Dr Leonie Heilbronn

Biography/ Background

Current Appointments:

Research Leader, Discipline of Medicine

and Robinson Institute, Research Centre for Reproductive Health

Past Appointments:

Senior Research Officer, Garvan Institute, Sydney, Australia

Post-doctoral Researcher, Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Awards & Achievements

2012 - 2016: ARC, Future Fellow

2008 - 2012: NHMRC, Career Development Award I

2004 - 2008: NHMRC, Peter Doherty Biomedical Fellowship

2007: ANZOS, Young Investigator

Research Interests

Dr. Heilbronn is a clinical investigator in the field of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus with a focus on understanding the molecular and physiological basis of obesity and its co-morbidities in humans. In particular, she examines mechanisms of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and in adipose tissue during environmental perturbations in humans (e.g. overfeeding, calorie restriction, hyperbaric oxygen therapy). She is also interested in the role of nutrition in healthy ageing. 

Publications

Selected Publications:

1. Tam CS, Viardot A, Clement K, Tjordman J, Greenfield J, Campbell LV, Samocha-Bonet D, Heilbronn LK. Overfeeding induces insulin resistance without altering subcutaneous adipose tissue macrophages in humans. Diabetes 59:1011-8; 2010 [Impact Factor 8].
2. Samocha-Bonet D, Campbell LV, Viardot A, Tam CS, Freund J, Tonks K, Greenfield JR, Heilbronn LK. A family history of type 2 diabetes increases metabolic risk factors associated with overfeeding. Diabetologia; 53:1700-1708, 2010 [Impact Factor 6]
3. Albu J, Heilbronn LK, Kelley DE, Azuma K, Smith SR, Berk E, Pi-Sunyer FX, Ravussin E. Metabolic improvements following 1-year diet and exercise intervention in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, 59:627-33, 2010 [Impact Factor 8]
4. Larsen-Meyer, de Jonge L, Heilbronn LK, Ravussin E. Ghrelin and PYY in postpartum lactating and non-lactating women. Am J Clin Nutr, 42:152-9, 2010 [Impact Factor 8]
5. Samocha-Bonet D, Lichtenburg D, Heilbronn LK, Campbell LV. Does oxidative stress initiate insulin resistance in humans? Trends Endo Metab, 21:83-88, 2010. [Impact Factor 7.9]
6. Redman LM, Heilbronn LK, Martin CK, Williamson D, Delaney J, Ravussin E. Calorie restriction, weight loss and metabolic adaptation in humans. PLoS One, 4:e4377, 2009
7. Turner N, Heilbronn LK. Is Mitochondrial Dysfunction a Cause of Insulin Resistance? Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 19(9):324-30, 2008 [Impact Factor 7.9].
8. Allard JS, Heilbronn LK, Smith C, Hunt ND, Ingram DK, Ravussin E, de Cabo R. In vitro cellular adaptations of biomarkers of longevity in response to treatment with serum collected from humans on calorie restricted diets. PLoS One, 3:e3211, 2008.
9. Heilbronn LK, Campbell LV. Adipose Tissue Macrophages, Low Grade Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in Human Obesity. Curr Pharm Design 14(12):1225-30, 2008. [Impact Factor, 5.2].
10. Galgani JE, Heilbronn LK, Azuma K, Albu JD, Pi-Sunyer X, Kelley DE, Smith SR, Ravussin E. Metabolic flexibility in response to glucose is not impaired in type 2 diabetes after controlling for glucose uptake. Diabetes; 57: 841-845, 2008 [Impact Factor 8.0]
11. Martin CK, Heilbronn LK, de Jonge L, DeLany JP, Anton SD, Redman LM, Smith SR, Williamson DA, Ravussin E. Effect of calorie restriction on the metabolic adaptation of resting metabolic rate and spontaneous physical activity. Obesity, 15(12):2964-73,2007. [Impact Factor 3.9]
12. Heilbronn LK, Gregersen S, Shirkhedkar D, Hu D, Campbell LV. Mechanisms of impaired fatty acid oxidation following a single high fat meal in insulin sensitive relatives of subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, 56:2046 -2053, 2007. [Impact Factor 8.0]
13. Azuma K, Heilbronn LK, Albu JB, Smith SR, Ravussin E, Kelley DE and the Look AHEAD Adipose Research Group. Effect of Type 2 Diabetes on adipose tissue distribution. Am J Physiol Endocrinol and Metab; 293(1):E435-42, 2007. [Impact Factor, 4.5]
14. Civitarese AE, Carling S, Heilbronn LK, Hulver M, Deutsch WA, Smith SR, Ravussin E. Calorie restriction increases muscle mitochondrial biogenesis in humans. PLoS Med;4(3): 485-494, 2007 [Impact Factor, 13.8]
15. Heilbronn LK, Gan SK, Turner N, Campbell LV, Chisholm DJ. Markers of mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism are impaired in overweight and obese insulin resistant subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 92(4):1467-73, 2007 [Impact Factor 6.0]
16. Redman LM, Heilbronn LK, Smith SR, Alfonso A, Ravussin E. Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 92(3):865-72, 2007. [Impact Factor 6.0]
17. Larson-Meyer DE, Heilbronn LK, Redman LM, Newcomer BR, Frisard MI, Smith SR, Anton S, Alfonso A, Ravussin E. Six months of calorie restriction with or without exercise on insulin sensitivity, fat cell size and ectopic lipid in overweight subjects: results from the CALERIE trial. Diabetes Care, 29(6):1337-44, 2006 [Impact Factor 8]
18. Heilbronn LK, de Jonge L, Frisard MI, Deutch A, DeLany JP, Larson-Meyer DE, Martin CK, Volaufova J, Smith SR, Williamson DA, Ravussin E and the Pennington CALERIE team. Effect of 6-mo. calorie restriction on biomarkers of longevity, metabolic adaptation and oxidative stress in overweight subjects. JAMA,295(13):1539-48, 2006 [Impact Factor 23]
19. Heilbronn LK, Civitarese AE, Bogacki I, Smith SR, Hulver M, Ravussin E. Glucose tolerance and skeletal muscle gene expression in response to alternate day fasting in non-obese humans. Obes Res, 13(3):574-81, 2005 [Impact Factor 4]
20. Heilbronn LK, Smith SR, Anton S, Martin CK, Ravussin E. Alternate day fasting in non-obese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition and energy metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005, 81:69-73 [Impact Factor 6.4]
21. Heilbronn LK, Janderova L, Rood J, Kelley DE, Albu JA, Ravussin E, Smith SR. Relationship between serum resistin and insulin resistance in non-obese, obese and obese-diabetic subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Apr; 89(4):1844-8. [Impact Factor 6]
22. Heilbronn LK, Clifton PM. C-reactive protein and coronary artery disease: influence of obesity, caloric restriction and weight loss. J Nutr Biochem. 2002 Jun; 13(6):316-321. [Impact Factor 2.5]
23. Heilbronn LK, Noakes M, Clifton PM.  The effect of low and high GI energy restricted diets in subjects with type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance. J Am Coll Nutr, 21(2):120-6, 2002. [Impact Factor 3]
24. Heilbronn LK, Noakes M, Clifton PM.  Energy restriction and weight loss on very low fat diets reduce C reactive protein concentrations in healthy obese women. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 21:968-70, 2001 [Impact Factor 7]
25. Heilbronn LK, Kind K, Pancewicz E, Morris AM, Noakes M, Clifton PM. Association of -3826G variant in uncoupling protein-1 with increased BMI in overweight Australian women. Diabetologia,43(2):242-244, 2000 [Impact Factor 5.3]
26. Heilbronn LK, Noakes M, Kind K, Clifton PM. 360His polymorphism of the apolipoprotein A-IV gene and plasma lipid response to energy restricted diets in overweight patients. Atherosclerosis, 150(1):187-192, 2000 [Impact Factor 3.8]
27. Heilbronn LK, Noakes M, Clifton PM.  The effects of energy restriction, weight loss and diet composition on plasma lipids and glucose control in non insulin dependent diabetes. Diabetes Care 22(6): 889-95, 1999 [Impact Factor 7.9]

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 4 Dec 2012