Dr Beverly Muhlhausler

Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group

The Australian Society for Medical Research

• Physiology
• Nutrition

Australian Society for Medical Research - Sponsorship Coordinator

B.Sc. (first class Hons)

PhD

• My current research is focussed on understanding the mechanisms by which exposure to an increased nutrient supply before birth leads to an increased risk of obesity and type II diabetes after birth and in exploring potential interventions which will reduce the impact of prenatal exposures on subsequent health outcomes.
• The effect of omega-3 LCPUFAs on development of adipose tissue in humans and animal models
• The effect of high-fat feeding on the central reward circuitry
• The effect of prenatal overnutrition on the development of the sysemts regulating fat deposition and appetite in postnatal life.
• The Programming of Food Preferences
• Energy sensing in peripheral tissues - the role of AMPK in programming of Obesity in low birth weight infants.

Muhlhausler BS, The Big Picture in Obesity Research, Science, May 16, 2003.

Muhlhausler BS, Roberts CT, McFarlane JR, Kauter KG, McMillen IC, Fetal leptin is a signal of fat mass independent of maternal nutrition in ewes fed at or above maintenance energy requirements. Biology of Reproduction 2002; 67: 493- 499, IF, 3.498; # of Cit, 18, (ranked 3 of 44 in Reproductive Biology)

Yuen BS, Owens PC, Muhlhausler BS, Roberts CT, Symonds ME, Keisler DH, McFarlane JR, Kauter KG, Evens, Leptin alters the structural and functional characteristics of adipose tissue before birth. FASEB Journal 2003 17: 1102-1104. IF, 6.72; # of Cit, 20 . (ranked 2 of 64 in Biology)

Muhlhausler BS, Roberts CT, Yuen BS, Marrocco E, Budge H, Symonds ME, McFarlane JR, Kauter KG, Stagg P, Pearse J McMillen IC, Determinants of fetal leptin synthesis, fat mass, and circulating leptin concentrations in well-nourished ewes in late pregnancy Endocrinology. 2003 144: 4947-4954, IF, 5.236, # of Cit. 11, (ranked 13 out of 93 in Endocrinology and Metabolism)

Muhlhausler BS, McMillen IC, Rouzaud G, Findlay PA, Marrocco EM, Rhind SM, Adam CL Appetite regulatory neuropeptides are expressed in the hypothalamus of the fetal sheep in late gestation. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 2004, 16: 502-507, IF, 2.774, # of Cit.12, (ranked 40 out of 93 in Endocrinology and Metabolism)

Muhlhausler BS, Adam CL, Marrocco EM, Roberts CT, McFarlaneJR, Kauter KG, McMillen IC Impact of glucose infusion on the structural and functional characteristics of adipose tissue and on hypothalamic gene expression for appetite regulatory neuropeptides in the sheep fetus during late gestation, Journal of Physiology, 2005, 565:185-195, IF, 4.407, # of Cit.8, (ranked 9 out of 79 in Physiology)

McMillen IC, Muhlhausler BS, Duffield JA, Yuen BSJ, Fetal nutrition and the regulation of leptin synthesis and secretion before birth, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2004, 63: 405-412, IF, 3.441, # of Cit.12, (ranked 9 out of 55 in Nutrition and Dietetics)

McMillen IC, Adam CL, Muhlhausler BS Early origins of obesity: programming the appetite regulatory system, Journal of Physiology, 2005, 565:9-17, IF, 4.407, # of Cit.13, (ranked 9 out of 79 in Physiology)

Muhlhausler BS, Duffield JA, McMillen IC Increased Maternal Nutrition Increases Leptin Expression in Perirenal and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in the Postnatal Lamb, Endocrinology 2007; 148:6157-6163 IF, 5.236, # of Cit. 0, (ranked 13 out of 93 in Endocrinology and Metabolism)

McMillen IC, Edwards LJ, Duffield J, Muhlhausler BS The regulation of leptin synthesis and secretion before birth: implications for the early programming of adult obesity. Reproduction, 2006, 131:415-427, IF, 2.958, # of Cit.3, (ranked 8 out of 24 in Reproductive Biology)

Muhlhausler BS, Adam CL, Findlay PA, Duffield JA, McFarlane JR, Kauter KG, McMillen IC Increased maternal nutrition alters development of the appetite-regulating network in the brain FASEB Journal (2006) 20: 1257-1259, IF, 6.72; # of Cit, 5 . (ranked 2 of 64 in Biology)

MacLaughlin SM, Muhlhausler BS, Gentili S, McMillen IC When in gestation do nutritional alterations exert their effects? A focus on the early origins of adult disease Current Opinions in Endocrinology and Metabolism (2006).

Muhlhausler BS, Duffield JA, McMillen IC, Increased maternal nutrition stimulates Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-ã (PPARã), adiponectin and leptin mRNA expression in adipose tissue before birth Endocrinology 2007;148:878-85, IF, 5.236, # of Cit. 0, (ranked 13 out of 93 in Endocrinology and Metabolism)

Muhlhausler BS, Programming Of The Appetite-Regulating Neural Network: A Link Between Maternal Overnutrition And The Programming Of Obesity? Journal of Neuroendocrinoly 2007;19:67-72, IF, 2.774, # of Cit.0, (ranked 40 out of 93 in Endocrinology and Metabolism)

McMillen IC, MacLaughlin SM, Muhlhausler BS, Gentili S, Duffield JA and Morrison JL Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease: The Role of Periconceptional and Fetal Nutrition, Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology 2008; 102: 82-89.

Muhlhausler BS, Ritorto, V, Schultz C, Chatterton BE, Duffield JA, McMillen IC Birth weight and gender determine expression of adipogenic, lipogenic and adipokine genes in perirenal adipose tissue in the young adult sheep Domestic Animal Endocrinology (In Press, Accepted 25th January 2008)

McMillen IC, Duffield JA, Muhlhausler BS Perinatal programming of adult obesity in Perinatal Programming Hodgson D and Coe C Eds, Taylor & Francis Medial Books, UK.

1. Duffield JA, Vuocolo T, Tellam R, Yuen BSJ, Muhlhausler BS, McMillen IC Placental restriction of fetal growth decreases IGF1 and leptin mRNA expression in the perirenal adipose tissue of late gestation fetal sheep (In Press, Am J Physiol, Accepted Feb 12th 2008)

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: Health Sciences

• Physiology
• Fetal Physiology
• Fetal Programming
• Appetite Regulation