Jeff S. Volek, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University (OSU), where he plays a pivotal role in advancing the fields of nutrition and exercise science. The Volek lab takes a multi-translational approach that spans bench-to-bedside, bench-to-battlefield, and bench-to-ballfield. Renowned for his groundbreaking research on low-carbohydrate ketogenic eating patterns, Dr. Volek has spearheaded foundational research in a wide range of healthy and metabolically-challenged populations, demonstrating the feasibility, efficacy, sustainability, and individual variations of these dietary strategies. His pioneering work is reshaping dietary policies and guidelines for Americans.
Dr. Volek’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Michigan State University, followed by a Registered Dietitian credential after completing a dietetic internship in Colorado. He pursued advanced studies at Pennsylvania State University, earning a Master’s in Exercise Physiology and a PhD in Kinesiology. These formative experiences laid the foundation for his multi-disciplinary approach to human health and performance.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Volek has held academic appointments at leading institutions, including Ball State University and the University of Connecticut, before joining The Ohio State University in 2014. As a faculty member, he has excelled not only in advancing impactful scholarship—including applied scientific, clinical, sports, and military relevant research—but also demonstrated a commitment to teaching, mentorship and collaboration. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses ranging from obesity management to sports nutrition to advanced exercise metabolism, and has mentored as major advisor over 40 master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral scholars who have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry, and philanthropy.
As a principal investigator, Dr. Volek has secured over $23 million in research funding from the Department of Defense, NIH, and industry. His work has particularly focused on the metabolic, physiological, performance and clinical effects of carbohydrate-restricted diets, with a specific emphasis on nutritional ketosis and keto-adaptation.
He has explored how ketogenic interventions can optimize biochemical responses, lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, body composition, markers of cardio-metabolic health, and serve as therapeutic interventions for conditions such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cancer.
His current ketogenic-focused projects at OSU, which include more than 20 active research studies, are broadly focused on tactical/military applications, augmenting human performance/recovery, women’s health, pharmacokinetics and physiological effects of exogenous ketones, metabolic psychiatry, cardio-renal-metabolic indications, and cancer management.  A prolific scholar, Dr. Volek has published 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.
Beyond academia, Dr. Volek is a sought-after speaker and consultant, frequently invited to share his expertise at national and international conferences and with leading organizations. His ability to translate complex scientific findings into actionable strategies has made him a trusted scientific advisor to many companies, athletes, and policymakers. As a translational outcome of this work, he co-founded a digital health company (Virta Health) that delivers a ketogenic diet through a novel remote virtual care platform to safely promote weight loss and reverse prediabetes and type 2 diabetes at scale. Virta is partnering with forward-thinking organizations (employers, health plans, healthcare providers) to help them save money and transform the lives of their members.
Dr. Volek has been married to his loving wife for over 20 years, and together they have three active boys in school and two beloved dogs. His family provides a cherished balance to his busy professional life. A lifelong enthusiast of fitness and nutrition, in his spare time he enjoys cooking and trying to minimize the strength decay from his competitive powerlifting days.