Sander Kersten

Dr. Sander Kersten, currently serving as the Director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences and Schleifer Family Professor at Cornell University, has carved an impressive path in nutritional science research and academia. After earning his MSc in Human Nutrition from Wageningen University in 1993 and Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from Cornell University in 1997, he completed postdoctoral research at the University of Lausanne under Dr. Walter Wahli before returning to Wageningen University in 2000. His career flourished there, progressing from Assistant to Full Professor and eventually becoming Chair of the Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics group. His groundbreaking research focuses on molecular mechanisms of lipid metabolism in liver and adipose tissue, notably demonstrating the significance of transcription factor PPARα in liver metabolic response to fasting and discovering the ANGPTL4 protein's role in lipid uptake regulation. Kersten's academic influence extends through his popular MOOC "Nutrition and Health: Macronutrients and Overnutrition," which has reached over 236,000 students worldwide. His linguistic versatility includes native proficiency in Dutch and English, professional working proficiency in French, and limited working proficiency in German, enhancing his international academic impact. His research contributions have significantly advanced our understanding of nutrient-gene interactions and metabolic regulation, establishing him as a leading figure in molecular nutrition research.