Postgraduate Students

The current postgraduate students studying at our Centre are:

PhD Students

Dr James Triplett: James is a first year PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and will be supported by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) Research Entry Scholarship in 2024. James graduated from Medicine from the University of Newcastle and has completed a Master of Medicine through the University of Sydney. James completed neurology training and became a fellow of the RACP in 2018 and was the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists (ANZAN) overseas fellow at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester (2018-2020) receiving further subspecialty training in neurophysiology and neuromuscular medicine. James' PhD studies focus on the pathophysiology and neurophysiological markers of diabetic neuropathy including the association of abnormal sphingolipid metabolism in the development of diabetic neuropathy. Principal supervisor: Dr Chinmay Marathe.
Ms Shilini Nilajgi:
Ms Parisa Rouhani: Parisa completed a Master's degree in Nutrition Science at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, in Iran. In February 2024, she commenced her PhD program, under the supervision of Profs Christine Feinle-Bisset and Michael Horowitz AO. Her research involves performing clinical studies to examine the effects of specific nutrients, calcium alone or in combination with aromatic amino acids especially tryptophan, on key gastrointestinal (GI) functions, including GI hormone secretion and motility, which are central to the regulation of appetite and postprandial blood glucose. The ultimate goal of this research is to optimise the effectiveness of these nutrients based on the current understanding of their interaction with GI functions and to develop novel, safe, and cost-effective nutrient-based strategies for preventing and managing obesity and its associated comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
Ms Parivash Ghorbaninejad: Parivash completed a master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, the top-ranked university in Iran. As a research assistant she conducted research in different areas including dietary patterns, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cancer resulting in many publications. She also acquired specialised knowledge in nutrition sciences and dietetics by working in clinics and hospitals. Her PhD research involves performing clinical studies to investigate the effects of the non-nutritive bitter compound, quinine, alone or in combination with dietary nutrients, particularly the amino acids like tryptophan, leucine, and isoleucine on gastrointestinal functions, including hormone secretion and gastrointestinal motility, which are critical for regulation of energy intake and postprandial blood glucose in humans. Her research aims to develop novel, safe, and cost-effective nutrient-based strategies for preventing and managing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Principal supervisor: Professor Christine Feinle-Bisset
Ms Elham Hosseini Marnani: Elham joined us in July 2023 from Iran where she completed a Master's degree in Public Health Nutrition. Through this course she gained valuable experience in clinical trials and epidemiological studies. She has conducted research in different areas including nutraceuticals, functional foods or natural bioactive compounds, cardiovascular health, reproductive health, Covid-19, and gut health and obtained specialised knowledge in nutrition sciences and dietetics by working in clinics and hospitals. Working in in-patient and outpatient settings has enabled her to function as an experienced dietician specialising in managing metabolic syndrome complications. Her PhD study aims to investigate autonomic neuropathy in indigenous and non-indigenous Australians with diabetes and pre-diabetes. The aim of this research is to find a clinical strategy to reduce the burden of diabetes-related complications. Principal supervisor: Dr Chinmay Marathe
Dr Aniket Nadkarni: Aniket commenced his PhD through the University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences in 2023. He completed his medical degree (MBBS) in 2010 through the University of New South Wales, and he attained Fellowship of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (FCICM) in 2021. His research will explore how to mitigate short and long-term complications of stress induced hyperglycaemia in the critically ill. Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Mark Plummer.
Mr Matthew Summers: Matt is a Dietitian who commenced his PhD in July 2022 within the Facility of Health and Medical Sciences. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2007 and went on to study dietetics, graduating with a Master of Dietetics in 2014. The focus of Matt’s doctoral research is to evaluate enteral protein delivery in the critically ill. The aim of the research is to produce high quality evidence evaluating higher protein delivery and protein handling in critically ill patients to improve patient outcomes and functional recovery, in a patient group that often suffer from significant muscle wasting. Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Lee-anne Chapple
Ms Elizabeth Viner-Smith: Elizabeth (Beth) gained a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (First Class Honours) from Flinders University before gaining experience as clinical dietitian at The Alfred Hospital (Melbourne) and St George's Hospital (London). Upon her return home to South Australia, Beth has been working as a clinical dietitian and commenced her PhD at The University of Adelaide in 2021 investigating critical care nutrition across the healthcare continuum. Beth's research aims to improve our understanding of nutrition challenges for critically ill adult patients and investigate nutrition related interventions to improve patient outcomes. Principal supervisor: Associate Professor Lee-anne Chapple.
Ms Maryam Sajjad: Originally from Pakistan, Maryam earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Sciences before deciding to pursue a career in research. Her current research focuses on developing effective strategies to treat type 2 diabetes by understanding the gut functions in response to some amino acids and bitter substance. Specifically, she aims to explore whether combined administration of leucine or isoleucine with quinine will lead to greater stimulation of gut hormones and slowing of gastric emptying, along with greater lowering of blood glucose, than each nutrient compound alone, in healthy individuals. Principle supervisor: Professor Christine Feinle-Bisset.
Mr Md. Kamruzzaman: Zaman commenced his PhD at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences in 2022. He is originally from Bangladesh and has a background in Human Nutrition. He was awarded the Master of Science (M.Sc) degree in Nutrition and Rural Development from Ghent University, Belgium. His research will enhance the understanding of the gastrointestinal and nutritional factors interrelated with hypoglycemia and delayed gastric emptying among diabetic and healthy individuals. The primary goal of this research is to better understand the pattern of relation among nutritional factors, gastric emptying and glycemic control and to explore and develop the novel strategies for both the prevention and management of diabetes. Principal supervisor: Dr Chinmay Marathe
Ms Yixuan Sun: Yixuan's research is focused on the mechanisms underlying nutrient-gut interactions and their implications in the management of postprandial hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, which represent a highly important research field relating to the control of metabolic homeostasis. Principal supervisor: Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu
Miss Lijun Zhao: Lijun is a medical graduate from Gansu, China. Her research focuses on diet pattern and obesity, circadian rhythms, sleep and breath disorders and endocrinology diseases. She has a particular interest in understanding how time-restricted eating restores circadian rhythms to improve metabolic health. Principal supervisor: Professor Leonie Heilbronn.

Our Honours Students

Dr Katerina Flabouris: Katerina commenced her MPhil at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences in 2023 examining perioperative glycaemic control and post-operative outcomes in Indigenous Australians with diabetes mellitus undergoing surgery in South Australia. This project is on a background of clinical work as a medical registrar throughout various SA Health public hospitals as an Advanced Trainee with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, dual-training in Endocrinology and General & Acute Care Medicine. Her qualifications include an MBBS from the University of Adelaide, and a Master of Perioperative Medicine from Monash University. The aim of this novel research is to identify and explore any differences in perioperative glycaemic control between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and evaluate any effects on their post-operative outcomes. Principal Supervisor: Dr Chinmay Marathe

Other research students

Dr Joshua Kovoor: Joshua’s PhD project in the Discipline of Surgery investigates the characteristics of gastrointestinal recovery after general surgery. He completed Honours with the CRE in 2020. Principal Supervisor: Professor Guy Maddern
Dr Lian Huynh: Lian is a junior doctor working at the Central Adelaide Health Network, with a keen interest in endocrinology. In 2018, she completed an Honours year with the CRE, assessing the effect of chronic administration of exenatide once-weekly on gastric emptying in healthy older people. Principal supervisor: Professor Karen Jones. Since then, she continues to do collaborative research with the group.

Our 2025 Graduates

Dr Javad Anjom Shoae commenced his PhD program in 2021, under the supervision of Profs Christine Feinle-Bisset and Michael Horowitz and graduated with a Dean's Commendation for Excellence in Research. His PhD research involved performing clinical studies to examine the effects of specific nutrients, particularly the amino acids, tryptophan and leucine, and the fatty acid, lauric acid, alone and in combination with non-nutritive substances, including quinine, a bitter substance, and the micronutrient, calcium, on key gastrointestinal (GI) functions, including GI motility and hormone secretion, which are central to the regulation of appetite and postprandial blood glucose. His unique research specifically targets individuals with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes, aiming to explore how these nutrients and non-nutritive substances can reduce energy intake and improve glycaemic control by stimulating these GI functions, even when administered in very small doses, and to determine how their effects can be further enhanced when combined. The goal of Javad's research is to optimize the effectiveness of these nutrients based on the current understanding of their interaction with gastrointestinal functions and to develop novel, safe, and cost-effective nutrient-based strategies for preventing and managing obesity and its associated comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. The development of such strategies holds significant importance, and Javad's research endeavours aim to make a substantial contribution in this area.

Our 2024 Graduates

Dr Ryan Jalleh: Ryan graduated with a Dean's Commendation for Excellence in Research and a University Doctoral Medal and was supported by a postgraduate NHMRC scholarship. He graduated from The University of Adelaide Medical School in 2013 with the honour of being the ceremony Mace Bearer. He was awarded both the prestigious Everard Prize and University Medal for his academic performance. Following graduation, he specialised in Endocrinology and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2021. His PhD studies have been mentored by Prof Michael Horowitz, Prof Karen Jones and Prof David Torpy. He is investigating the relationships of gastric emptying, incretin hormones and glucoregulatory responses in people with diabetes and individuals who experience post-prandial hypoglycaemia. During his PhD candidature, he published 17 research articles (first author in 15). His research has been well-received internationally and on two occasions, he has presented his work as oral presentations at major global conferences. He is the 2024 Mary Overton Fellow, Royal Adelaide Hospital and Consultant Endocrinologist, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) and Endocrinologist, Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN).
Dr Michelle Shaw: Michelle is the Manager of Zoo & Wildlife Nutrition and Acting Manager of Wildlife Health & Rehabilitation for Taronga Conservation Society Australia. She manages Taronga’s Hospitals and Nutrition program, consults and provides nutrition advice to zoos, rescue and conservation programs internationally. Michelle spent ten years as a Nutrition Researcher and Nutrition Supervisor at Toronto Zoo in Canada after receiving a BSc. Animal Biology and an MSc. Comparative Animal Nutrition from the University of Guelph. For the last 25 years she has focused her efforts on improving the nutrition of managed species by studying adaptations to their natural diet and promoting the understanding of the effect of diet on overall health. Her PhD research investigates monotreme digestive adaptations and the underlying processes of nutrient assimilation providing novel insights for improved nutritional management of Short-beaked echidnas through all life stages. Principal supervisor: Professor Frank Grutzner.
Dr Alexis Poole: Alexis graduated with a PhD in the field of Acute Care Medicine. His research revolves around developing a personalised approach to glycaemic control in critically ill patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In addition to his work on glycaemic control, Alexis possesses a keen interest in evidence synthesis and is dedicated to enhancing clinical care. In his capacity as the Methods chair of the five panels at the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, Alexis works on the production of living guidelines that equip healthcare professionals with the most up-to-date evidence, thereby optimizing the care of patients with COVID-19. Alexis's research interests extend beyond glycaemic control, encompassing areas such as nutrition delivery, blood product utilisation, sepsis, and the development of innovative methodologies for living evidence synthesis with the aim of advancing knowledge and improving patient outcomes. Principal Supervisor: Professor Adam Deane

Our 2023 Graduates

Dr Weikun Huang: Weikun's work focuses on developing organ-on-chip platform for studying the endocrine functions of gut and pancreas and the identification of novel therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes (T2D). He is also interested in understanding the role of bitter taste signalling in mediating gut and pancreatic hormone secretion in health and T2D. Principal supervisor: Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu
Dr Peyman Rezaie: Peyman obtained a Masters in Clinical Nutrition from the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2015. Having a background in medical laboratory sciences, a major focus of his research relates to the implications of dietary nutrients and non-nutrient compounds, bitter tastants, in developing management/therapeutic strategies for NCDs, particularly type 2 diabetes and obesity. Peyman graduated in 2023 with a thesis entitled, “The effects of the bitter substance, quinine, on postprandial blood glucose, energy intake and associated gut functions in health and type 2 diabetes”. Principal Supervisor: Professor Christine Feinle-Bisset
Dr Avneet Oberoi: A significant focus of Avneet’s research relates to the effects of nutrients, particularly protein and glucose, on appetite regulation, blood glucose, insulin and underlying gastrointestinal mechanisms in the elderly, especially with type 2 diabetes. She postulates that various interrelated gut mechanisms underpin the regulation of energy intake by nutrient ingestion and that these will be disordered in older people, particularly those malnourished (obese or undernourished). During her PhD, she worked on a series of physiological studies of whey protein in older people with a focus on feeding behaviour, nutrition, Type 2 diabetes, and post-prandial hypotension with the aim to develop effective and evidence-based treatments that can then be delivered to older people in a variety of settings to provide the maximum benefit for health and quality of life. Avneet graduated in 2023. Principal supervisor: Professor Ian Chapman
Dr Christina McVeay: Christina graduated in 2023 with a thesis entitled, “Regulation of Energy Intake and Blood Glucose by Dietary Nutrients – Implications for Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes”. Research presented in this thesis investigated the acute effects of combining dietary nutrients, specifically, lauric acid, with L-tryptophan or L-leucine, on gastrointestinal functions, including gastric emptying, gut motility and hormone release, glycaemia, and subsequent energy intake in healthy individuals. Lauric acid and L-tryptophan, given at loads that individually have no effect on energy intake, potently suppress energy intake of a subsequent meal when combined, by complimentary gastrointestinal mechanisms, known to be associated with the regulation of energy intake and blood glucose. If efficacious, these nutrients may offer a novel, nutrient-based strategy for the management of obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. Her thesis was awarded a Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in Research. Principal Supervisor: Professor Christine Feinle-Bisset