Chief Investigator:

Dr Paul Joyce [Early Career Researcher]

Research Area:

Reducing childhood obesity and its impacts.
Basic Science

Funding Year:

2021

Funding Amount:

$39,990

Recipient:

University of South Australia

Overview:

Health initiatives and nutritional interventions have been largely ineffective in curbing the rising trend of obesity in children and adolescents in Australia. Subsequently, new approaches for combating and preventing obesity early in life are urgently required. We have engineered a platform of particle-based, fibre-clay hybrid biomaterials that when supplemented with a typical Western diet are expected to improve the microenvironment of the gut, while also restricting fat and carbohydrate absorption. By mediating and promoting gut health early in life, this new approach has the potential to improve metabolic health and limit the onset of obesity in children and adolescents.