Nutrition and Metabolic Health

The effects of nutrition quality and availability on metabolic processes not only plays a significant role in the incidence of many serious illnesses, but can drastically influence our general health and wellbeing throughout our lives.

Love heart shaped bowl full of vegetables, fruit and grains, plus green apple and stethoscope

The links between nutrition, metabolism and human health are complex, and our researchers—from basic scientists, human physiologists, clinicians and population health specialists—are working to enhance our understanding of these links.

Our researchers are investigating the associations between diet and sleep, pregnancy, foetal growth and mortality, and serious illnesses such as coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, atherosclerosis, obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, dental caries, gall bladder disease, dementia and nutritional anaemias. 

Our overarching goal is to develop and validate innovative diets to promote health and wellbeing, and deliver improved health outcomes to the community in a range of areas.

Researchers across the faculty are focused on:

  • determining the effects of modifying diet on metabolic health
  • developing strategies to prevent and manage obesity and type 2 diabetes
  • studying the molecular and cellular basis of appetite regulation
  • understanding immune function and pain-sensing in the gut
  • exploring how nutrition interacts with sleep patterns and metabolic disorders
  • investigating metabolism in liver, muscle, fat tissue and bone tissue
  • understanding nutrition in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, and determining the association between nutritional intake and chronic disease
  • conducting longitudinal, large cohort studies to assess associations between diet and chronic diseases.

Our research centres and institutes working in this area

Our research groups working in this area

Lead researchers

For additional leads in this area of research, please contact Nutrition and Metabolic Health researchers.

Interested in a postgraduate research degree?

We offer exciting opportunities for researchers at the honours, masters and PhD levels. Our research degrees are open to students from a broad range of backgrounds, and range from basic sciences to clinical research. If you are interested in human health, consider furthering your research career with us.

Honours Degrees