I'm working as a registered dietitian and post-doc researcher in the field of nutrition and diabetes, at the department Dietetics, Internal Medicine. As a dietitian specialized in diabetes, I was chairwoman of the Diabetes and Nutrition Organization (member of the Dutch Diabetes Federation) for several years. In my PhD research project I've focused on the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on maintenance of weight loss after a very low-calorie diet in adults with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, I studied the effect of this diet intervention on cardiovascular risk factors like endothelial function markers, Lp(a), sLR11.
Current projects
Currently I'm working on a project studying the efficiency of a combination of face-to-face and e-health nutritional care for people with type 2 diabetes. In addition, I’m supervising the FLAVA trial, aimed at studying the effect of monomeric and oligomeric flavanols on microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes. I’m involved in many other research projects about nutrition and Lp(a), nudging interventions to promote a healthy diet, ketogenic diet, Nutritional Assessment. During my whole professional career, I have been teaching both health care professionals and students, and have been invited as a guest speaker for many congresses in the field of nutrition and diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus type 2
Obesity
Nutrition
e-health
Cardiovascular risk
2018 Global Food Venture program of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT-food): 6 month-program in Entrepreneurship for PhD and post-docs. At the Technical University Munich (June 2018), Technion Israel Institute of Technology Haifa (July 2018), UC Davis and Silicon Valley (October 2018), KU Leuven University (mentorship whole program).
2018 Medical biological scientific researcher nutritional sciences (SMBWO)
2010-2017 PhD education program (46 ECTS) Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)
Thesis: ‘Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance in Type 2 Diabetes’
https://reader.ogc.nl/03d2c905-aa8a-46aa-808a-9449b4932f25.epub/
1999-2003 BSc Nutrition and Dietetics, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Graduated: 3 juli 2003, cum laude
Current positions
2017-present Post-doc researcher department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC
2007-present Dietitian diabetes team, department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC
Previous positions
2003-2007 Dietitian out-patient clinic Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center
2002-2003 Research assistent SUNSET-trial, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam
2019-present Supervision of PhD student ‘Efficiency of a blended care version of an effective diabetes diet’
2014-present Supervision Mardin Licona, current PhD project ’Use of monomeric and oligomeric flavanols in the dietary management of patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria’
2010-present Supervision of 3 master students Medicine, Psychology and 13 bachelor students Nutrition and Dietetics
Teaching activities
2019-present Development of e-learning module and skills education session ‘healthy nutrition and lifestyle counseling’ for medical master and lecturer
2018-present Development and coordinator of the medical minor ‘Nutriton and lifestyle in health and disease’
2017-present Lecturer in extracurricular course on nutrition and lifestyle
2012-present Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR):
Lecturer Ba.1.C ZO ‘overgewicht en obesitas’
Lecturer Ba.1.C course ‘kwaliteit van voeding’
Lecturer Ba.1.C course ‘Voedingshypes’
2009-present HAN University of Applied Sciences:
Lecturer post HBO course Nutrition and Diabetes
2012-2016 Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR):
Lecturer minor psychology
Coordinator course ‘psychotherapy in the hospital’
2017-present Erasmus MC Female Talent Class
2015-2018 Member ‘Nederlandse Internisten Vereniging (NIV)’ guideline committee:’richtlijn behandeling diabetes mellitus type 2’
2012-2015 Member PhD committee Coeur Research School
Member PhD committee Erasmus MC
2008-2012 Chairman Diabetes and Nutrition Organization (DNO), member of the Dutch Diabetes Federation
Rashid M, Verhoeven AJM, Mulder MT, Timman R, van Beek-Nieuwland Y, Athumani AA, Zandbergen AAM, van der Wiel HE, Sijbrands EJG, Berk KA: Use of monomeric and oligomeric flavanols in the dietary management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and microalbuminuria (FLAVA trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2018; 19:379.
Berk KA, Buijks H, Verhoeven AJ, Mulder MT, Özcan B, van ’t Spijker A, Timman R, van Busschbach JJ, Sijbrands EJ. Group cognitive behavioural therapy and weight regain after diet in type 2 diabetes: results from the randomised controlled POWER trial. Diabetologia 2018 Apr;61(4):790-799
Berk KA, Yahya R, Verhoeven AJM, Touw J, Leijten FP, van Rossum EFC, Wester VL, Lips M, Pijl H, Timman R, Erhart G, Kronenberg F, Roeters van Lennep JE, Sijbrands EJG, Mulder MT. Effect of diet-induced weight loss on Lipoprotein(a) levels in obese individuals with and without type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia, 2017; 60(6), 989-997. doi: 10.1007/s00125-017-4246-y
Berk KA, Oudshoorn TP, Verhoeven AJM, Mulder MT, Roks AJM, Dik WA, Timman R, Sijbrands EJG. Diet-induced weight loss and markers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation in treated patients with type 2 diabetes. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 15 (2016), pp. 101-106. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2016.06.011
Berk KA, Vongpromek R, Jiang M, Bujo H, Schneider W, Verhoeven AJM, Sijbrands EJG, Mulder MT. Reduced plasma soluble LR11 levels after diet-induced weight loss in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes. Atherosclerosis. 2016 Nov;254:67-72. doi:10.1016
Berk KA, Mulder MT, Verhoeven AJ, van Wietmarschen H, Boessen R, Pellis LP, van T Spijker A, Timman R, Ozcan B, Sijbrands EJ. Predictors of Diet-Induced Weight Loss in Overweight Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. PLoS One. 2016 Aug 5;11(8):e0160774. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160774.
Berk KA, Buijks H, Ozcan B, van t Spijker A, Busschbach JJV, Sijbrands EJG. The Prevention Of WEight Regain in diabetes type 2 (POWER) study: the effectiveness of adding a combined psychological intervention to a very low calorie diet, design and pilot data of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health 2012, Nov 23;12:1026. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-1026.
Berk KA, Houweling B, Kleefstra N: ‘Etenstijd’ ISBN 9789082491418| publisher Uitgeverij Langerhans; children’s book on healthy nutrition and lifestyle; www.boeketenstijd.nl
