Martijn Katan - Biography#

Martijn Katan studied chemistry and biochemistry at Amsterdam University, where he received a Ph.D. in molecular biology. He investigated diet and risk factors for cardiovascular disease at Wageningen University and obesity at Free University Amsterdam. He is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences.

Katan was an early proponent of Mendelian Randomization. Other discoveries of his group include the adverse effects of trans fat on blood lipids; the cholesterol-raising factor in coffee beans; and the obesity-promoting effect of sugary drinks. Katan writes a column for the leading Dutch daily NRC and is the writer of two popular books on nutrition.