Dr. Derrick Alperet is a visiting scientist in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Broadly, his work centers on the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) through modification of diet and other lifestyle risk factors. Specifically, his research focuses on the role of beverages, dietary biomarkers, and environment pollutants from dietary sources in relation to obesity, T2DM, and CVD. Currently, he is investigating how pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables influence obesity and T2DM in the Nurses' Health Studies I & II, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. In additon, he is examining how early life (peri-pregnancy, prenatal/perinatal) exposure to a plethora of beverages influences the risk of childhood obesity and risk of T2DM in later life in the Growing Up Today Studies I & II, and the Nurses' Health Study II high-school cohort. Dr. Alperet is a well-rounded young scientist with a wealth of expertise, ranging from basic laboratory experience (in immunology, molecular biology, genetics involving in vitro/animal model studies) to large-scale epidemiological studies and randomized trials.
Beyond research, Dr. Alperet has served the postdoctoral community as the Vice-President (Communications), and, thereafter, the Chair of the Communications Committee of the Harvard School of Public Health Postdoctoral Association. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Life Sciences (Biomedical Sciences) from the National University of Singapore (2012) and a PhD in epidemiology from the National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (2017).