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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Immune mechanisms of coeliac disease and gluten-related disorders
Professor Jason Tye-Din is head of the Coeliac Research Laboratory at WEHI and a gastroenterologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. His expertise spans the immune mechanisms of coeliac disease, clinical care of gluten-related disorders, diagnostic discovery and pre-clinical and clinical drug development. His work aims to improve the health and quality of life of people suffering gastrointestinal immune diseases, particularly those caused by gluten and other foods.
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Dr Kelly-Anne Masterman
RESEARCH IN NEEDLE-FREE VACCINE DELIVERY SYSTEM
@ VAXXAS, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA -
Digital Biomarkers and AI for Optimal Diagnosis, Treatment, and Decision-Making
Associate Professor Johan Verjans is a clinician-scientist with a strong focus on cross-disciplinary translational research. In his role as Deputy Director at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML)—one of the world’s premier machine learning institutes, with over 200 researchers—and as Group Leader of Artificial Intelligence at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), he integrates his expertise in molecular medicine, clinical research, and advanced imaging with machine learning applications. This unique combination enables him to drive the translation of cutting-edge AI research into practical medical applications. He works with global teams from multinationals on AI problems.
