Section of Metabolic Medicine, Food and Macronutrients
The Section of Metabolic Medicine, Food and Macronutrients researches the metabolic origins and prevention of disease.
An overall aim of the Section is to increase understanding of the aetiology and metabolic basis of chronic degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and to produce evidence for the health benefits of therapeutic, diet and lifestyle strategies to reduce disease risk.
Current research
Professor Bruce Griffin researches the impact of diet and lifestyle factors on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in relation to cardiovascular health. His interest is in understanding the mechanisms that underlie the origins and prevention of cardio-metabolic risk, and specifically, the roles of dietary fatty acids, cholesterol, carbohydrates and sugars.
Professor Margot Umpleby has an extensive track record in using stable isotopes for the study of human metabolism. Her research aims to understand the mechanisms that lead to insulin resistance and abnormalities in fatty acid and lipoprotein metabolism in diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Dr Denise Robertson has a research interest in the role of diet and lifestyle in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, with a special interest in the role of dietary fibres and gastrointestinal metabolism.
Dr Barbara Fielding is an expert in lipid metabolism and in using stable isotopes as tracers of metabolism in studies from bench to bedside. These studies further our understanding of the interaction between macronutrients, exercise, therapeutic agents and basic metabolic pathways in health and disease.
Martin Whyte's field of interest is type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease - specifically the cardiovascular implications of insulin resistance. Martin uses stable isotopes to investigate glucose and lipid metabolism and can assess the efficacy of therapeutic and dietary interventions. He also works with colleagues using large datasets of people with diabetes, to explore outcomes on a population basis.
Study information for participants
Study | Intro | Participants wanted | Info sheet | Social media | Contact details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RISSCI-1 Study | Study looking at individual cholesterol responses to saturated fat | Healthy males aged 30-65 years | Info sheet | r.antoni@surrey.ac.uk |
Meet the team
Section lead
Professor Bruce Griffin
Professor of Nutritional Metabolism
Section members
Dr Barbara Fielding
Associate Professor in Nutritional Sciences
Dr Terri Grassby
Lecturer in Food Science
Dr Denise Robertson
Reader in Nutritional Physiology
Professor Margot Umpleby
Diabetes & Metabolic Medicine Research
Dr Martin Whyte
Associate Professor of Metabolic Medicine