Cong Xie
Adelaide Medical School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr Cong Xie is a post-doc at the University of Adelaide and is supported by Australian Diabetes Society Skip Martin Fellowship and CALHN Florey Fellowship (2025-28) to lead a program of research focussing on the pathophysiology and management of type 2 diabetes. His research focuses on understanding the important role of the gut in glucose metabolism in both health and type 2 diabetes and the translation of these novel insights into improved therapy for type 2 diabetes.
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Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, amputations, heart disease and kidney disease. Up to a third of Australians will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifespan, which can impose a ~6 years decrease in life expectancy and a 3-4 fold increase in healthcare costs within Australia. As the key interface between ingested nutrients and the body, the gastrointestinal tract is now recognised to play a central role in regulating postprandial metabolism. Dr Xie's research focuses on the pivotal role of gastrointestinal function, particularly gastric emptying and gastrointestinal hormones (e.g. glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)), in the regulation of postprandial glycaemia, energy expenditure and energy intake in both health and type 2 diabetes. He is particularly interested in how to boost the release of endogenous GLP-1 to optimise postprandial hyperglycaemia – a ‘physiological’ strategy that is inherently safe and inexpensive.
Immediately after his PhD, he was awarded a prestigious Royal Adelaide Hospital Mary Overton Early Career Research Fellowship (2022-24) to focus on intestinal bile acid signalling as a novel strategy. With the great support from senior research leaders (A/Prof Tongzhi Wu and Profs Chris Rayner and Michael Horowitz), he is now determining: the roles of bitter taste and bile acid signalling in the regulation of gastrointestinal function and postprandial glycaemia in cohorts of healthy participants and patients with type 2 diabetes. These studies would provide clear views of the physiology and pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and have a high potential to establish novel, safe and cost-effective strategies to improve the management of type 2 diabetes.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2025 - ongoing Research Fellow University of Adelaide 2022 - 2024 RAH Early Career Fellowship Royal Adelaide Hospital 2021 - 2021 Research Fellow University of Adelaide 2015 - 2017 Physician Trainee Zhongda Hospital Southeast University 2014 - 2015 Intern Southeast University -
Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2024 Award 2024 AMS Publication Awards - Most Impactful Publication Adelaide Medical School Australia - 2024 Award Travel Grant European Association for the Study of Diabetes Germany - 2023 Award Travel Grant Australia Diabetes Society Australia - 2023 Award Best Clinical Presentation Award in Memory of Dr Paul Lee Australian Diabetes Society Australia - 2023 Award Travel Grant European Association for the Study of Diabetes Germany - 2022 Award Clinical Poster Award (Finalist) Australia Diabetes Society Australia - 2022 Award President's Prize - Clinical Young Investigator Award (Finalist) Australia Diabetes Society Australia - 2022 Fellowship Royal Adelaide Hospital Mary Overton Early Career Fellowship Royal Adelaide Hospital Australia - 2021 Award Adelaide Medical School Research Support Award The University of Adelaide Australia - 2021 Award Australia Diabetes Society Registration Grant Australia Diabetes Society Australia - 2020 Award Clinical Poster Award (Finalist) Australia Diabetes Society Australia - 2019 Award Travel Grant European Association for the Study of Diabetes Italy - 2018 Award Travel Grant European Association for the Study of Diabetes Italy - 2018 Achievement Clinical Poster Award (Finalist) Australia Diabetes Society Australia - 2018 Award The Hospital Research Foundation Research Travel Awards The Hospital Research Foundation Australia - 2018 Award Adelaide Medical School Research Travel Award The University of Adelaide Australia - 2018 Scholarship Postgraduate Supplementary Scholarship National Health and Medical Research Council Grant Australia - 2017 Scholarship Postgraduate scholarship China Scholarship Council China - -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2017 - 2021 University of Adelaide Australia PhD 2015 - 2017 Southeast University China Master 2010 - 2015 Southeast University China Bachelor -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2024 Sun, Y., Xie, C., Bound, M., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., Young, R., . . . Wu, T. (2024). Disparities in GLP-1 and GIP responses to small intestinal glucose infusion between people with well- and poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes. In DIABETOLOGIA Vol. 67 (pp. S92). SPAIN, Madrid: SPRINGER. 2024 Xie, C., Li, T., Bound, M., Grivell, J., Sun, Y., Jones, K. L., . . . Wu, T. (2024). Effects of well and poorly absorbed low-calorie sweeteners on insulin secretion and sensitivity in type 2 diabetes. In DIABETOLOGIA Vol. 67 (pp. S328). SPAIN, Madrid: SPRINGER. 2024 Huang, W., Xie, C., Xiang, C., Li, T., Young, R. L., Zhao, J., . . . Wu, T. (2024). A gut-on-a-chip platform to monitor GLP-1 secretion dynamics from primary intestinal tissue. In DIABETOLOGIA Vol. 67 (pp. S395). SPAIN, Madrid: SPRINGER. 2023 Sun, Y., Luo, Y., Xiang, C., Xie, C., Ma, J., Sun, Z., . . . Wu, T. (2023). Gastric emptying is accelerated in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients, and is slowed with insulin pump therapy. In DIABETES RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE Vol. 197 (pp. 1 page). ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD.
DOI2022 Quast, D. R., Xie, C., Bound, M. J., Grivell, J., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., . . . Wu, T. (2022). Effects of acute and sub-chronic treatment with metformin on post-prandial blood pressure and heart rate in diet-controlled type 2 diabetes. In DIABETOLOGIA Vol. 65 (pp. S319-S320). Stockholm, SWEDEN: SPRINGER. 2022 Sang, M., Xie, C., Liu, Y., Qiu, S., Wang, X., Sun, Z., & Wu, T. (2022). Association between cholecystectomy and dysglycaemia: cross-sectional and prospective analyses. In DIABETOLOGIA Vol. 65 (pp. S181). SPRINGER. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2024 Huang, W., Xie, C., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., Rayner, C. K., & Wu, T. (2024). Sex differences in the plasma glucagon responses to a high carbohydrate meal and a glucose drink in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 60th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2024), as published in Diabetologia. Madrid, Spain: Springer.
DOI2023 Veedfald, S., Sun, Y., Xiang, C., Xie, C., Wu, T., Bound, M., . . . Rayner, C. K. (2023). Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 do not account for the entire incretin effect in healthy humans. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 59 th EASD Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, as published in Diabetologia. Hamburg, Germany: Springer.
DOI2023 Horowitz, M., Xiang, C., Xie, C., Sun, Y., Jones, K. L., Rayner, C. K., . . . Wu, T. (2023). Gastric emptying is slower in women than men with type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Wu, T., Xie, C., Iroga, P., Bound, M., Grivell, J., Huang, W., . . . Rayner, C. (2023). The impact of timing of metformin administration on glycaemic and glucagon like peptide 1 responses to intraduodenal glucose in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Xiang, C., Sun, Y., Luo, Y., Xie, C., Huang, W., Sun, Z., . . . Wu, T. (2023). Gastric emptying of 75g oral glucose is predictive of the glycaemic response to mixed meals as well as oral glucose, but unrelated to antecedent glycaemia in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Quast, D. R., Lancaster, D., Xie, C., Bound, M. J., Grivell, J., Jones, K. L., . . . Nauck, M. A. (2023). Glucagon-like peptide 1 for lowering plasma glucose in hyperglycaemic subjects with type 2 diabetes: a systematic comparison of intravenous and subcutaneous routes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Rayner, C. K., Huang, W., O'Hara, S. E., Xie, C., Nicholas, L. M., & Wu, T. (2023). Effects of a bitter tasting substance, denatonium benzoate, on pancreatic hormone secretion. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 59th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2023), as published in Diabetologia. Hamburg, Germany: Springer.
DOI2023 Borg, M. J., Xie, C., Rayner, C., Horowitz, M., Jones, K., & Wu, T. (2023). Fasting plasma GIP is related to metabolic derangements in health and type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Xie, C., Huang, W., Bound, M., Grivell, J., Jones, K., Horowitz, M., . . . Wu, T. (2023). Effect of intestinal exposure to endogenous bile acids on the incretin axis in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Li, T., Sang, M., Wang, J., Sun, Z., Xie, C., Rayner, C., . . . Wu, T. (2023). Tea consumption is associated with increased urinary glucose excretion, improved insulin resistance and reduced risk of dysglycaemia, in Chinese community-dwelling adults. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. GERMANY, Hamburg: SPRINGER. 2023 Xie, C., Huang, W., Sun, Y., Horowitz, M., Jones, K., Rayner, C., & Wu, T. (2023). Disparities in blood glucose and incretin responses to intraduodenal glucose infusion in healthy young males and females. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETES RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD.
DOI2022 Xie, C., Jalleh, R. J., Huang, W., Sun, Y., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., . . . Wu, T. (2022). Determinants of blood glucose concentrations after a high carbohydrate meal in type 2 diabetes: a multiple linear regression analysis. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), as published in Diabetologia. Stockholm & Online: Springer.
DOI2022 Wu, T., Xie, C., Huang, W., Sun, Y., Horowitz, M., Jones, K. L., & Rayner, C. K. (2022). Disparities in blood glucose and incretin responses to intraduodenal glucose infusion in healthy young males and females. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), as published in Diabetologia. Stockholm, Sweden & Online: Springer.
DOI2022 Huang, W., Xie, C., Albrechtsen, N. J. W., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., Rayner, C. K., & Wu, T. (2022). The 'early' postprandial glucagon response to a mixed meal is dependent on the rate of gastric emptying in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 58th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), as published in Diabetologia. Stockholm, Sweden & Online: Springer.
DOI2020 Wu, T., Wang, X., Xie, C., Marathe, C. S., Malbert, C. -H., Horowitz, M., . . . Sun, Z. (2020). Disparities in gastric emptying and postprandial glycaemia between Han Chinese and Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY. WILEY. 2020 Wang, X., Chen, C., Xie, C., Horowitz, M., Jones, K. L., Rayner, C. K., . . . Wu, T. (2020). Serum bile acids after an oral glucose load in Chinese healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes: relationships with glycaemia. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. ELECTR NETWORK: SPRINGER. 2020 Xie, C., Wang, X., Bound, M. J., Young, R. L., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., . . . Wu, T. (2020). Bitter taste signalling modulates bile acid-induced PYY, but not GLP-1 secretion in healthy humans. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 56th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), as published in Diabetologia. Virtual Online: Springer-Verlag.
DOI2020 Wu, T., Xie, C., Wang, X., Bound, M. J., Grivell, J., Jones, K. L., . . . Rayner, C. K. (2020). Role of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 in the serum triglyceride response to intraduodenal fat infusion in type 2 diabetic patients on vildagliptin. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. ELECTR NETWORK: SPRINGER. 2020 Sansome, D. J., Veedfald, S., Xie, C., Bound, M., Grivell, J., Jones, K. L., . . . Wu, T. (2020). Role of bile acids on glucose-lowering by metformin in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. ELECTR NETWORK: SPRINGER. 2019 Xie, C., Wang, X., Bound, M. J., Grivell, J., Jones, K. L., Horowitz, M., . . . Wu, T. (2019). Roles of endogenous GLP-1 in the glycaemic and energy expenditure responses to fat in type 2 diabetes studied using vildagliptin and exendin(9-39). Poster session presented at the meeting of DIABETOLOGIA. Barcelona, SPAIN: SPRINGER. 2019 Horowitz, M., Xie, C., Wang, X., Bound, M. J., Grivell, J., Jones, K. L., . . . Wu, T. (2019). Comparative effects of intraduodenal glucose and fat on blood pressure and heart rate in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 55th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), as published in Diabetologia. Barcelona, SPAIN: Springer-Verlag.
DOI2018 Xie, C., Wang, X., Bound, M. J., Grivell, J., Young, R. L., Jones, K. L., . . . Wu, T. (2018). Effects of the bitter taste receptor agonist, denatonium benzoate, on postprandial glycaemia, gastric emptying and energy intake in type 2 diabetes. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 54th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2017), as published in Diabetologia. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer.
DOI
| Year | Project | Amount | CI(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-28 | CALHN Florey Fellowship | Xie C | |
| 2025 | Australian Diabetes Society Skip Martin Fellowship | $85,000 | Xie C |
| 2025-26 |
MRFF - Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Program - Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Mechanisms (Sweet tasting kidneys – a novel pathway in glucose homeostasis) |
$999,733 | Wu T, Young R, Rayner C, Thomas M, Miller C, Xie C, Huang W |
| 2024 |
Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations Early Career Grant (Impact of renal sweet taste sensing on the risk of diabetic kidney disease.) |
$40,000 | C Xie |
| 2024 |
Diabetes Australia Project Grant (ID: Y24G-XIEC) (Development of a novel bile acid-based therapy to optimise postprandial glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes.) |
$59,995 | C Xie, T Wu, C Rayner, RYoung, M Horowitz, W Huang |
| 2023 |
Diabetes Australia Project Grant (ID: Y23G-WUTO) (Harnessing bile acid sensing mechanisms to improve the management of type 2 diabetes.) |
$70,000 | T Wu, C Rayner, R Young, M Horowitz, K Jones, C Xie, H Ependorff-Heidepriem, W Huang |
| 2023 |
Diabetes Australia Project Grant (ID: Y23G-RAYN) (Impact of renal 'sweet taste' sensing on the risk of dysglycaemia.) |
$70,000 | C Rayner, T Wu, R Young, M Thomas, C Xie, W Huang |
| 2022-24 | CALHN Mary Overton Early Career Fellowship | $300,000 | C Xie |
Dr Xie has supervised several medical undergraduates on research placement and summer scholarship projects. He has also provided technical training to a number of Honours students and junior HDR students within his research centre.
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2022 Co-Supervisor Joint Award Project: Bile Acids and Glycaemia Control in Health and Type 2 Diabetes Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Miss Yixuan Sun
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Memberships
Date Role Membership Country 2018 - ongoing Member Australian Diabetes Society Australia 2018 - ongoing Member European Association for the Study of Diabetes Germany
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