FOOD AND FASTING PERIODS AS MEDICINE TO PREVENT DISEASE
Professor Leonie Heilbronn
University of Adelaide &
Group Leader Obesity and Metabolism,
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)
Adelaide, South Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Adelaide, South Australia | February 2025
Professor Leonie Heilbronn is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), where she leads the Obesity and Metabolism laboratory. Her research is at the interface between basic and clinical science. She is internationally recognised for her work in nutritional modulation in humans and has made major contributions to our current understanding of mechanisms underlying conditions such as insulin resistance, particularly inflammation and lipid metabolism. She has also contributed significantly to current concepts of caloric restriction (CR), intermittent fasting (IF) and time restricted eating (TRE) in humans. She has published more than 110 peer reviewed papers in scientific journals and is an Associate Editor of Obesity, and Obesity Research and Clinical Practice.
Prof. Heilbronn is a translational investigator in obesity and diabetes research. She has a particular interest in understanding how fasting and meal timing alter nutrient signalling pathways to improve health and contributed extensively to current concepts in calorie restriction, intermittent fasting and time restricted eating. She has published more than 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and has a current h-index of 44. She is an Associate Editor of Obesity and the European Journal of Endocrinology. She is President of the Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science.
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Dr Ryan O’Hare Doig
NEIL SACHSE CENTRE FOR SPINAL CORD RESEARCH (SAHMRI)
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA -
New treatments for patients with mental illness
Associate Professor Bernadette Fitzgibbon is a neuroscientist with several decades of experience in researching, developing, and translating novel therapies for mental health and chronic pain conditions. This includes the application and optimisation of brain stimulation and psychedelic therapies, overseeing large multi-site intervention trials, both within Australia and abroad. Through her work, she has developed meaningful collaborations with consumers, volunteers, policy makers, and services providers, ensuring that the outcomes of her work contribute towards real-world clinical impact.
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Applying nanotechnology to chronic pain management
Dr Felicity Han is a Research Fellow and Leader in Pain Relief Innovation, at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in the University of Queensland. Dr Han’s research interests sit at the interface of drug delivery and the pain field. Her overarching research goal is to improve the quality of day to day life of patients suffering from chronic pain, by applying nanotechnology to the development of novel highly effective pain-killer products for improving chronic pain management.
