Biography
A/Professor Bev Muhlhausler is a Principal Research Scientist in Public Health and Wellbeing in the Human Health program in CSIRO’s Health and Biosecurity Business Unit, where she is working to apply her domain expertise in obesity, nutrition and public health to support the implementation of Australia’s National Obesity Strategy. Bev is also the Principal Investigator of the Australian Health Biobank, a significant initiative from the Department of Health and Aged Care to establish the first national biobank linked to the Australian National Health Survey (https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/industries/health/australian-health-biobank). Bev has held numerous senior leadership roles at CSIRO, including Research Director (RD) of the Nutrition & Health Program, Acting RD of Human Health, Acting Director of the Immune Resilience Future Science Platform and, most recently, Acting Deputy Director (Science) of Health & Biosecurity (H&B).
Bev also has a distinguished career as an independent research academic, whose work on the impact of early life nutrition on long-term health outcomes, particularly in relation to obesity and metabolic disease, made a significant contribution to current understanding of how exposure to maternal obesity and/or an excess nutrient supply before birth acts to alter the development of key systems involved in the regulation of energy balance. She has published over 186 peer-reviewed papers which have been cited over 5,500 times, 14 invited book chapter, editorial and commentaries. A/Prof Muhlhausler’s publications have spanned an increasingly diverse range of fields as her career has progressed, demonstrating her ability to apply her scientific skills and expertise across a broad range of disciplines, including food science and public health. She is highly regarded by her peers, evidenced by long-standing productive collaborations, invitations to serve on editorial boards, grant review panels and senior leadership teams of scientific societies and > 50 invitations to present at conferences nationally and internationally.
Academic Qualifications
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2001
Bachelor of Science (Hons)
The University of Adelaide -
2006
PhD
The University of Adelaide
Achievements and Awards
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2013-2013
Poster Presentation Award
8th International Congress of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease -
2012-2013
Waite Research Institute Research Leaders Program
The University of Adelaide -
2012-2018
NHMRC GRP Panel - Pediatrics and Reproductive Health
NHMRC -
2007-2007
NHMRC Early Career Researcher Award
The Australian Academy of Science -
2002-2002
Undergraduate Medal
The University of Adelaide -
2007-2008
South Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award
SA Tall Poppy Group -
2008-2008
Invited Participant – 2020 Summit (Health Future Stream)
Australian Government
Grants
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2018-2022
NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence - Targeted Nutrition to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes (Makrides M, Gibson RA, Middleton PA, Crowther CA, McPhee A, Green T, Collins CT, Muhlhausler BS, Glover K, Yelland L)
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2019-2020
Channel 7 Children’s Health Research Foundation: Lactation as a window of opportunity for reversing metabolic programming (Muhlhausler BS, Wlodek M)
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2017-2019
Ramacoitti Health Investment Grants: OPTIMEGA: Preventing preterm birth and improving longterm and intergenerational health through personalising dietary fat intake for pregnant women (Middleton PA, Muhlhausler BS, Gibson RA)
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2017-2018
Channel 7 Children’s Health Research Foundation: A novel dietary intervention to prevent IUGR (Gatford KL, Muhlhausler BS, Chen C, Roberts CT)
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2015-2017
BASF Newtrition® Grant: Defining the role of the omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the maturation of the gut microbiome (Muhlhausler B, G Rogers G, Gibson R)
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2015-2015
The University of Adelaide DVCR Interdisciplinary Research Fund (IRF):Consumer perceptions, sensory appeal and nutritional value of edible insects: realising the potential of an emerging agricultural industry (Wilkinson K, Muhlhausler BS, Ankeny R, Bray H)
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2015-2019
NHMRC Career Development Award (Level 2): Breaking the Intergenerational Cycle of Obesity through Nutritional Interventions (Muhlhausler BS)
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2015-2016
Diabetes Australia Research Trust: Early Epigenetic Predictors of Insulin Resistance (Muhlhausler BS, Molloy P, VanDijk S, Buckley M, Makrides M)
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2013-2014
Waite Research Institute: How Do Nutrients Regulate the Microbiome-Genome Interactions in the Maturing GI tract of Preterm Infants (Muhlhausler BS, McPhee A, Collins CT, Gibson RA, Makrides M, Penttila , Bianco-Miotto T, Bent S)
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2013-2014
Channel 7 Children’s Health Research Foundation:Low GI diets for improving metabolic outcomes (Muhlhausler B, Brand-Miller J, Gentili S)
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2013-2016
Premier’s Research and Industry Fund:Improving the efficacy of sustainable plant oils to increased omega-3 levels in chicken products (Gibson RA, Hughes B, Hynd P, Muhlhausler B)
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2012-2016
NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence Foods for Future Australians:Foods for Future Australians (Makrides M, Gibson RA, Ryan P, Zhou SJ, Dodd J, McPhee AJ, Umberger W, Muhlhausler B, Collins CT, Penttila I)
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2011-2014
SIEF (Science & Industry Endowment Fund):Early Nutrition, the Epigenome and the Prevention of Disease (Molloy P, Tellam P, Ryan L, Clark S, Samaras K, Cooney GJ, Makrides M, Muhlhausler B, McMillen C, Morrison J, Noakes M.)
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2011-2011
NHMRC Equipment Grant:The BOD-POD: A state-of-the-art system for measuring body composition (Couper J, Makrides M, Gibson RA, Dodd J, Muhlhausler BS, Collins CT, McPhee A)
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2011-2014
NHMRC Career Development Award: Better nutrition for mothers and infants for healthier Australians (Muhlhausler BS)
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2010-2012
NHMRC Project Grant: Nutrition Before Conception and Later Obesity (McMillen C, Morrison J, Muhlhausler B, Ozanne S)
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2009-2013
NHMRC Project Grant: The Childhood Obesity and Insulin Resistance Prevention Study (Makrides, Muhlhausler, Gibson, McDermott,Tapsell)
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2007-2009
NHMRC Project Grant: The Early Origins of Obesity (McMillen IC & Muhlhausler BS)
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2009-2011
Channel 7 Children’s Health Research Foundation: Blocking the Early Origins of Obesity: A Role for Omega-3 fatty acids? (Muhlhausler B, Gibson RA)
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2009-2010
The Clive & Vera Ramaciotti Establishment Grant:Early Origins of A Taste for Fat: A New Perspective on the Early Life Origins of Obesity
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2007-2011
NHMRC Peter Doherty Post Doctoral Fellowship: The Early Origins of Obesity: A Population Based and Mechanistic Approach
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2007-2008
Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation Grant: Intrauterine Growth Restriction and the Early Origins of the Metabolic Syndrome
Other highlights
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2017-2020
President - ANZ Society for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
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2018-2019
Chair - Scientific Organising Committee, 11th World Congress of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
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2014--
Tresasurer, International Society of the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL)
Professional Experiences
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2015-2018
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career Development Award Fellow (Level 2)
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide -
2012-2017
Deputy Director and Head, Obesity and Metabolic Health Division, FOODplus Research Centre
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide -
2011-2015
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career Development Award Fellow
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide -
2012-2018
Head, Nutrition Research Group
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide -
2007-2010
NHMRC Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellow
Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia; FOODplus Research Centre, The University of Adelaide -
2006-2007
Postdoctoral Fellow
Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, University of South Australia