Chronic Disease Prevention and Healthy Ageing

Group Head

Barbora de Courten

Professor Barbora de Courten
Barbora.DeCourten@monash.edu

 

Research topics

Biomarkers in obesity, diabetes and related chronic diseases

Overview

Investigating disease biomarkers including dietary risk factors, inflammation markers, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), microbiome, lipidomics.

Major Current Projects

  • Inflammatory markers and adipokines in obesity, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
  • Role of AGEs in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
  • Lipidomics in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gestational diabetes and PCOS
  • Microbiome in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease
  • Dietary risk factors in obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
  • Genetic factors in obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
Major Collaborations Staff and students

National

  • Dr Marloes Dekker Nitert, The University of Queensland
  • A/Prof Allison Hodge, Victorian Cancer Council
  • Prof Peter Meikle, Baker IDI
  • Prof Josephine Forbes, The University of Queensland
  • Prof Magdalena Plebanski, RMIT

International

  • A/Prof Jose Fernandez-Real, Biomedical Research Institute of Girona, Spain
  • Prof Susanne Bugel, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Prof Lars Dragsted, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Prof Peter Reaven, Veterans Affair Hospital, USA
  • Prof Jaime Uribarri, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Dr Lisa Grech
  • Dr Nazmul Karim
  • Dr Kevin Lee
  • Dr Aya Mousa
  • Dr Negar Naderpoor

Research Assistants

  • Ms Janet Harding
  • Dr Rohit Hariharan
  • Mr Joshua Mardan
  • Dr Saijo Thomas

PhD students

  • Ms Mavil Cervo
  • Mr Jakub Mesinovic
  • Mr Emmanuel Nene Odjidja

Low-cost Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Related Chronic Diseases

Overview

Investigating role of diets, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals for prevention and treatment of diabetes and related chronic diseases

Major Current Projects

Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs)

  • Diets low in AGEs and prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
  • Diets low in AGEs in fertility

Vitamin D

  • Vitamin D and prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
  • Influence of genetic factors in vitamin D pathway on glucose metabolism

Carnosine

  • Carnosine supplementation and prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors
  • Carnosine supplementation and management of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors
  • Carnosine supplementation and management of peripheral vascular diseases

Nutrigenomics

  • Nutrigenomics for personalised nutrition and prevention and treatment of chronic diseases

Exercise

  • Role of TGF Beta as a novel target for treatment of insulin resistance in PCOS
  • Impact of high intensity training on TGF Beta signalling
Major Collaborations Staff and students

National

  • Prof James Cameron, Monash University
  • Prof Timothy Buckenham, Monash University
  • Dr David Scott, Deakin University
  • Ms Shelley Gorman, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth
  • Prof Josephine Forbes, The University of Queensland

International

  • A/Prof Barbara Ukropcova, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Prof Wim Derave, University of Ghent, Belgium
  • Prof Giancarlo Aldini, University of Milan, Italy
  • Prof Aruni Bhatnagar, University of Louisville, USA
  • Prof Jaime Uribarri, Mount Sinai, USA
  • Prof Susanne Bugel, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Prof Lars Dragsted, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Prof Robert Scragg, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Dr Lisa Grech
  • Dr Kevin Lee
  • Dr Aya Mousa
  • Dr Negar Naderpoor

Research Assistants

  • Ms Janet Harding
  • Dr Rohit Hariharan
  • Mr Joshua Mardan
  • Dr Saijo Thomas

Research Nurses

  • Ms Amanda Hulley
  • Ms Joanne Lillie

PhD students

  • Ms Mavil Cervo
  • Mr Jakub Mesinovic
  • Mr Emmanuel Nene Odjidja