follows: On the one hand, there is great interest in researching the influence of early nutrition on the growth and later development of the newborn. At the same time, the influence of the learning environment on the development of the child is also of great interest. The two aspects of nutrition and learning environment play a crucial role in everyday life. That's why I decided to initiate a study on this topic.

In LEARN, you are investigating the long-term effects of early childhood nutrition. Why is nutrition important?

The importance of a balanced diet for the healthy development of children has been proven many times over. I like to distinguish between two types of “nutrition”. The nutrition that is absorbed through the intestines and the “nutrition” that is provided through cognitive stimulation. These two elements – nutrition and cognitive “nutrition” – are inextricably linked and influence our entire lives. I didn't want to separate these significant factors, but rather combine them in my study.

How does the Swiss population benefit from your research on LEARN?

"LEARN is highly relevant to ordinary citizens"

LEARN focuses on the earliest years of a child's life, particularly nutrition. The first months of life are a crucial phase in human development. LEARN is highly relevant to ordinary citizens because it is about determining how the first early phase of a child's life can be best supported.

Our objective is basically to determine the possibilities for ensuring early support for families. We also need to clarify whether, for example, it is necessary for both the mother and father to spend a certain amount of time at home with their baby in order to ensure the protection of the family in the immediate and long term. Is this for the protection of the family and is it an important prerequisite for their long-term stability?

Which part of your research do you like best?

"In this way, you get answers that are not based on anecdotes but on solid data."

On the one hand, the research I am doing is in line with my ideas, as it essentially uses the same method that I use in the clinic. This means that I conduct developmental assessments on children and, based on these, can provide clinically relevant information, tips and feedback to parents.

Furthermore, I appreciate the fact that research allows me to answer specific questions that would not be possible through everyday observations without systematic recording. This way, answers can be obtained that allow generalization. In this way, you get answers that are not based on anecdotes but on solid data.

And last but not least: What do you eat? What is your favorite food?

I eat mainly according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, which is certainly also due to my Italian roots. My preference for my favorite food varies. Currently, fish and olives in all their varieties are among my favorites.

Dr. Natalucci, thank you very much for your time and for the important work you do with LEARN!

Thank you for the nice interview!