Healthy Lifestyle Program

Program Leads

Associate Professor Lisa Moran is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. Her research focus is the assessment of optimal lifestyle interventions preconception, during pregnancy and post-partum and in women with high-risk conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome.

Dr Cheryce Harrison is a senior research fellow and exercise physiologist. Her research focus is obesity prevention in reproductive aged women across preconception, pregnancy and postpartum through the implementation of evidence based healthy lifestyle programs.

Healthy Lifestyle

Our Healthy Lifestyle research has a strong focus on nutrition and healthy lifestyle in reproductive aged women. Our team are internationally recognised in this area and are multidisciplinary across dietetics, exercise physiology, endocrinology, epidemiology, public health, health promotion, obstetrics, psychology and midwifery. Our program sits across conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), preconception, pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause. It includes mechanistic research in areas such as metabolic rate, appetite, and obesity impact on insulin resistance and metabolic health. It also includes clinical research on lifestyle interventions, large-scale epidemiological research, health services, and population health research. We have a strong focus on translation, and author Cochrane, systematic reviews, international position statements, and NHMRC and international evidence-based guidelines.

Major collaborations

Collaborations are extensive and include leadership in a Centre for Research Excellence in PCOS with 20+ collaborators nationally, and many internationally. By developing optimal obesity intervention methods for Australian women, our research will result in a reduced risk of pregnancy complications, reduced side-effects of conditions such as PCOS including diabetes, heart disease and depression and provide a foundation to secure a healthier future for newborn children.

Major current projects

Our research projects include clinical models of care for weight management in PCOS, diet and physical activity in gestational diabetes management, barriers to weight management in women with PCOS and health professionals working with women with PCOS and effective lifestyle interventions preconception and post-partum.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Major current projects

  • Optimal lifestyle interventions
  • Optimising sleep disorders
  • Assessment of barriers to uptake of evidence-based lifestyle management in women and clinicians
  • Evaluation of clinical models of care for lifestyle management in PCOS
  • Web-based programs, intensive models with dietetic and psychological expertise

Key collaborators

  • Dr Leah Brennan (ACU)
  • Dr Melinda Hutchesson (University of Newcastle)
  • Professor Joop Laven (University Medical Centre, Rotterdam)

Our team

  • Lead: A/Prof Lisa Moran
  • Dr Siew Lim
  • Ms Stephanie Pirotta
  • Professor Helena Teede
  • Ms Alexis Arasu
  • Dr Tracy Robinson
  • A/Prof Jacqui Boyle

Gestational Diabetes

Major current projects

  • Assessing diet, physical activity and risk perception following early diagnosis of gestational diabetes

Key collaboration

  • The Treatment of Booking Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Study: The TOBOGM Study

Our team

Post-Partum Weight Management

Major current projects

  • Optimal models of care for reducing post-partum weight retention
  • The relationship between maternity leave and post-partum lifestyle and weight
  • Co-parenting interventions to improve parental weight

Key collaborators

  • Dr Sharleen O’Reilly (University College, Dublin)
  • Dr Mark Feinberg (Penn State University)

Our team

  • Lead: A/Prof Lisa Moran
  • Dr Siew Lim
  • Dr Cheryce Harrison
  • Associate Professor Jacqui Boyle
  • Ms Eliza Tassone
  • Ms Julie Martin
  • Dr Briony Hill