Special Interview with Prof. Rob Van Dam
On September 2, 2026, the Editorial Office of The Journal of Cardiovascular Aging conducted an interview with Prof. Rob van Dam from the Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, United States. The interview was hosted by Dr. Tan Li Feng from Healthy Ageing Programme, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore.
In this interview, Prof. van Dam discussed the important roles of diet and physical activity in preventing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles early and maintaining them throughout the life course. He highlighted a plant-centered dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy plant oils, while recommending reduced consumption of processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages. He also discussed the importance of pregnancy and early-life nutrition and dietary considerations for Asian populations. Looking ahead, Prof. van Dam highlighted precision nutrition, wearable and mobile technologies, and cultural influences on lifestyle behaviors as key directions for future research, with the integration of clinical studies, and omics technologies offering opportunities for more personalized disease-prevention strategies.
Watch the full interview between Prof. Rob Van Dam and Dr. Tan Li Feng:
Interview Questions:
Q1. You have long focused on the roles of diet and physical activity in the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. To begin, what lifestyle factors do you think have the greatest impact on cardiovascular health but are often underestimated?
Q2. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are major cardiovascular risk factors. Based on your research experience, to what extent can dietary and physical activity interventions modify the long-term cardiovascular risks associated with these metabolic conditions?
Q3. Cardiovascular disease is a long-term cumulative process. How important are diet and physical activity during early life and midlife for cardiovascular health and cardiovascular aging later in life? Should we place greater emphasis on early lifestyle interventions?
Q4. You have conducted population health research in Singapore for many years. What are some distinctive characteristics of Asian populations in terms of diet, metabolic health, and cardiovascular risk? What lessons can these experiences offer for global cardiovascular disease prevention?
Q5. Finally, looking ahead over the next 5–10 years, what research directions do you believe will be most important in the fields of nutrition, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease prevention? What advice would you give to young researchers entering this field?
About Prof. Rob Van Dam:
Rob van Dam is a Professor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Epidemiology at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, and an Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His research focuses on the role of diet and physical activity in the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, with a particular interest in differences across ethnic groups. His research is primarily based on large-scale cohort studies integrating dietary assessment, dietary biomarkers, and biomarkers of intermediate pathways, and also includes dietary intervention studies, meta-analyses, and research on cultural and environmental determinants of dietary behaviors and obesity. His research has resulted in 350 peer-reviewed articles, including first or senior author publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, JAMA, BMJ, Annals of Intern Medicine, and Circulation (H-index 121). He has extensive teaching and research experience in nutrition, and has also held academic and administrative positions at the National University of Singapore. In addition, he has contributed expertise on nutrition to the WHO, Clinical Practice Guidelines on Obesity and Lipids in Singapore, and the Singapore Health Promotion Board. He is currently on the Editorial/ Advisory Board of Food and Function and Metabolites and Associate Editor of the Journal of Nutrition.
About Dr. Tan Li Feng:
Dr. Tan Li Feng is a Senior Consultant Geriatrician at Alexandra Hospital, Singapore, and the Geriatrics Lead at the National University Health System Regional Health System Office. Her research interests focus on cognition, frailty, and sarcopenia, with a focus on developing innovative interventions to enhance brain health and functional independence in older adults. She has received multiple research grants, including the NMRC Healthy and Meaningful Longevity grant to develop AI-powered tools to enhance brain health. Dr. Tan is also a member of the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS), a founding member of the Global Brain Care Coalition, and a board member of the Chapter of Geriatricians, Singapore.
Editor: Alex Wang
Production Editor: Xingyue Luo
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of The Journal of Cardiovascular Aging
