HEALTH2VALUE

Advisory for Life & Sciences

Bridging Health, Quantitative Modeling & Business Strategy

“Where complex biological systems meet quantitative rigor and strategic impact.”

The Interface of Science, Sustainability & Strategy

In an increasingly complex world, solving the biggest challenges in agrifood, health, and sustainability requires more than domain expertise alone. It demands the ability to connect two worlds that rarely speak the same language: complex biological systems and rigorous quantitative modeling.

I operate precisely at this interface. With a background bridging chemistry, biophysics, and over 20 years of commercial R&D leadership and academic appointments, I translate complex biological data into actionable models and strategic business decisions.

Not just theory. Not just numbers. But data-driven strategy anchored in solid scientific truth.

Core Focus Areas

  • Nutritional LCA & Ecolabel Modeling Integrating nutritional value with environmental impact metrics to build methodologically sound, sustainable food strategies and ecolabel frameworks.
  • Microbiota & Health-Economic Strategy Bridging gut microbiota diversity, mechanistic clinical trial design, and health-economic impact modeling to validate efficacy and commercial value.
  • Scientific Advisory & Thought Leadership Providing high-level scientific validation and strategic counsel for boards, R&D teams, and industry associations navigating substantiation and demonstration of health claims.

Endorsements

“I got to know Olaf Larsen through our shared past. During our collaboration, I was immediately struck by how thorough Olaf is in methodology and statistics. He combines this substantive expertise with a high degree of emotional intelligence: he is a true people person who is a good listener and collaborator. Olaf is characterized by integrity, meticulousness, and decisiveness. He adheres to clear principles: right is right and wrong is wrong. He is honest, says what needs to be said, and acts consistently based on mutual respect. In short: a reliable, knowledgeable, and ethical professional with whom it is pleasant and efficient to work.”

Prof. dr. Herman Pieterse

CEO, Profess Medical Consultancy BV

About Dr. Olaf Larsen

Dr. Olaf F. A. Larsen holds an MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Physics (Biophysics). He combines over two decades of corporate scientific leadership with academic roles as Assistant Professor at VU University Amsterdam and affiliated research. Author of over 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications on gut microbiota, nutritional modeling, and health economics.

Selected key publications (out of 40+)

Nutritional Life Cycle Assessment (QI-nLCA)

  • Focus: Methodological framework combining environmental impact metrics of foodstuffs with nutritional value.
  • Paper: van Eijsden, M., Peters, S., Larsen, O. F. A., Geurts, J. M., & Huppertz, T. (2025). Combining nutritional value with environmental impact: a novel approach to nutritional life cycle assessment. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 30(9), 1987-2002.

Microbiota Diversity & Mechanistic Health Links

  • Focus: Establishing mechanistic and causal frameworks between gut microbiota diversity and health outcomes.
  • Paper: Larsen, O. F. A., & Claassen, E. (2018). The mechanistic link between health and gut microbiota diversity. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 2183.

Intraindividual Variation & Trial Methodology

  • Focus: Addressing individual biological baseline variations to improve the statistical power and methodological rigor of clinical (nutritional) studies.
  • Paper: Larsen, O. F. A., Claassen, E., & Brummer, R. J. (2020). On the importance of intraindividual variation in nutritional research. Beneficial Microbes, 11(6), 511-518.

Health Economics & Clinical Nutrition (HEOR)

  • Focus: Translating clinical health benefits into economic value modeling to quantify healthcare cost reductions and market viability.
  • Paper: Flach, J., Koks, M., Van der Waal, M. B., Claassen, E., & Larsen, O. F. A. (2018). Economic potential of probiotic supplementation in institutionalized elderly with chronic constipation. PharmaNutrition, 6(4), 198-206.

Microbiota, Epidemiology & Chronic Disease Systems

  • Focus: Mapping the critical role of the gut microbiota across the epidemiology of infectious, autoimmune, and metabolic conditions.
  • Paper: Larsen, O. F. A., van der Grint, M., Wiegers, C., & van de Burgwal, L. H. (2022). The gut microbiota: master of puppets connecting the epidemiology of infectious, autoimmune, and metabolic disease. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 902106.

Connect & Collaborate

For strategic inquiries, speaking engagements, or advisory projects: