Dr Cong Xie

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 (GI) function, particularly gastric emptying and GI 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 (T2D). He is particularly interested in the role of bitter taste and bile acid signalling in metabolic homeostasis.

He has been actively involved in 10+ clinical research projects and is responsible for driving 10+ clinical studies relating to gastrointestinal function and metabolic control in health and type 2 diabetes. 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 T2D. These studies would provide clear views of the physiology and pathophysiology of T2D and have a high potential to establish novel, safe and cost-effective strategies to improve the management of T2D.