Hagen Schroeter, Ph.D.

Education

• B.Sc., Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Institute of Biochemistry
• M.Sc., Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Institute of Biochemistry
• Ph.D., Biochemistry, King’s College London

Research Interests

I’m the Chief Science Officer at Mars Edge, a segment of Mars, Incorporated dedicated to translating scientific insights and the outcomes of health and nutrition research into evidence-based applications.

My main interests focus on human health and nutrition, personalized nutrition, and data-enabled innovation in nutrition and wellbeing. In the context of Mars Edge, I lead the biomedical investigations into the role of dietary flavanols, procyanidins and other bioactive food constituents in nutrition and healthy aging [ https://www.marscocoascience.com ] as well as the study of personal sensors and devices, and the application of machine learning in personalized nutrition and health.

Based on my 25-year research interests in flavanols, such as (–)-epicatechin, I am leading Mars’ scientific contributions related to the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study [COSMOS]. COSMOS, enabled by a public-private partnership, is a large-scale (21,000 participants) investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical dietary intervention trial assessing the long-term impact of flavanols and multivitamins on health [NCT02422745].

Complete list of Publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6569-382X

Selected Publications

Dietary flavanols restore hippocampal-dependent memory in older adults with lower diet quality and lower habitual flavanol consumption. Brickman AM, Yeung LK, Alschuler DM, Ottaviani JI, Kuhnle GGC, Sloan RP, Luttmann-Gibson H, Copeland T, Schroeter H, Sesso HD, Manson JE, Wall M, Small SA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Jun 6;120(23):e2216932120. [Pubmed]

Measuring the intake of dietary bioactives: Pitfalls and how to avoid them. Ottaviani JI, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Mol Aspects Med. 2022 Aug 25:101139. [Pubmed]

Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial. Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, Rist PM, Johnson LG, Friedenberg G, Copeland T, Clar A, Mora S, Moorthy MV, Sarkissian A, Carrick WR, Anderson GL; COSMOS Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1490-1500. [Pubmed]

Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease: the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial. Sesso HD, Rist PM, Aragaki AK, Rautiainen S, Johnson LG, Friedenberg G, Copeland T, Clar A, Mora S, Moorthy MV, Sarkissian A, Wactawski-Wende J, Tinker LF, Carrick WR, Anderson GL, Manson JE; COSMOS Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jun 7;115(6):1501-1510. [Pubmed]

Design and baseline characteristics of participants in the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS). Rist PM, Sesso HD, Johnson LG, Aragaki AK, Wang L, Rautiainen S, Hazra A, Tobias DK, LeBoff MS, Schroeter H, Friedenberg G, Copeland T, Clar A, Tinker LF, Hunt RP, Bassuk SS, Sarkissian A, Smith DC, Pereira E, Carrick WR, Wion ES, Schoenberg J, Anderson GL, Manson JE; COSMOS Research Group.  Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 May;116:106728. [Pubmed]

Insights into the role of diet and dietary flavanols in cognitive aging: results of a randomized controlled trial. Sloan RP, Wall M, Yeung LK, Feng T, Feng X, Provenzano F, Schroeter H, Lauriola V, Brickman AM, Small SA. Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 15;11(1):3837. [Pubmed]

Biomarker-estimated flavan-3-ol intake is associated with lower blood pressure in cross-sectional analysis in EPIC Norfolk. Ottaviani JI, Britten A, Lucarelli D, Luben R, Mulligan AA, Lentjes MA, Fong R, Gray N, Grace PB, Mawson DH, Tym A, Wierzbicki A, Forouhi NG, Khaw KT, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 21;10(1):17964. [Pubmed]

Evaluation of (-)-epicatechin metabolites as recovery biomarker of dietary flavan-3-ol intake. Ottaviani JI, Fong R, Kimball J, Ensunsa JL, Gray N, Vogiatzoglou A, Britten A, Lucarelli D, Luben R, Grace PB, Mawson DH, Tym A, Wierzbicki A, Smith AD, Wareham NJ, Forouhi NG, Khaw KT, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 11;9(1):13108. [Pubmed]

Evaluation at scale of microbiome-derived metabolites as biomarker of flavan-3-ol intake in epidemiological studies. Ottaviani JI, Fong R, Kimball J, Ensunsa JL, Britten A, Lucarelli D, Luben R, Grace PB, Mawson DH, Tym A, Wierzbicki A, Khaw KT, Schroeter H, Kuhnle GGC. Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 29;8(1):9859. [Pubmed]

Recommending flavanols and procyanidins for cardiovascular health: Revisited. Ottaviani JI, Heiss C, Spencer JPE, Kelm M, Schroeter H. Mol Aspects Med. 2018 Jun;61:63-75. [Pubmed]

The metabolome of [2-(14)C](-)-epicatechin in humans: implications for the assessment of efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action of polyphenolic bioactives. Ottaviani JI, Borges G, Momma TY, Spencer JP, Keen CL, Crozier A, Schroeter H. Sci Rep. 2016 Jul 1;6:29034. [Pubmed]

Safety and efficacy of cocoa flavanol intake in healthy adults: a randomized, controlled, double-masked trial. Ottaviani JI, Balz M, Kimball J, Ensunsa JL, Fong R, Momma TY, Kwik-Uribe C, Schroeter H, Keen CL. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Dec;102(6):1425-35. [Pubmed]

Is this the end of (-)-epicatechin, or not? New study highlights the complex challenges associated with research into the cardiovascular health benefits of bioactive food constituents. Schroeter H, Keen CL, Sesso HD, Manson JE, Lupton JR. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Oct;102(4):975-6. [Pubmed]

Cocoa flavanol intake improves endothelial function and Framingham Risk Score in healthy men and women: a randomised, controlled, double-masked trial: the Flaviola Health Study. Sansone R, Rodriguez-Mateos A, Heuel J, Falk D, Schuler D, Wagstaff R, Kuhnle GG, Spencer JP, Schroeter H, Merx MW, Kelm M, Heiss C; Flaviola Consortium, European Union 7th Framework Program. Br J Nutr. 2015 Oct 28;114(8):1246-55. [Pubmed]

Enhancing dentate gyrus function with dietary flavanols improves cognition in older adults. Brickman AM, Khan UA, Provenzano FA, Yeung LK, Suzuki W, Schroeter H, Wall M, Sloan RP, Small SA. Nat Neurosci. 2014 Dec;17(12):1798-803. [Pubmed]

The stereochemical configuration of flavanols influences the level and metabolism of flavanols in humans and their biological activity in vivo. Ottaviani JI, Momma TY, Heiss C, Kwik-Uribe C, Schroeter H, Keen CL. Free Radic Biol Med. 2011 Jan 15;50(2):237-44. [Pubmed]

Recommending flavanols and procyanidins for cardiovascular health: current knowledge and future needs. Schroeter H, Heiss C, Spencer JP, Keen CL, Lupton JR, Schmitz HH. Mol Aspects Med. 2010 Dec;31(6):546-57. [Pubmed]

(-)-Epicatechin mediates beneficial effects of flavanol-rich cocoa on vascular function in humans. Schroeter H, Heiss C, Balzer J, Kleinbongard P, Keen CL, Hollenberg NK, Sies H, Kwik-Uribe C, Schmitz HH, Kelm M. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jan 24;103(4):1024-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0510168103, 2006 Jan 17. [Pubmed]