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.
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
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders (Professor Prashanthan Sanders)
- Centre of Research Excellence in Frailty and Healthy Ageing (Professor Renuka Visvanathan)
- Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health (Professor Michael Horowitz)
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health & Wellbeing (Professor Gary Wittert)
- North West Adelaide Health Study (Professor Robert Adams and Professor Anne Taylor)
- Robinson Research Institute (Professor Sarah Robertson)
- Wardliparingga Aboriginal Research Unit (Professor Alex Brown)
Our research groups working in this area
- Adelaide Geriatrics Training and Research with Aged Care (G-TRAC) Centre (Professor Renuka Visvanathan)
- Australian Dysautonomia and Arrhythmia Research Collaborative (ADARC) (Professor Dennis Lau)
- Cancer Treatment Toxicities Group (Associate Professor Joanne Bowen)
- Clinical Glaucoma Research and Ophthalmic Research Laboratory (Professor Robert Casson)
- Diabetes Research Group (Professor Jennifer Couper)
- Gastrointestinal Function and Appetite Regulation (Professor Christine Feinle-Bisset)
- Gastrointestinal Function in Diabetes Mellitus (Professor Christopher Rayner)
- Health of Pregnant Mothers and Babies (Professor Jodie Dodd)
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Professor Christopher Proud)
- Intestinal Nutrient Sensing (Associate Professor Richard L Young)
- Lifelong Health Research (Professor Jodie Dodd)
- MAILES Longitudinal Male Ageing Study Research Group (Professor Gary Wittert)
- Myeloma Research Laboratory (Professor Andrew Zannettino)
- Obesity and Metabolism Group (Associate Professor Leonie Heilbronn)
- Ovarian Cell Biology (Professor Rebecca Robker)
- Postprandial Hypotension Group (Professor Karen Jones)
- Primary Care and Health Services Research Group (Professor Nigel Stocks)
- Prostate Cancer Research Group (Professor Lisa Butler)
- Vagal Afferent Research Group (Professor Amanda Page)
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.