Assistant Professor of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School

Dr. van Dam conducts research into the lifestyle determinants and health consequences of obesity and type 2 diabetes. His research is based on large-scale cohort studies, dietary intervention studies, and systematic reviews. For example, he has applied these methods to the identification of an inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, confirmation of this finding in various populations, and the study of potential underlying mechanisms. Current research concerns the integration of data on dietary, biochemical, and genetic characteristics to study the etiology of obesity and type 2 diabetes. He is also interested in the link between behavioral determinants, dietary habits, and the development of obesity.

This research is focused on dietary patterns, foods and specific dietary components. In collaboration with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Dr. van Dam is currently conducting a randomized trial of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee in relation to body fatness and glucose tolerance (funded by the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center). In collaboration with the VU University Amsterdam, he is conducting a cross-over trial of the acute effects of coffee components on glucose tolerance (funded by the Netherlands Diabetes Foundation).

The interplay between genetic and lifestyle factors in relation to the development of type 2 diabetes and biochemical mediators of this relationship
This research includes a project on the potential interaction between carbohydrate intake and amylase gene copy number variants in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in the Nurses' Health Study (Milton Fund grant in collaboration with Charles Lee's lab). Dr. van Dam is also an investigator of the "Genes and Environment Initiatives in Type 2 Diabetes" project (PI: Frank B. Hu), a genome-wide association study, and is part of the phenotype harmonization committee of the NIH GENEVA study that this project is part of. He also studies the role of vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone levels as possible mediators of the effects of diet on glucose homeostasis.

Determinants and health consequences of obesity
Dr. van Dam studies obesity and body fat distribution in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes and premature mortality. He is also interested in the behavioral determinants (e.g. acculturation, neighborhood environment) of dietary habits and the development of obesity.

Co-Director, Epidemiology and Genetics Core, Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center
Associate Editor, Emerging Themes in Epidemiology

Research Synthesis & Meta-Analysis (EPI233)
Nutritional Epidemiology (ID214)

PhD Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Medical School
MSc Wageningen University