Daniel E. Lieberman

Daniel E. Lieberman is a professor and chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology and the Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences at Harvard University. Lieberman holds degrees from Harvard University and Cambridge University and has taught at Rutgers University and George Washington University.

Lieberman's research focuses on human evolutionary biology, paleoanthropology, biomechanics, and public health. He investigates how and why the human body has evolved and examines the relevance of evolutionary history to contemporary health. Lieberman is known for his work on the endurance-running hypothesis, which posits that the genus Homo evolved anatomical features for long-distance running due to natural selection. In a study published in Nature, Lieberman and Dennis Bramble argued that humans are adapted for endurance running, a trait used by ancestors in perseverance hunting.

Lieberman has also conducted research on barefoot running, demonstrating that forefoot striking reduces impact forces and increases efficiency compared to heel striking. His findings, published in Nature, contributed to discussions about running form, footwear design, and injury prevention. Lieberman is sometimes referred to as the Barefoot Professor for his work in this area.

Lieberman is the author of four books: "Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet, Health and Eating Well," "Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding," "The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease," and "The Evolution of the Human Head." "The Story of the Human Body" became a national bestseller, and "Exercised" explores the idea that humans did not evolve to exercise for health. Lieberman has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as Nature and Science.

Lieberman studies and teaches about the evolution of the human body, physical activity, diet, metabolism, and the human head, emphasizing the connections between evolutionary biology and health. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and communicates evolutionary science to broad audiences through lectures, media appearances, and his books.