Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Heidi is an advanced accredited practising dietitian and mid-career researcher. She and her team are advancing knowledge of diet-induced microbiome shifts and other mechanisms through which diet influences the brain and the gut. Her research is strengthening contemporary management of (i) common mental disorders, such as depression, and (ii) disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Her research has had international impact, including the discoveries that the low FODMAP diet shifts the gut microbiome in irritable bowel syndrome and that probiotic co-administration can mitigate these effects. Heidi has held prestigious research fellowships, including a NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship, and her current National Health and Medical Research Council fellowship. She was a highly commended finalist for the Griffith University Research Australia Discovery Award in 2021. She serves on the Rome V DGBI Treatment Trials committee (2021-current), Dietitians Australia Gastroenterology Leadership team (2021-current) and Gastroenterological Society of Australia Luminal Committee (2023-current).
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):
Education/Academic qualification
PhD
Masters of Nutrition & Dietetics
B App Sci (Humn Movt, Hons)
External positions
Senior Research Fellow, Food & Mood Centre, IMPACT Institute, Deakin University
Adjunct lecturer, University of Queensland
Research area keywords
- diet intervention
- clinical trials
- microbiome
- carbohydrate
- fibre
- gut disorders
- irritable bowel syndrome
- mental health
- depression
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 1 Active
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A Double-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial of Prebiotic Supplementation in Children with Autism: Effects on Parental Quality of Life, Child Behaviour, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, and the Microbiome
Palmer, J. K., van der Pols, J. C., Sullivan, K. A., Staudacher, H. M. & Byrne, R., 2024, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Clinical trial: A Mediterranean diet is feasible and improves gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome
Staudacher, H. M., Mahoney, S., Canale, K., Opie, R. S., Loughman, A., So, D., Beswick, L., Hair, C. & Jacka, F. N., Feb 2024, In: Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 59, 4, p. 492-503 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access19 Citations (Scopus) -
Design and reporting of prebiotic and probiotic clinical trials in the context of diet and the gut microbiome
Whelan, K., Alexander, M., Gaiani, C., Lunken, G., Holmes, A., Staudacher, H. M., Theis, S. & Marco, M. L., Nov 2024, In: Nature Microbiology. 9, 11, p. 2785-2794 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
Dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome: considerations, challenges, and solutions
Whelan, K., Ford, A. C., Burton-Murray, H. & Staudacher, H. M., Dec 2024, In: The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 9, 12, p. 1147-1161 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
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Fiber intake and fiber intervention in depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials
Aslam, H., Lotfaliany, M., So, D., Berding, K., Berk, M., Rocks, T., Hockey, M., Jacka, F. N., Marx, W., Cryan, J. F. & Staudacher, H. M., Dec 2024, In: Nutrition Reviews. 82, 12, p. 1678–1695 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access