Andreu Palou Oliver (Palma, 1952) has been Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) since 1988.  Director  of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Biotechnology (LBNB) since 1995, and Principal Investigator (PI) of the Nutrigenomics, Biomarkers and Risk Evaluation (NuBE) group until 2021. At the UIB he has been secretary of the Faculty of Sciences, director of the departments of Biochemistry and Biology and Health Sciences, dean of the Faculty of Sciences, vice-rector of Teaching Staff and Planning and vice-rector of Research.

Additionally, his professional career includes other management positions in prestigious research institutes of great influence nationally and internationally:

• Director of the research group on Nutrigenomics and Obesity at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa).
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Nutrition and Obesity (CIBEROBN, 2010-2019).
• Director of the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (Reus, Catalonia; 2006-2008).
• First president of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN, 2003-2010).
• Vice-President of the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission (SCF, 1997-2003).
• Vice- President of the Scientific Panel on Nutrition of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, 2003-2009).  
• President of the Regulatory Board of the PGI Sobrasada de Mallorca.
• Member of the scientific committee of several institutions and public and private companies in the food sector.

His research is focused in the field of Nutrition and Molecular Biology and Food Sciences. His main discovery has been a new function of leptin as a hormone and nutrient during lactation, a protein that is present in breast milk but not in formula substitute milks, and whose intake protects against the development of obesity and associated complications; with referenced publications and reason for several awards and patents, one of them extended and transferred to the first technology-based company of the UIB (Alimentómica S.L.), promoted by Prof. Palou and NuBE group, in addition to the minority participation (10%) of the University.

Author of numerous scientific publications, including more than 500 articles in prestigious scientific journals. His H-index is 57 (January 2023) and the number of citations received is 11.680. Author of several patents and more than 1300 participations (communications, papers, moderations, organizations, committees, etc.) in congresses and similar. Director of 39 doctoral theses. Numerous conferences in Spain and abroad, including various main presentations (inauguration and/or closing of events) on the following areas: 'Leptin, Obesity and its Prevention from Lactation'; 'Food Safety and Efficacy in the European Union'; 'Health Claims in food in the EU'; 'Nutrigenomics'; 'Functional Foods'; 'Novel Foods'; 'Personalized Nutrition'.

He has been Principal Investigator (PI)/Responsible for about 70 R+D projects in competitive calls of public and private entities and 58 contracts with businesses. It should be noted that he has been coordinator of several European consortia funded by the European Commission, including the European Project BIOCLAIMS (Bases for new health claims based on nutrigenomics and other omics) funded in the 7th Framework Program of the EU with 6M (€) (2010-2015); and partner in other European projects, the most recent: I.FAMILY (Investigating the determinants of food choice, lifestyle and health in European children, adolescents and their parents) (2013-2016) and DIABAT (Recruitment and activation of Brown adipocytes as preventive and curative therapy for type 2 diabetes)  (2012-2015) and, as president of the scientific committee of the spin-off Alimentómica S.L., participates in the European project PREVENTOMICS, focused on personalized nutrition with a biomarker-based system (2018-2022).

The recognition of his professional career is reflected in the granting of awards such as:

• Hipocrates International Prize for Medical Research on Human Nutrition (Real Academia de Medicina de Asturias, 2007);
• Award for the Scientific/Professional Career of the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (SEEDO, 2011);
• VII National Prize of Food and Health of the University of Navarra (2011);
• XXIII DuPont Science Prize (2013);
• Antama Association Award for Scientific Dissemination (2014);
• Award for the professional career of the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEEME, 2018);
• Danone Institute Scientific Career Award (2019).