Dr. Annamarie Koster

Associate Professor, Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Institute, Maastricht University

I am an epidemiologist with a broad background in the epidemiology of aging. My primary research line focusses on lifestyle and in particular physical activity. My research is aimed to a better understanding of the causes and consequences of physical activity and I am particularly interested in the health effects of sedentary behaviour. Moreover, I am interested in the objective assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. I have successfully led several projects within this research line. I mainly have used data from large epidemiological studies such as The Maastricht Study.

I am part of The Maastricht Study Management Team and together with other project members I am responsible for the design and setup of the Maastricht Study. This is at present the largest epidemiological study focusing on type 2 diabetes worldwide. As Management Team member, I am responsible for the follow up and the data management where I steer the data management team. Moreover I am co-leading the global consortium the Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting, and Sleep (ProPASS) consortium an international collaboration platform committed to harmonise thigh-worn accelerometry data to investigate longitudinal associations of physical activity, posture, and sleep with long-term health outcomes and longevity.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Physical Activity; Sedentary Behavior; Lifestyle; Accelerometry, Aging