Professor Gary Wittert, MBBch, MD, FRACP
Current Appointments | Biography | Relevant Publications
Current Appointments
| Head, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide |
| Mortlock Professor and Head, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide |
Professor of Medicine (Personal Chair), University of Adelaide |
| Senior Consultant Endocrinologist, Royal Adelaide Hospital |
Biography
Gary Wittert was appointed to a Personal Chair at the University of Adelaide in 2004, and has been Head of the Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide since 2003, and Head of the School of Medicine from 2006 to 2009. His clinical research interests relate to appetite modulation, the effect of variations in dietary macronutrients on weight and metabolism, the regulation of body composition, cellular energy utilisation, and factors relating to the aetiology and management of obesity. He also has an interest in obesity and ageing, men’s health and utilisation of health services by men. This work, currently supported by the NHMRC and the ARC, has clinical, as well as population health components. Prof Wittert is a co-author of 82 peer-reviewed papers, 13 book chapters, and one book. He has been the principal investigator (extensively involved in protocol design and logistics) in a number of phase I and II studies of novel pharmacological therapies for obesity. Prof Wittert is regarded as a leading authority on the subject of obesity management, is immediate past-President of the Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity, and Co-leader of the University of Adelaide Healthy Aging Research Cluster.
Prof Wittert has substantial experience in clinical research training. He has supervised 27 higher degree candidates from science and dietetic backgrounds, as well as research projects undertaken by physician trainees, advanced trainees in endocrinology and medical students. He currently supervises 9 PhD candidates and 2 postdoctoral research fellows (one from the Czech Republic). He plays a major role in an international training programme in Obesity Management for doctors from the Asia-Pacific region. A key aspect of his recent work has been the translation of clinical research to the public health arena.
Relevant Publications
David H Wilson, PhD; Sarah L Appleton, BA; Anne W Taylor, PhD; Graeme Tucker, BA; Richard E Ruffin, MD; Gary Wittert, MD; Graeme Hugo, PhD; Robert D Goldney, MD; Christopher Findlay, PhD; Robert J Adams, MD. Obesity and Asthma. Medical Journal of Australia. (Accepted November 2009).
Zumin Shi, Anne Taylor, Gary Wittert, Robert Goldney, Tiffany Gill. Soft drink consumption and mental health problems among adults in Australia. Public Health Nutrition (Accepted 1/12/2009)
Carol A Holden, Robert I McLachlan, Marian Pitts, Robert Cumming, Gary Wittert, Johnathon P Ehsani, David M de Kretser and David J Handelsman Title : Determinants of male reproductive health disorders: The Men in Australia Telephone Survey (MATeS): BMC Public Health (Accepted 8/02/2010)
Zumin Shi, Natalie D. Luscombe-Marsh, Gary A. Wittert, Baojun Yuan, Yue Dai, Xiaoqun Pan, and Anne W. Taylor. Monosodium glutamate is not associated with obesity or a greater prevalence of weight gain over 5 years: findings from the Jiangsu Nutrition Study of Chinese adults. British Journal of Nutrition: (In Press 2010).
Khoo J, Piantadosi C, Worthley S, Wittert GA. Effects of a modified low-calorie diet on sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms in obese men. Int J Obesity (Submitted).
