I am an internist-endocrinologist in the Department of Internal Medicine and Professor of Diabetology, in particular the neuro-endocrine regulation of diabetes and overweight. I am board member of the biomedical research profile “Aging”. I have been a member of the Dutch Health Council (standing committee on Nutrition) from 2008-2017 and chairman of the Dutch Partnership of Professionals involved in the treatment of overweight from 2014-2017. I am a member of the Societal Advisory board of Diagnosis Nutrition and Health, a public-private consortium which initiates, facilitates and accelerates projects in the area of nutrition and health.

More information about Hanno Pijl

I am an internist-endocrinologist in the Department of Internal Medicine and Professor of Diabetology, in particular the neuro-endocrine regulation of diabetes and overweight.

I am board member of the biomedical research profile “Aging”. I have been a member of the Dutch Health Council (standing committee on Nutrition) from 2008-2017 and chairman of the Dutch Partnership of Professionals involved in the treatment of overweight from 2014-2017. I am a member of the Societal Advisory board of Diagnosis Nutrition and Health, a public-private consortium which initiates, facilitates and accelerates projects in the area of nutrition and health. I am a member of the board of the Dutch Society for Research on Aging and Advisory board member of the Association for Medical doctors and Nutrition. I am one of the two scientific coordinators of a joint TNO-LUMC Innovation Center for Lifestyle Medicine.

Type 2 diabetes and lifestyle medicine

Type 2 diabetes is caused by interaction between our genetic architecture and our lifestyle and environment. The same holds true for many of the major non-communicable chronic diseases. The Dutch National Research Agenda acknowledges the importance of this interaction and stimulates research into the effects of lifestyle on health and disease. I aim to address this broad-based societal demand for knowledge and implementation of this particular issue. My primary focus is prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle medicine. However, other chronic diseases have my attention in this context as well. My research is part of the research line “Metabolic Health: pathophysiological trajectories and therapy (20102), which is an integral component of the Biomedical Research Profile Vascular and Regenerative Medicine.

Academic career

I defended my thesis, entitled “Serotonin and food selection; studies in obese and bulimic humans” in 1994. I was appointed professor of Diabetology in 2007. I made my inaugural speech, entitled 'In het land van bitterbal en boterkoek' (In the land of 'bitterbal' and butter cake) in 2008.

Prizes and honourable appointments

I have been selected (with honours) as senior member of Food100 2017, the one hundred most prominent “gamechangers” in the area of nutrition and health in the Netherlands in 2017.

Publications