Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Aya Mousa is a NHMRC biomedical research fellow and the Head of Diabetes, Metabolic and Reproductive Health research at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI), Monash University. She was awarded her PhD in April 2018, which was a clinical research PhD in the area of diabetes prevention, with a focus on nutritional interventions including vitamin D. She also has a background in public health and health services research from undergraduate and Honours studies, where she graduated at the top of her cohort, recieving the Senior Scholar Award and the Honours Prize for having the highest grade point averages (GPA) in both the Bachelors degree and the Honours program.
Prior to commencing her PhD, Dr Mousa worked as a teaching associate at the University of Auckland in New Zealand where she taught epidemiology and biostatistics, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and public health research theory and practice. She then commenced her PhD focusing on the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases. This involved clinical trials, mechanistic studies, epidemiology and evidence synthesis, as well as formal coursework in advanced biostatistics and chronic disease epidemiology.
Dr Mousa has published extensively in the areas of metabolism, diabetes, pregnancy and nutrition, and possesses a unique skillset spanning across the research continuum from mechanistic and epidemiological research to clinical and public health research and translation. Her work has been recognised with multiple awards and commendations including the Henry Krum Prize for Clinical Sciences, the Monash Health First Prize Endocrinology Clinical Research Award, and being nominated for the Victorian Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research. She also received a highly competitive Postdoctoral Bridging Fellowship, after which she was awarded a NHMRC Early Career Fellowship only 3 months after PhD conferral.
Today, Dr Mousa leads a team at MCHRI focusing on diabetes, metabolic and reproductive disorders, which includes work in obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, and in pregnancy including gestational diabetes and the cross-talk between metabolic and reproductive disorders. The theme focuses on testing interventions for preventing these conditions, as well as uncovering their underlying aetiologies using a combination of physiological, epidemiological and clinical research approaches to deliver high-quality research outcomes with real-world impact.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- diabetes
- gestational diabetes
- metabolic disorders
- reproductive health
- biomarkers
- PCOS
- women's health
- interventions
- clinical trials
- Meta analysis
- Epidemiology
- Preventive Medicine
- vitamin D
- Lipid Metabolism
- Insulin resistance
- Pathophysiological mechanisms
Network
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Plasma Lipidomic Signatures for Risk Prediction and Prevention of Gestational Diabetes
1/01/19 → 31/05/25
Project: Research
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Plasma lipidomic signatures for risk prediction and prevention of gestational diabetes
Mousa, A. & Huynh, K.
Project: Research
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Metabolomic biomarkers in pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome
1/12/20 → 3/12/21
Project: Research
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Endocrine and metabolic interactions in healthy pregnancies and hyperinsulinemic pregnancies affected by polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes and obesity
Neven, A. C. H., Mousa, A., Boyle, J. A. & Teede, H. J., 17 Jan 2023, In: Frontiers in Endocrinology. 13, 16 p., 993619.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Lifestyle management in polycystic ovary syndrome – beyond diet and physical activity
Cowan, S., Lim, S., Alycia, C., Pirotta, S., Thomson, R., Gibson-Helm, M., Blackmore, R., Naderpoor, N., Bennett, C., Ee, C., Rao, V., Mousa, A., Alesi, S. & Moran, L., Dec 2023, In: BMC Endocrine Disorders. 23, 1, 33 p., 14.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 is associated with improved pancreatic insulin secretion in adults with overweight and obesity
Stark, R., Feehan, J., Mousa, A., Andrews, Z. B. & de Courten, B., May 2023, In: Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 25, 5, p. 1213-1220 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Prolactin in Pregnancies Affected by Pre-Existing Maternal Metabolic Conditions: A Systematic Review
Rassie, K., Giri, R., Joham, A. E., Teede, H. & Mousa, A., Feb 2023, In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 24, 3, 14 p., 2840.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
A data-driven biocomputing pipeline with meta-analysis on high throughput transcriptomics to identify genome-wide miRNA markers associated with type 2 diabetes
De Silva, K., Demmer, R. T., Jönsson, D., Mousa, A., Forbes, A. & Enticott, J., Feb 2022, In: Heliyon. 8, 2, 11 p., e08886.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Australia New Zealand Obesity Society Early Career Researcher Award
Mousa, Aya (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Best Oral Presentation Award
Mousa, Aya (Recipient), 17 Sep 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
File -
Clinical Science Poster Award Finalist
Mousa, Aya (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Clinical Science Poster Award Finalist
Mousa, Aya (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Clinics and Practice (Journal)
Aya Mousa (Editorial board member)
2021 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Collaboration for Enhancing Research Impact (CERI)
Aya Mousa (Executive Member)
2021 → …Activity: External Academic Engagement › Committees and working groups
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Ireland Health Research Board Project Grants
Aya Mousa (Reviewer)
2021 → …Activity: External Academic Engagement › Committees and working groups
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PeerJ (Journal)
Aya Mousa (Editorial board member)
2021 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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UK Research and Innovation Project Grants
Aya Mousa (Reviewer)
2021 → …Activity: External Academic Engagement › Committees and working groups
Press/Media
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Vitamin D for Diabetes and Inflammation: 3RRR Einstein a Go-Go Radio interview
3/06/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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Vitamin D could improve inflammation in type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis
11/04/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Meta-analysis provides strong evidence that vitamin D may reduce chronic inflammation in diabetic men and women
27/03/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research