PhD defence of Maryory Galvis Pedraza

On Thursday 19th November 2026, Maryory will defend her PhD thesis titled "Micronutrients at intensive care admission: clinical and mitochondrial perspectives" in public at the Auditorium of the Beurs, Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen (Wirdumerdijk 34, Leeuwarden).

Here is the schedule for the day:

• 13:00 Walk-in
• 13:30 Layperson’s talk
• 14:00 PhD defence
• 15:30 On-site reception with drinks

It is possible to follow the defence online via the livestream.

About the thesis

Maryory’s PhD thesis investigates micronutrients in critically ill patients and the challenges of assessing their status. Although vitamins and minerals are essential for energy production, immune function and tissue repair, their levels can be influenced by nutritional intake, inflammation and organ function.

The research found that low blood vitamin levels, particularly vitamin D, were common at ICU admission but did not necessarily indicate true deficiency. For minerals, dietary intake, blood levels and urinary excretion provided complementary insights. The thesis also explored circulating mitochondrial DNA as a potential marker of physical recovery, but found no association with recovery at 12 months.

Overall, Maryory’s PhD highlights that blood measurements alone do not tell the whole story and that a broader approach is needed to understand micronutrient status during critical illness.