Dr Vanessa Garcia Larsen

Dr Vanessa Garcia Larsen is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the National Heart and Lung Institute, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal Brompton & Harefield  NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Garcia Larsen obtained a BSc in Nutrition & Dietetics (distinction) and then an MSc in Biological Sciences & Nutrition (Maximal distinction for her thesis on dietary antioxidants and renal failure) at the University of Chile. She gained a PhD in Public Health at King’s College London, where she investigated the association between dietary antioxidants and asthma and lung function in young adults, as part of a research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Within the Respiratory Epidemiology & Public Health Group, Dr Garcia Larsen investigates the role of diet in the aetiology and modulation of airway diseases.  Her research interests can be divided into two main areas:

1.  Respiratory & Nutrition Epidemiology

• Assessment of dietary intake and dietary patterns (European and Latin American countries) and their relationship with allergy and asthma.
• Study of the role of dietary patterns and nutrients in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in middle and low-income countries (Africa and Asia)
• Effect of diet in the modulation of immune response (Indonesia and South Africa)
• Development of standardised Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) as a common tool to assess dietary intake across countries

2.  Clinical research

• Randomised controlled trials with food interventions in asthmatic children

          The Chelsea, Asthma, and Fresh Fruit Intake in Children (CHAFFINCH) Trial

Selected Publications