Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career
Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Chronic disease prevention
  • Epidemiology
  • Public health
  • Clinical research
  • Research ethics and governance

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Maximilian de Courten

Professor Maximilian de Courten is a medical and public health graduate with an expertise in chronic disease prevention (mental health issues included) with a focus on policy and evidenced-based large-scale solutions.

Professor de Courten provides consulting services to organisations devoted to the promotion of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace through the prevention of mental injury and illness. He is involved in the improvement and promotion of mental health through commercial health platforms.

Professor Maximilian de Courten is a Global Public Health expert who has studied and worked in several countries. He has more than 25 years’ experience in interventions including:

  • the identification of determinants of chronic diseases
  • management of clinical trials
  • development of community-based programs and international government programs
  • development of policies for chronic disease prevention and control.

Qualifications

  • MPH, University of Arizona, Tuscan, Arizona, USA, 1996
  • MD (thesis), University of Basel, Switzerland, 1991
  • Swiss Medical Diploma, Bern, Switzerland, 1990

Key publications

Maximilian has over 277 publications, with a selection listed here.


A more comprehensive list of Maximilian's publications is available in the VU Research Repository.

Year Citation
2017 Mousa, A., Naderpoor, N., de, Courten., Scragg, R., & de, Courten. (171001). 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in a predominantly vitamin D-deficient and overweight/obese but otherwise healthy cohort. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 173 (258-264).

doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.12.008
2017 Naderpoor, N., Mousa, A., de, Courten., Scragg, R., Ranasinha, S., & de, Courten. (171001). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is not associated with glomerular filtration rate in a predominantly obese otherwise healthy population. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 173 (253-257).

doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.09.019
2016 Riddell, M. A., Dunbar, J. A., Absetz, P., Wolfe, R., Li, H., Brand, M., Aziz, Z., Oldenburg, B., Reddy, P., & Hagger, V. (160824). Cardiovascular risk outcome and program evaluation of a cluster randomised controlled trial of a community-based, lay peer led program for people with diabetes. BMC Public Health, 16(1),

doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-3538-3
2016 Zurzolo, G. A., Koplin, J. J., Ponsonby, A. L., McWilliam, V., Dharmage, S., Heine, R. G., Tang, M. LK., Prescott, S., Campbell, D. E., & Loh, R. (160801). Consensus of stakeholders on precautionary allergen labelling: A report from the Centre for Food and Allergy Research. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 52(8), (797-801).

doi: 10.1111/jpc.13202
2016 De, Courten., De, Courten., Soldatos, G., Dougherty, S. L., Straznicky, N., Schlaich, M., Sourris, K. C., Chand, V., Scheijen, J. LJM., & Kingwell, B. A. (160601). Diet low in advanced glycation end products increases insulin sensitivity in healthy overweight individuals: A double-blind, randomized, crossover trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(6), (1426-1433).

doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.125427
2016 Zurzolo, G. A., De, Courten., Koplin, J., Mathai, M. L., & Allen, K. J. (160601). Is advising food allergic patients to avoid food with precautionary allergen labelling out of date?. Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 16(3), (272-277).

doi: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000262
2016 De, Courten., Jakubova, M., De, Courten., Kukurova, I. J., Vallova, S., Krumpolec, P., Valkovic, L., Kurdiova, T., Garzon, D., & Barbaresi, S. (160501). Effects of carnosine supplementation on glucose metabolism: Pilot clinical trial. Obesity, 24(5), (1027-1034).

doi: 10.1002/oby.21434
2016 Hallam, K. T., Livesay, K., Morda, R., Sharples, J., Jones, A., & De, Courten. (160101). Do commencing nursing and paramedicine students differ in interprofessional learning and practice attitudes: Evaluating course, socio-demographic and individual personality effects. BMC Medical Education, 16(1),

doi: 10.1186/s12909-016-0605-5
2016 Apostolopoulos, V., de, Courten., Stojanovska, L., Blatch, G. L., Tangalakis, K., & de, Courten. (160101). The complex immunological and inflammatory network of adipose tissue in obesity. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 60(1), (43-57).

doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201500272
2015 De, Courten., Kurdiova, T., De, Courten., Belan, V., Everaert, I., Vician, M., Teede, H., Gasperikova, D., Aldini, G., & Derave, W. (151006). Muscle carnosine is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in Humans. PLoS ONE, 10(10),

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138707

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Preventing a T1D Progression via a Tolerance Inducing Vaccine
From: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia
Other investigators: Prof Vasso Apostolopoulos
For period: 2018-2020
 Not disclosed

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Currently supervised research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
1 PhD Integrated Associate supervisor
1 PhD Integrated Principal supervisor
2 PhD Principal supervisor

Currently supervised research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD Integrated (1) Associate supervisor
PhD Integrated (1) Principal supervisor
PhD (2) Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
2 PhD Associate supervisor
1 PhD Principal supervisor
1 Master of Research Principal supervisor

Completed supervision of research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (2) Associate supervisor
PhD (1) Principal supervisor
Master of Research (1) Principal supervisor

Other supervision of research students

At the University of Copenhagen: • 3 PhD students (Public Health) • 3 MIH students (Master of International Health) At Monash University: • 3 PhD student (Public Health) • 1 Dr PH student (Public Health) • 1 MPH student

Teaching activities & experience

Created a post-graduate unit in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control incl. an online delivery modus within the Monash MPH program which was Australia's first such unit.

Key academic roles

Dates Role Department / Organisation
Feb 2014 - Jan 2018
Director
Centre for Chronic Disease, Victoria Univeristy
Jan 2010 - Feb 2014
Professor of Global Public Health
Copenhagen University, Denmark
Dec 2005 - Dec 2009
Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology
Monash University, Melbourne
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Feb 2014 -
Jan 2018
Director
Centre for Chronic Disease, Victoria Univeristy
Jan 2010 -
Feb 2014
Professor of Global Public Health
Copenhagen University, Denmark
Dec 2005 -
Dec 2009
Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology
Monash University, Melbourne

Key industry, community & government roles

Dates Role Department/Organisation
Sep 2019 - Dec 2022
Senior NCD advisor (consultant) and Technical Lead
The World Bank Group, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Jan 2002 - Jun 2004
Medical Officer, Noncommunicable Diseases
World Health Organization, South Pacific Office
Jul 2000 - Jan 2002
Co-ordinator of NCD Risk Factor Surveillance
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Sep 2019 - Dec 2022
Senior NCD advisor (consultant) and Technical Lead
The World Bank Group, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Jan 2002 - Jun 2004
Medical Officer, Noncommunicable Diseases
World Health Organization, South Pacific Office
Jul 2000 - Jan 2002
Co-ordinator of NCD Risk Factor Surveillance
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland