Co-Director, The ORIGINS Project
MBBS BMedSci PhD FRACP
Susan Prescott is a Professor of Paediatrics in the School of Medicine at the University of Western Australia. She is a Paediatrician and an Immunologist at the Perth Children’s Hospital. Susan is a Founding Director of the ORIGINS Project at the Telethon KIDS Institute, a $26 million legacy project based at Joondalup Health Campus examining how the environment influences health throughout life, and how we can improve this.
She is also founding Director of inViVO Planetary Health, an global initiative of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). This interdisciplinary network is focused on the links between personal and planetary health through social and ecological justice
Her interests and expertise are focused around early life risk factors for inflammation as an antecedent (and preventive target) for a broad range of noncommunicable diseases (NCD), with a particular interest in early onset NCDs such as allergy, obesity and mental health. She is the Founding President of the multidisciplinary ‘DOHaD’ Society in Australia and New Zealand (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease).
She works at the highest international level of her field, and is a former Director of the World Allergy Organisation (WAO), and former Head of Children’s Allergy Immunology Research at University Of Western Australia.
In addition to over 300 scientific publications, she is also author of several books for an international public audience: The Allergy Epidemic – a Mystery of Modern Life, The Calling, and Origins - Early Life Solutions to the Modern Health Crisis, and most recently The Secret Life of Your Microbiome: Why Nature and Biodiversity are Essential to Health and Happiness – 2018 Gold Medal winner of the Independent Publishers Book Awards (health), and 2017 Finalist in the Foreword Reviews Indies Book awards.
She has received numerous prizes, awards and fellowships including a Winston Churchill Fellowship. Over the course of her career Susan has raised over $50 million in research funding as Chief Investigator. In 2009 she was awarded a prestigious Practitioner Fellowship (2009-2018) by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and in 2010 her work was recognised in the “10 of the best” in Australia. Susan cares deeply about the social determinants of health, and takes a holistic approach to life.
Her inspiration to study medicine came from her grandmother, one of the few women to study medicine in the 1930s, and her love of research and academia was inspired by her grandfather Sir Stanley Prescott, former Vice-Chancellor of The University of Western Australia.
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Projects
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Publications
January 2021
Lower Cord Blood IL-17 and IL-25, but Not Other Epithelial Cell-Derived Cytokines Are Associated with Atopic Dermatitis in Infancy
There is a growing need for early biomarkers that may predict the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). As alterations in skin barrier may be a primary event in disease pathogenesis, epithelial cell (EC) cytokines expression patterns may be a potential biomarker in early life to target allergy preventive strategies towards "at-risk" infants. The aim of this longitudinal investigation was to examine from birth over the course of infancy levels of the EC cytokines: thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-33, IL-25, and IL-17 in infants at high-risk of AD due to maternal atopy.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSFebruary 2021The Milk Metabolome of Non-secretor and Lewis Negative Mothers
The functional role of milk for the developing neonate is an area of great interest, and a significant amount of research has been done. However, a lot of work remains to fully understand the complexities of milk, and the variations imposed through genetics. It has previously been shown that both secretor (Se) and Lewis blood type (Le) status impacts the human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) content of human milk. While some studies have compared the non-HMO milk metabolome of Se+ and Se- women, none have reported on the non-HMO milk metabolome of Se- and Le- mothers.
Published research Breastfeeding Early Childhood Development ORIGINSMay 2021Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD): The importance of life-course and transgenerational approaches
With well-established evidence that early life conditions have a profound influence on lifespan and health-span, new interventional birth cohorts are examining ways to optimise health potential of individuals and communities. These are aimed at going beyond preventing disease, to the conditions that facilitate flourishing from an early age.
Published research ORIGINS Subsite: ORIGINS ProjectMay 2021The influence of sunlight exposure and sun protecting behaviours on allergic outcomes in early childhood
The dramatic rise in allergic disease has occurred in tandem with recent environmental changes and increasing indoor lifestyle culture. While multifactorial, one consistent allergy risk factor has been reduced sunlight exposure. However, vitamin D supplementation studies have been disappointing in preventing allergy, raising possible independent effects of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.
Asthma Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSMay 2021Cord blood t cells expressing high and low pkcζ levels develop into cells with a propensity to display th1 and th9 cytokine profiles, respectively
ow Protein Kinase C zeta (PKCζ) levels in cord blood T cells (CBTC) have been shown to correlate with the development of allergic sensitization in childhood. However, little is known about the mechanisms responsible. We have examined the relationship between the expression of different levels of PKCζ in CBTC and their development into mature T cell cytokine producers that relate to allergy or anti‐allergy promoting cells.
Published research ORIGINSJune 2021Maternal Late-Pregnancy Serum Unmetabolized Folic Acid Concentrations Are Not Associated with Infant Allergic Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study
The increase in childhood allergic disease in recent decades has coincided with increased folic acid intakes during pregnancy. Circulating unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) has been proposed as a biomarker of excessive folic acid intake. We aimed to determine if late-pregnancy serum UMFA and total folate concentrations were associated with allergic disease risk in the offspring at 1 y of age in a population at high risk of allergy.
Published research Subsite: ORIGINS ProjectJune 2021Can positive mindsets be protective against stress and isolation experienced during the covid-19 pandemic? A mixed methods approach to understanding emotional health and wellbeing needs of perinatal women
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between emotional health and wellbeing and support needs of perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand their experiences and need for support. This is a potentially vulnerable group and a critical developmental phase for women and infants.
Published research ORIGINS Subsite: ORIGINS Project COVID-19August 2021A world of inflammation: the need for ecological solutions that co-benefit people, place and planet
The ecology of the early environment - including microbial diversity, nutrition, nature, social interactions and the totality of exposures in the wider "exposome" - have life-long implications for all aspects of health and resilience. In particular, the emergence of "microbiome science" provides new evidence for vital relationships between biodiversity and health at every level.
Published research Subsite: ORIGINS ProjectAugust 2021Comparison of experiences in two birth cohorts comprising young families with children under four years during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in Australia and the UK: A qualitative study
This study aims to understand the experience and impact of the initial COVID-19 lock-down in young families with children aged below 4 years. Free text questions were administered to participants in the ORIGINS (Australia) and Born in Bradford (UK) cohort studies to collect qualitative information on worries, concerns and enjoyable experiences during the pandemic.
Published research Early Childhood Development ORIGINS Subsite: ORIGINS Project COVID-19September 2021Prevention of Mental Health Difficulties for Children Aged 0–3 Years: A Review
The period of infancy and early childhood is a critical time for interventions to prevent future mental health problems. The first signs of mental health difficulties can be manifest in infancy, emphasizing the importance of understanding and identifying both protective and risk factors in pregnancy and the early postnatal period.
Published research Early Childhood Development ORIGINSOctober 2021Project earthrise: Proceedings of the ninth annual conference of in vivo planetary health
The “Earthrise” photograph, taken on the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, became one of the most significant images of the 20th Century. It triggered a profound shift in environmental awareness and the potential for human unity—inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970. Taking inspiration from these events 50 years later, we initiated Project Earthrise at our 2020 annual conference of inVIVO Planetary Health.
Published research ORIGINSDecember 2021Characterization of the transient deficiency of pkc isozyme levels in immature cord blood t cells and its connection to anti‐allergic cytokine profiles of the matured cells
Cord blood T cells (CBTC) from a proportion of newborns express low/deficient levels of some protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, with low levels of PKCζ correlating with increased risk of developing allergy and associated decrease in interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) producing T cells.
Published research ORIGINS AllergyDecember 2021Earth dreams: Reimagining ARPA for health of people, places and planet
Bold new approaches are urgently needed to overcome global health challenges. The proposed Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is intended to provide rapid health breakthroughs.
Published research ORIGINS Subsite: ORIGINS Project COVID-19October 2020Longitudinal egg-specific regulatory T- and B-cell development: Insights from primary prevention clinical trials examining the timing of egg introduction
Egg allergy affects almost 1 in 10 Australian infants. Early egg introduction has been associated with a reduced risk in developing egg allergy; however, the immune mechanisms underlying this protection remain unclear.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSOctober 2020Comparing Web-Based Mindfulness With Loving-Kindness and Compassion Training for Promoting Well-Being in Pregnancy: Protocol for a Three-Arm Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Promoting psychological well-being and preventing distress among pregnant women is an important public health goal. In addition to adversely impacting the mother's health and well-being, psychological distress in pregnancy increases the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, compromises infant socioemotional development and bonding, and heightens maternal and child vulnerability in the postpartum period. Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions show potential for prevention and early intervention for perinatal distress.
Published research Child Disability ORIGINS Youth Mental HealthSeptember 2020Study protocol of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy in inducing desensitisation or tolerance in children with peanut allergy compared with oral immunotherapy
Peanut allergy is the the most common cause of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. There is currently no effective long-term treatment. There is a pressing need for definitive treatments that improve the quality of life and prevent fatalities.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergySeptember 2020Study protocol of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy
Peanut allergy is the the most common cause of life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis. There is currently no effective long-term treatment. There is a pressing need for definitive treatments that improve the quality of life and prevent fatalities. Allergen oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a promising approach, which is effective at inducing desensitisation; however, OIT has a limited ability to induce sustained unresponsiveness (SU).
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergySeptember 2020Introducing the ORIGINS project: a community-based interventional birth cohort
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose the greatest threat to human health globally. The dramatic rise in early onset NCDs - such as childhood obesity, the allergy epidemic and an increasing burden of mental ill health in children and youth - reflect the profound early impact of modern environments on developing systems.
July 2020Pediatric Burn Survivors Have Long-Term Immune Dysfunction With Diminished Vaccine Response
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that survivors of acute burn trauma are at long-term increased risk of developing a range of morbidities. The mechanisms underlying this increased risk remain unknown. This study aimed to determine whether burn injury leads to sustained immune dysfunction that may underpin long-term morbidity. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 36 pediatric burn survivors >3 years after a non-severe burn injury (<10% total body surface area) and from age/sex-matched non-injured controls.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJune 2020Ovalbumin in breast milk is associated with a decreased risk of IgE-mediated egg allergy in children
Showed for the first time that the presence of an egg-derived allergen in breast milk is associated with a reduced risk of egg allergy in children at 2.5 years of age
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyJune 2020In “high-risk” infants with sufficient vitamin d status at birth, infant vitamin D supplementation had no effect on allergy outcomes: A randomized controlled trial
Early infancy oral vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce the development of early childhood allergic disease
Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Inflammation Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Diabetes and ObesityMay 2020A role for early oral exposure to house dust mite allergens through breast milk in IgE-mediated food allergy susceptibility
This study highlights an unpredicted potential risk factor for the development of food allergy, that is, D pteronyssinus allergens in breast milk
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyFebruary 2020Spaceship earth revisited: The co‐benefits of overcoming biological extinction of experience at the level of person, place and planet
This commentary focuses the ways in which microbes, as an essential part of all ecosystems, provide a vital link between personal and planetary systems
Published researchJanuary 2020Feasibility of conducting an early pregnancy diet and lifestyle e-health intervention: The Pregnancy Lifestyle Activity Nutrition (PLAN) project
A lifestyle intervention starting in the first-trimester pregnancy utilising e-health mode of delivery is feasible
Published research Nutrition ORIGINS Diabetes and Obesity Subsite: ORIGINS ProjectJanuary 2020Analytical bias in the measurement of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in infants
To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that the reported 25(OH)D concentration may be influenced by both age and assay type
Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSJanuary 2019The ORIGINS Project
ORIGINS is a new birth cohort study, collecting detailed information about the early environment's influence on a broad range of non-communicable diseases
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 2019Preventive medicine for person, place, and planet: Revisiting the concept of high-level wellness in the planetary health paradigm
Here, we discuss the relevance of planetary health in the era of personalized medicine, gross environmental concerns, and a crisis of non-communicable diseases
Published researchFebruary 2019Clinical Ecology-Transforming 21st-Century Medicine with Planetary Health in Mind
The grand, interconnected challenges of our time demands that all of medicine be viewed from an ecological perspective
Published researchFebruary 2019Narrative Medicine Meets Planetary Health: Mindsets Matter in the Anthropocene
We argue that the principles and practice of narrative medicine can be applied on a larger scale, one with planetary health in mind
Published researchMarch 2019Direct infant UV light exposure is associated with eczema and immune development
This study is the first to demonstrate an association between greater direct UV light exposures in early infancy with lower incidence of eczema
Published research Inflammation Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSMarch 2019Effect of Epicutaneous Immunotherapy vs Placebo on Reaction to Peanut Protein Ingestion Among Children With Peanut Allergy: The PEPITES Randomized Clinical Trial
To assess the efficacy and adverse events of epicutaneous immunotherapy with a peanut patch among peanut-allergic children
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyMarch 2019Planetary Health: From the Wellspring of Holistic Medicine to Personal and Public Health Imperative
Here, we explore the history of planetary health and describe its relevance to contemporary healthcare
Published researchApril 2019Impact of Micronutrient Status during Pregnancy on Early Nutrition Programming
Globally and even in high-income countries where a balanced diet is generally accessible, an inadequate maternal micronutrient status is common
Published research Nutrition ORIGINSApril 2019Vitamin and mineral supplements: Gut health and probiotics: Probiotics for a healthy microbiome: An evidence-based approach to appropriate product choice
This review discusses the available evidence base to help provide practical guidance when considering probiotics in practice
Published research ORIGINSJune 2019Validation of monoclonal anti-PKC isozyme antibodies for flow cytometry analyses in human T cell subsets and expression in cord blood T cells
We have undertaken to validating the specificity of commercially available antibodies marketed for flow cytometry to measure PKCα, βI, βII, δ, ε, η, θ, ζ, ι/λ and μ
Published research ORIGINSJuly 2019High-Rise Apartments and Urban Mental Health—Historical and Contemporary Views
High-rise apartment buildings have long been associated with the poor mental health of their residents
Published research ORIGINSJuly 2019Golden Age of Medicine 2.0: Lifestyle Medicine and Planetary Health Prioritized
We emphasize that barriers to planetary health and the clinical application of lifestyle medicine are maintaining an unhealthy status quo
Published research ORIGINSAugust 2019Prebiotics: mechanisms and preventive effects in allergy
In this review, we describe both the mechanisms and the therapeutic evidence from preclinical and clinical studies exploring the role of prebiotics in allergy prevention
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Food AllergyAugust 2019Maternal Fiber Dietary Intakes during Pregnancy and Infant Allergic Disease
Maternal resistant starch consumption was differentially associated with infant phenotypes, with reduced risk of infant wheeze, but increased risk of eczema
Published research Nutrition Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSOctober 2018Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles?
Supplementation with fish oil may only significantly increase DHA in minor allele carriers of FADS1 SNPs
Published research Nutrition ORIGINSSeptember 2018Early life innate immune signatures of persistent food allergy
Early life innate immune dysfunction may represent a key immunological driver and predictor of persistent food allergy in childhood
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergySeptember 2018Increased Use of Adrenaline in the Management of Childhood Anaphylaxis Over the Last Decade
There was a significant improvement in the management of anaphylaxis after the introduction of intensified physician training programs
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyAugust 2018Worldwide variation in human milk metabolome: Indicators of breast physiology and maternal lifestyle?
This study investigates the variation of human milk metabolites in human milk between five different countries
Published research Breastfeeding ORIGINSAugust 2018Seventh Annual Conference of inVIVO Planetary Health on Transforming Life: Unify Personal, Public, and Planetary Health
Here we present the collection of abstracts of invited lectures and oral communications presented during the 7th inVIVO Planetary Health Conference
Published researchJuly 2018Cardiometabolic risk factors at 5 years after omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in infancy
Supplementation with n-3 LCPUFA in infancy revealed a reduction in waist circumference at 5 years
Published research ORIGINSJuly 2018The Canmore Declaration: Statement of Principles for Planetary Health
We provide the Canmore Declaration, a Statement of Principles for Planetary Health
Published researchJune 2018The importance of the exposome and allostatic load in the planetary health paradigm
The concept of planetary health emphasizes that human health is intricately connected to the health of natural systems within the Earth's biosphere
Published researchMay 2018Histone modifications and their role in epigenetics of atopy and allergic diseases
This review covers basic aspects of histone modification and the role of posttranslational histone modifications in the development of allergic diseases
Published research ORIGINSMay 2018Dysbiotic drift and biopsychosocial medicine: how the microbiome links personal, public and planetary health
Here we focus on the rapidly progressing microbiome science as a way to illustrate the pathways by which exposure to biodiversity supports health
Published researchMarch 2018Larger Than Life: Injecting Hope into the Planetary Health Paradigm
We argue that the success of planetary health solutions is predicated on a more sophisticated understanding of the psychology of prevention and intervention at all scales
Published researchMarch 2018From Authoritarianism to Advocacy: Lifestyle-Driven, Socially-Transmitted Conditions Require a Transformation in Medical Training and Practice
Here, we open a dialogue on authoritarianism in westernized medicine as a starting point in order to encourage the development of critical research
Published researchJanuary 2018Taking a prebiotic approach to early immunomodulation for allergy prevention
In this review we examine maternal and infant dietary sources of prebiotics with a particular focus on non-digestible oligosaccharides, which undergo SCFA.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSJanuary 2017Influence of maternal obesity on the long-term health of offspring
Increasing evidence implicates maternal obesity as a major determinant of offspring health during childhood and later adult life
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 2017Influence of maternal obesity on the long-term health of offspring
Including immediate implications for pregnancy complications, increasing evidence implicates maternal obesity having a major impact on long term child health.
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 2017The Secret Life of Your Microbiome: Why Nature and Biodiversity are Essential to Health and Happiness
The Secret Life of Your Microbiome shatters this deeply held myth, presenting a revolutionary new paradigm, backed by vast science
Published research ORIGINSMarch 2017Food Challenge and Community-Reported Reaction Profiles in Food-Allergic Children Aged 1 and 4 Years: A Population-Based Study.
This publication compares reaction profiles from food challenges and parent-reported reactions on accidental ingestion, and assess predictors of severe reactions.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyMarch 2017The role of PKCzeta in cord blood T-cell maturation towards Th1 cytokine profile and its epigenetic regulation by fish oil
Here, we present evidence that there are two major control points to explain the immunodeficiency in CB T-cells, leading to a decreased IFNy synthesis.
Published research ORIGINSApril 2017Infective respiratory syncytial virus is present in human cord blood samples and most prevalent during winter months
Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease amongst infants, and continues to cause annual epidemics of respiratory disease every winter worldwide.
Published research ORIGINS P4 Respiratory Health for KidsMay 2017Early introduction of food reduces food allergy – Pro and Con
When an infant is developmentally ready, a variety of nutritious foods should be introduced including the ‘more allergenic’ foods during infancy
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyMay 2017Protection against maternal infection-associated fetal growth restriction: Proof-of-concept with a microbial-derived immunomodulator
This study suggests that broad-spectrum protection-of-pregnancy against infection-associated inflammatory stress represents an achievable therapeutic goal
Published research Experimental Immunology Human Immunology Systems ImmunologyMay 2017Randomized controlled trial of early regular egg intake to prevent egg allergy
determining if regular consumption of egg protein from age 4 to 6 months reduces the risk of IgE mediated allergy in infants with genetic risk, without eczema.
Published research ORIGINSMay 2017Physician training programs significantly improve diagnosis in cases coded as anaphylaxis over time: A major factor compounding time-trend data?
Recent studies based on hospital admissions have reported a significant increase in anaphylaxis prevalence.
Published research ORIGINSMay 2017Randomized controlled trial of early regular egg intake to prevent egg allergy
We aimed to determine whether regular consumption of egg protein from 4-6 month old reduced the risk of IgE-mediated egg allergy in infants without eczema.
Published research Allergy & Infectious Diseases ORIGINSMay 2017Association Between Family Characteristics and the Effect of Timing of Regular Egg Introduction in Infant Egg Allergy
A recent systematic review of 5 randomized clinical trials, found that early egg introduction was associated with reduced egg allergy.
Published research Allergy & Infectious Diseases ORIGINSMay 2017Physician training programs significantly improve diagnosis in cases coded as anaphylaxis over time: A major factor compounding time-trend data?
We conducted an investigation of all cases coded as anaphylaxis presenting to the main tertiary PED in Perth, Australia, where all coding is performed by staff.
Published research ORIGINSJuly 2017Planning ahead: the mental health value of natural environments
Over the past decade, a growing number of studies have linked urban green space and aspects of biodiversity with emotional wellbeing.
Published research ORIGINSAugust 2017Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics
In December 2016, a panel of experts was convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics an Prebiotics to review the scope of prebiotic.
Published research ORIGINSAugust 2017Astrofood, Priorities and Pandemics: Reflections of an Ultra-Processed Breakfast Program and Contemporary Dysbiotic Drift
The United Nation, recognizing the importance of nutrition as a part of the challenges faced by humanity, and declared 2016-2025 the decade of nutrition.
Published research ORIGINSAugust 2017Down to Earth: Planetary Health and Biophilosophy in the Symbiocene Epoch
Advances in science have illuminated the role of the “ecological theatre”—the total living environment—in human health
Published research ORIGINSAugust 2017Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics
Consistent with the original model of prebiotics, but aware of the latest scientific and clinical developments, the panel updated the definition of a prebiotics
Published research ORIGINSSeptember 2017Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles? An exploratory study
Overall results of this preliminary study suggest that supplementation with fish oil may only significantly increase DHA in minor allele carriers of FADS1 SNPs. Further research is required to confirm this novel finding.
Published research ORIGINSOctober 2017Bugging allergy; role of pre-, pro- and synbiotics in allergy prevention
Here, we summarize and discuss findings of randomized clinical trials that have examined the effects of these strategies on short and long-term.
Published research ORIGINSNovember 2017An Australian Consensus on Infant Feeding Guidelines to Prevent Food Allergy: Outcomes From the Australian Infant Feeding Summit
Infant feeding in the first postnatal year of life has an important role in an infant's risk of developing food allergy
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyNovember 2017Each meal matters in the exposome: Biological and community considerations in fast-food-socioeconomic associations
As we discuss, equal weekly visits to major fast-food outlets by the affluent and deprived do not translate into biological equivalency.
Published research ORIGINSDecember 2017Effects of prenatal n-3 fatty acid supplementation on offspring resolvins at birth and 12 years of age: a double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial
This study aimed to assess the effect of n-3 fatty acid supplementation in pregnancy on offspring SPM at birth and 12 years of age (12 years)
Published research ORIGINSDecember 2016Effects of maternal dietary egg intake during early lactation on human milk ovalbumin concentration: A randomized controlled trial
Increased maternal egg ingestion is associated with increased breastmilk ovalbumin, and markers of immune tolerance in infants
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyNovember 2016Dysregulation of innate immunity in ulcerative colitis patients who fail anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy
Study the innate immune function in ulcerative colitis patients who fail to respond to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy
Published research ORIGINSNovember 2016Transforming Life: A Broad View of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Concept from an Ecological Justice Perspective
With emerging research involving green space, the microbiome, biodiversity and positive psychology, we discuss ecological justice in the dysbiosphere
Published research ORIGINSOctober 2016The establishment of DOHaD working groups in Australia and New Zealand
This report introduces the DOHaD ANZ Working Groups and summarizes their plans and activities
Published research ORIGINSSeptember 2016Prenatal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation does not affect offspring telomere length and F2-isoprostanes at 12 years: A double blind, randomized controlled trial
Maternal n-3 LCPUFA supplementation did not provide sustained effects on postnatal oxidative stress and telomere length as observed in the offspring
Published research ORIGINSAugust 2016Consensus of stakeholders on precautionary allergen labelling: A report from the Centre for Food and Allergy Research
Precautionary allergen labelling is the main tool available to indicate safety levels for food-allergic consumers with regard to potential allergens
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJune 2016Probiotics for treatment and primary prevention of allergic diseases and asthma: looking back and moving forward
Review treatment and primary prevention studies, recent meta-analyses, and discuss the current understanding of the role of probiotics in this context
Asthma Published research ORIGINSMay 2016The Microbiome and Mental Health: Looking Back, Moving Forward with Lessons from Allergic Diseases
The microbiome is intimately connected to diet, nutrition, and other lifestyle variables
Published research ORIGINSApril 2016Early Nutrition as a Major Determinant of 'Immune Health': Implications for Allergy, Obesity and Other Noncommunicable Diseases
A better understanding of nutritional programming of immune health may lead to dietary strategies that reduce the burden of many inflammatory diseases
Published research ORIGINSFebruary 2016Immune-Microbiota Interactions: Dysbiosis as a Global Health Issue
The implications of the microbiome extend to virtually every branch of medicine, biopsychosocial and environmental sciences
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 2016Natural environments, nature relatedness and the ecological theater: connecting satellites and sequencing to shinrin-yoku
Mechanisms-including aerobiological and epigenetic-that might help explain some of the noted positive health outcomes
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 2016Biodiversity, the Human Microbiome and Mental Health: Moving toward a New Clinical Ecology for the 21st Century?
With a focus on the microbiome as it pertains to mental health, we define environmental “grey space” and emphasize a new frontier involving bio-eco-psychological medicine
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 2016Epigenetic modifications: Mechanisms of disease and biomarkers of food allergy
The rise in IgE-mediated food allergy in recent times is the likely result of gene-environment interactions mediated via epigenetic pathways.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2016World Allergy Organization-McMaster University Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention (GLAD-P): Prebiotics
Develop evidence-based recommendations about the use of prebiotics in the prevention of allergy
Published research ORIGINSJanuary 201625-hydroxyvitamin D status of pregnant women is associated with the use of antenatal vitamin supplements and ambient ultraviolet radiation
Vitamin D deficiency in a predominantly white Caucasian cohort of pregnant women is less prevalent than has been reported in other studies
Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSJanuary 2016Elevated IL-5 and IL-13 responses to egg proteins predate the introduction of egg in solid foods in infants with eczema
Elevated egg-specific Th2 cytokine responses were established prior to egg ingestion at 4months and were not significantly altered by introduction of egg
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2016World Allergy Organization-McMaster University Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention (GLAD-P): Vitamin D
Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of the immune system and it may play a role in the development, severity and course of asthma and other allergic...
Asthma Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight ORIGINSNovember 2015The gut microbiota and inflammatory noncommunicable diseases: Associations and potentials for gut microbiota therapies
This article discusses the relationships between gut colonization & inflammatory noncommunicable diseases, in regards to their treatment and prevention.
Published research Nutrition ORIGINS Food AllergyOctober 2015In-utero exposures and the evolving epidemiology of paediatric allergy
This paper discusses the rising prevalence of allergic disease in children. This review article considers recent findings in the field of paediatric immune...
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyAugust 2015Consensus communication on early peanut introduction and the prevention of peanut allergy in high-risk infants
The purpose of this article is to highlight emerging evidence for existing allergy prevention guidelines regarding potential benefits of supporting early...
Asthma Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2015World Allergy Organization-McMaster University Guidelines for Allergic Disease Prevention (GLAD-P): Probiotics
Prevalence of allergic diseases in infants, whose parents and siblings do not have allergy, is approximately 10% and reaches 20-30% in those with an allergic...
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2015Cohort profile of the HealthNuts study: Population prevalence and environmental/genetic predictors of food allergy
HealthNuts is a single-centre, multi-wave, population-based longitudinal study designed to assess prevalence, determinants, natural history and allergy...
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2015Blood DNA methylation biomarkers predict clinical reactivity in food-sensitized infants
The diagnosis of food allergy (FA) can be challenging because approximately half of food-sensitized patients are asymptomatic.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2015Effects of maternal n-3 fatty acid supplementation on placental cytokines, pro-resolving lipid mediators and their precursors
The aim of this study was to determine whether supplementation with fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA during pregnancy modifies modifies placental PUFA composition...
Published research Nutrition ORIGINSJanuary 2015Developing primary intervention strategies to prevent allergic disease
Allergic diseases are a major cause of morbidity in the developed world, now affecting up to 40 % of the population with no evidence that this is abating.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2015Nutritional approaches for the primary prevention of allergic disease: An update
The dramatic rise in early childhood allergic diseases indicates the specific vulnerability of the immune system to early life environmental changes.
Published research Nutrition Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSJanuary 2015Prevention and Natural History of Food Allergy
The rise in food allergy is more rapid than genetic deviation would allow and the current consensus is that environmental factors integrally linked to the...
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2015The maturation of immune functions in pregnancy and early childhood
This book chapter explains the maturation of immune functions during pregnancy & in early childhood, and addresses the importance of early environmental...
Published research ORIGINSMay 2015Mechanisms of allergic disease - environmental and genetic determinants for the development of allergy
Environmental exposures including maternal inflammation, diet, nutrient balance, microbial colonization and toxin exposures can directly and indirectly...
Published research Nutrition ORIGINS Food AllergyApril 2015Gut microbiome and innate immune response patterns in IgE-associated eczema
Gut microbiome patterns have been associated with predisposition to eczema potentially through modulation of innate immune signalling.
Published research ORIGINSApril 2015Food for thought: progress in understanding the causes and mechanisms of food allergy
Treatments for food allergy are still lacking, yet progress is being made, and immunotherapy appears more effective than dietary avoidance.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyApril 2015Assessment of cardiometabolic risk in children in population studies: underpinning developmental origins of health and disease mother–offspring cohort studies
Pregnancy and birth cohorts have been utilised extensively to investigate the developmental origins of health and disease, particularly in relation to...
Diabetes (Type 1) Published research ORIGINS Diabetes and ObesityMarch 2015Maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy: a 12 year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial.
We aimed to investigate the long-term effects (12 years) of fish oil supplementation in pregnancy on neurodevelopment, including cognition, language and fine...
Published research Early Childhood Development Nutrition ORIGINSDecember 2014In utero and postnatal vitamin D exposure and allergy risk
This review article examines the evidence of the impact of in utero and postnatal vitamin D exposure on allergy risk in childhood
Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSOctober 2014Hot topics in paediatric immunology: IgE-mediated food allergy and allergic rhinitis
This article focuses on IgE-mediated food allergies and allergic rhinitis, the most commonly seen conditions in paediatric immunology.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyAugust 2014Nutritional Influences on Epigenetic Programming. Asthma, Allergy, and Obesity
Reliance on increasing use of dietary supplementation and fortification (eg, with folate) to compensate for increased consumption of processed foods is also...
Published research Nutrition Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyAugust 2014EAACI food allergy and anaphylaxis guidelines: diagnosis and management of food allergy
Food allergy can have significant effects on morbidity and quality of life and can be costly in terms of medical visits and treatments.
Published research Breastfeeding Nutrition ORIGINS Food AllergyJuly 2014Epigenome-wide association study reveals longitudinally stable DNA methylation differences in CD4+ T cells from children with IgE-mediated food allergy
Food allergy is mediated by a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors, potentially mediated by epigenetic mechanisms.
Published research ORIGINS Food AllergyJune 2014Epigenetics in immune development and in allergic and autoimmune diseases
This paper is a review about the importance of alterations to the DNA molecule, rather than the DNA sequence, in the development of the immune system, and...
Published research ORIGINSJune 2014Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling identifies a folate-sensitive region of differential methylation upstream of ZFP57-imprinting regulator in humans
This study identified that expsoure to folate has effects on the regulation of DNA methylation during fetal development.
Published research Nutrition Experimental Immunology ORIGINSMarch 2014Disease prevention in the age of convergence - The need for a wider, long ranging and collaborative vision
Our global health crisis and the pandemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is clearly rooted in complex modern societal and environmental changes, many of...
Published research Nutrition ORIGINS Food AllergyMarch 2014Respiratory allergen from house dust mite is present in human milk and primes for allergic sensitization in a mouse model of asthma
These data highlight that antigen administration to the neonate through the oral route may contribute to child allergic sensitization and have important...
Asthma Published research ORIGINSJanuary 201425-hydroxyvitamin D3 status is associated with developing adaptive and innate immune responses in the first 6 months of life
Vitamin D status in early life has been linked to the risk of allergic disease in multiple observational studies.
Published research Vitamin D and Sunlight Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINSNovember 2013Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy?
The proposal that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances neurocognitive functioning in term infants is controversial.
Published research ORIGINSJuly 2013Autism spectrum disorder in children born preterm: Role of exposure to perinatal inflammation
This review aims to summarise and evaluate the potential mechanisms and evidence for the role of prenatal infection on the central nervous system, and how it...
Autism Spectrum Disorders Published research Intellectual Disability Autism Research ORIGINSNovember 2012Associations between maternal antioxidant intakes in pregnancy and infant allergic outcomes
Antioxidant intakes in pregnancy may influence fetal immune programming and the risk of allergic disease.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyNovember 2012Neonatal antigen-presenting cells are functionally more quiescent in children born under traditional compared with modern environmental conditions
One explanation for the high burden of allergic and autoimmune diseases in industrialized countries is inappropriate immune development under modern...
Published research Experimental Immunology Human Immunology Vaccine Trials Group ORIGINSAugust 2012Fish oil supplementation in early infancy modulates developing infant immune responses
Maternal fish oil supplementation during pregnancy has been associated with altered infant immune responses and a reduced risk of infant sensitization and...
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Human Immunology ORIGINSMay 2012Ontogeny of toll-like and NOD-like receptor-mediated innate immune responses in Papua New Guinean infants
Studies addressing the ontogeny of the innate immune system in early life have reported mainly on Toll-like receptor (TLR) responses in infants living in...
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Human Immunology ORIGINSMarch 2012Comparison of neonatal T regulatory cell function in Papua New Guinean and Australian newborns
We compared neonatal T reg from children born in western conditions (Australia) with those of neonates born in high microbial conditions (Papua New Guinea)...
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Human Immunology ORIGINSMarch 2012A novel role for interleukin-1 receptor signaling in the developmental regulation of immune responses to endotoxin
Suggests that IL-1R1 expression provides an additional level of Myd88-dependent signaling during this period of heighted susceptibility to infection.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Human Immunology ORIGINSFebruary 2012T-cell activation genes differentially expressed at birth in CD4+ T-cells from children who develop IgE food allergy
To show underlying mechanisms, we examined differences in T-cell gene expression in samples at birth and at 1 year in children with and without IgE allergy.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology Human Immunology Systems Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyJanuary 2012The relationship between maternal folate status in pregnancy, cord blood folate levels, and allergic outcomes in early childhood
This study examined whether maternal and/or fetal folate status in pregnancy is associated with infant allergic outcomes.
Published research Child Allergy & Immunology ORIGINS Food AllergyApril 2011Preterm infants have deficient monocyte and lymphocyte cytokine responses to group B streptococcus
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is an important cause of early- and late-onset sepsis in the newborn. Preterm infants have markedly increased susceptibility...
Published research Immunisation Child Allergy & Immunology Vaccine Trials GroupMarch 2007The effects of maternal smoking on early mucosal immunity and sensitization at 12 months of age
In this study, we examined the effects of maternal smoking as a major adverse exposure in early life, on mucosal immune function and allergen sensitization...
Asthma Published research Vaccine Trials Group ORIGINS -
Awards/Honours