Depok, February 10, 2026 — Efforts to prevent stunting have once again been strengthened through academic research. The Doctoral Program in Epidemiology at the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), Universitas Indonesia, held an Open Doctoral Promotion Session for Tonny Sundjaya.
The doctoral promotion session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Indri Hapsari Susilowati, S.K.M., M.K.K.K. as Chair of the Session, with Prof. Dr. Besral, S.K.M., M.Sc. serving as Head of the Board of Examiners. The Promotor was Prof. Dr. dr. Asri C. Adisasmita, M.P.H., M.Phil., Ph.D., accompanied by Co-promotors Prof. Dr. dr. Ratna Djuwita, M.P.H., and Dr. dr. Conny Tanjung, Sp.A(K). The panel of examiners consisted of interdisciplinary experts, namely Prof. dr. Muh. Nasrum Massi, Ph.D., Sp.MK(K); Drh. Safarina G. Malik, M.S., Ph.D.; dr. Bahrul Fikri, M.Kes., Sp.A(K), Ph.D.; and dr. Fathimah Sulistyowati Sigit, M.Res., Ph.D., CertDA.
In his dissertation entitled “The Association Between Changes in Fecal Amino Acid Metabolites and Changes in Body Weight Among Infants with Weight Faltering: A Secondary Data Analysis,” Tonny addressed a crucial issue in child health, namely weight faltering—a condition characterized by slowed weight gain in infants that may become an early stage leading to stunting if not properly managed.
Tonny explained that weight faltering is not merely a matter of insufficient nutritional intake, but rather reflects a complex interaction between nutrition, intestinal mucosal function, and microbiota ecology. One innovative approach examined in his research was fecal metabolomic analysis, particularly amino acid metabolites, as potential functional indicators of intestinal health and nutrient utilization.
This study was a secondary data analysis derived from a prospective cohort study involving 149 infants aged 6–9 months experiencing weight faltering. The infants received nutritional intervention for one month in the form of pediatric nutritional care, with or without additional specially processed food for medical purposes.
The findings showed a statistically significant negative association between changes in the levels of the fecal amino acid metabolites valine and arginine and changes in body weight. Reduced residues of these two amino acids in feces were associated with increased infant body weight following the intervention. These findings are believed to reflect improved absorption and/or utilization of amino acids in the gastrointestinal tract.
Nevertheless, the research model was only able to explain part of the variation in body weight changes, indicating that growth disorders are part of a more complex biological system. Tonny emphasized the need for further studies with more comprehensive designs, larger sample sizes, and integrated microbiota and metabolomic analyses to deepen understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying early-life growth disorders.
These findings open the possibility that fecal amino acid metabolite profiles, particularly valine and arginine, could serve as non-invasive functional biomarkers for monitoring growth responses and the effectiveness of nutritional interventions in infants with weight faltering.
As a recommendation, Tonny highlighted the importance of strengthening monthly growth monitoring in infants to enable early detection of growth disorders. He also underlined that managing weight faltering should not focus solely on increasing the quantity and quality of food intake, but should also consider gastrointestinal function and nutrient absorption efficiency.
Following the successful defense of his dissertation, Tonny Sundjaya officially earned a Doctorate in Epidemiology with a highly satisfactory distinction. Tonny is the second Epidemiology doctoral graduate of 2026, the 127th graduate of the Epidemiology Doctoral Program, and the 495th doctoral graduate of FPH UI overall.
It is hoped that Tonny’s research findings will make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of nutritional epidemiology in child health and support efforts to accelerate stunting prevention in Indonesia through more comprehensive and evidence-based approaches. (Promovendus/wrk)