Researcher

Professor Margaret Morris

My Expertise

Obesity; appetite; epilepsy; neuroscience.

Fields of Research (FoR)

Medical Biochemistry and Metabolomics, Biological Psychology (Neuropsychology, Psychopharmacology, Physiological Psychology), Endocrinology, Dietetics and Nutrigenomics, Neurobiology, Nutrition and Dietetics

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Biography

Professor Margaret Morris is chair and Head of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW. She uses neuropharmacological approaches to explore underlying brain mechanisms in epilepsy, obesity, diabetes, and the link between obesity and high blood pressure. 

 

She has developed models of voluntary high fat feeding in rat and mice. The impact of parental obesity and early childhood events has been a key focus of research.  Her...view more

Professor Margaret Morris is chair and Head of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW. She uses neuropharmacological approaches to explore underlying brain mechanisms in epilepsy, obesity, diabetes, and the link between obesity and high blood pressure. 

 

She has developed models of voluntary high fat feeding in rat and mice. The impact of parental obesity and early childhood events has been a key focus of research.  Her lab has worked extensively on the impact of maternal obesity on offspring metabolic and cardiovascular risk, and is currently exploring options for intervention. Recent work investigating the role of paternal obesity on the health of offspring demonstrated that when rat fathers were fed a high fat diet to induce obesity and glucose intolerance, the resulting female offspring exhibited impaired glucose tolerance and insulin secretion as young adults (Nature, 2010).

Other major research questions Professor Morris explores is how does provision of a varied, energy rich diet override the regulatory control mechanisms that should maintain body weight? The Morris lab showed that palatable high fat diet can ameliorate the behavioral effects of early life stress; notably voluntary exercise had similar benefits (Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010). More recently they are exploring the link between a poor diet and behaviour, and the role of the gut microbiome.


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

SoMS Honours, Neuroscience Honours, ILP, PhD


Currently supervising

SoMS Honours, Neuroscience Honours, ILP, PhD

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Location

Pharmacology
School of Medical Sciences,
Faculty of Medicine,
The University of New South Wales,
Sydney, NSW 2052
Australia

Contact

+61 2 9385 1560
50023