Jeff Volek

Jeff S. Volek, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University, where he advances the fields of nutrition and exercise science through a multi-translational approach spanning bench-to-bedside, battlefield, and ballfield. Renowned for his pioneering research on low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets, he has led foundational studies in healthy and metabolically challenged populations, demonstrating their feasibility, efficacy, sustainability, and individualized effects. His work—supported by over $23 million in funding from the Department of Defense, NIH, and industry—has explored how ketogenic interventions impact biochemical responses, lipid metabolism, body composition, cardio-metabolic health, and conditions such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cancer. At OSU, he oversees more than 20 active projects focused on military performance, women’s health, metabolic psychiatry, exogenous ketones, and cancer management.

Dr. Volek earned his BS in Dietetics from Michigan State University, completed his dietetic internship in Colorado, and went on to receive an MS in Exercise Physiology and a PhD in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University. He has held faculty appointments at Ball State University and the University of Connecticut, authored numerous publications, and mentored over 40 graduate and post-doctoral scholars. A sought-after speaker and consultant, he translates complex science into actionable strategies for athletes, companies, and policymakers. As co-founder of Virta Health, he helped develop a virtual care platform that uses a ketogenic approach to promote weight loss and reverse prediabetes and type 2 diabetes at scale, partnering with employers, health plans, and healthcare providers to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Number of Publications

More than 370 peer-reviewed articles, with an h-index of 123 and over 50,000 total citations putting him in the top 1% of scholars in his field. His contributions to the scientific community extend to authoring and editing several books, including the influential texts on low-carbohydrate living and performance.