Brain and body

The group aims to understand the bi-directional relationships between systemic metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and brain diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer’s Disease.

In particular, members of the node are exploring the brain structure and function of people with metabolic disorders, or those who are fed Western-style diets that induce metabolic disturbances.

The Brain and Body project node is examining the relationships between disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes and brain diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer’s.

Diseases of the brain are often researched independently of the brain’s connection with the body. The project node's alternative approach is to see the brain in the context of total body health or disease.

Researching the brain in the context of the body opens up many potential avenues for discoveries about their interrelationships. These include how changes in brain plasticity relates to chronic systemic diseases over time, and vice versa.

In particular, members of the node are exploring brain structure and function of people and animal models with these metabolic disorders or fed Western-style diets that induce metabolic disturbances.

After heart disease, dementia and stroke are the two biggest killers in Australia.

Both brain diseases share many of the risk factors of heart disease and diabetes, but who and how people are affected remains largely unknown.

In contrast, our knowledge of the mechanisms behind diabetes and heart disease are more advanced, providing greater treatment options.

The Brain and Body node aims to explore which of these mechanisms are applicable to major brain diseases.

Internal collaborators

• Professor Margaret Allman-Farinelli
• Associate Professor Elena Bagley
• Professor Richard Banati
• Dr James Burchfield
• Associate Professor Corinne Caillaud
• Emeritus Professor Iain Campbell
• Professor Victoria Cogger
• Dr Claire Goldsbury
• Professor Manuel Graeber
• Professor Stuart Grieve
• Dr Markus Hofer
• Associate Professor Andrew Holmes
• Professor David James
• Professor Nicholas King
• Professor Jillian Kril
• Professor Tim Lambert
• Professor David Le Couteur
• Professor Simon Lewis
• Associate Professor Laurence Macia
• Associate Professor Susan McLennan
• Professor Sharon Naismith
• Professor Ralph Nanan
• Associate Professor Greg Neely
• Associate Professor Helen O'Connor
• Dr Fiona O’Leary
• Associate Professor Rhonda Orr
• Dr Benjamin Parker
• Professor David Raubenheimer
• Dr Michael Rodriguez
• Associate Professor Kieron Rooney
• Associate Professor Nicholas Shackel
• Mrs Donna Sheedy
• Professor Stephen Simpson
• Dr Samantha Solon-Biet
• Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis
• Associate Professor Greg Sutherland (Project Node Leader)
• Professor Stephen Twigg
• Dr Melanie White
• Professor Paul Witting
• Professor Jean Yang

External collaborators

• Professor Lars Ittner, UNSW
• Dr Lezanne Ooi, University of Wollongong