Jessica Grieger

Jessica Grieger

NHMRC Externally-Funded Research Fellow C

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

I lead research on nutrition, metabolic, and reproductive health. My research program investigates how different maternal diet and lifestyle exposures associate with time to pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and future offspring health. My research program has contributed to critical findings on the relationship between pre-pregnancy nutrition and pregnancy health; and novel relationships between metabolic syndrome, pregnancy complications and offspring health.

 

Research projects 2022/2023, Honours, Masters and PhD

Paediatrics and Reproductive health:

Maternal dietary and lifestyle exposures and offspring health.

Supervisors: Dr Jessica Grieger, Dr Tina Bianco-Miotto

Skills learned during this project: Dietary analysis; quantitative analysis; increased knowledge on developmental origins of health and disease.

Project available for: Honours and HDR

Location: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, North Terrace

Research project start: Any time.

 

SUMMER SCHOLARSHIP PROJECTS

1) Lifestyle exposures and offspring health.

Supervisors: Dr Jessica Grieger, Dr Tina Bianco-Miotto

Skills learned during this project: Data preparation; longitudinal data analysis; publication preparation; increased knowledge on developmental origins of health and disease.

2) Systematic review, nutrition across the lifestages

Supervisors: Dr Jessica Grieger

Skills learned during this project: Contribute to systematic review and relevant protocol; key word preparation, searches, and screening; literature searching.

3) Nutrition and fertility

Supervisors: Dr Jessica Grieger, Dr Leanne Pacella-Ince

Skills learned during this project: Nutritional intake assessment/analysis; data entry; literature searching; increased knowledge on nutrition and reproductive health.

 

Research communication

Women's Health Week 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8WJyfKQGWw&feature=youtu.be

The Discovery Pod Episode 3: Nutrition https://fb.watch/25KJpYR5Tl/

 

Selection of my research highlights

1. Metabolic syndrome and pregnancy and offspring health:

Obesity increases the risk for developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia (PE), which both associate with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women in later life. In the general population, metabolic syndrome (MetS) associates with T2DM and CVD.  I initiated and led the analysis from over 5500 women throughout their first pregnancy to investigate whether MetS was associated with risk for pregnancy complications. Overall, 12.3% (n=684) had MetS. These women were at a higher risk for developing GDM and PE by 2-4 times. Increasing body mass index in combination with having MetS further increased the likelihood for developing GDM (PLOS Medicine 2018). We then demonstrated that physical activity did not modify the association between MetS and risk for GDM (Acta Diabetol 2021). My research program was also the first to show that MetS in pregnancy was associated with shorter telomere length, a biomarker of aging, in children aged 8-10 years of age (Diabetologia 2020).

Research article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30513077

Media links: https://blogs.adelaide.edu.au/robinson-institute/2018/12/14/media-release-metabolic-syndrome-increases-risk-of-pregnancy-complications/?fbclid=IwAR1rPPqZXiIxTPEg-PxgzFk7b3JOzZNZBtctIYJUSaD0Ffopo7A0FtqRsaQ

Research article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33743081/

Research article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32728890/

 

Dietary intake and pregnancy outcomes:

1. Maternal nutrition can have a profound effect on fetal growth, development, and subsequent infant birth weight. Preconception dietary patterns have not been assessed in relation to perinatal outcomes. We retrospectively collected food frequency questionnaires in a group of 309 pregnant women. We were the first to show that a high fat, sugar and take-away dietary pattern increased the risk of preterm birth, whereas a diet high in protein and fruit reduced the risk for preterm birth. Modification to poor dietary behaviours, pre-pregnancy, may be beneficial to improve perinatal outcomes and the long-term health of the child.

Research article: https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/144/7/1075/4569765.

Diet and lifestyle factors associated with infertility:

Time to pregnancy (TTP) is a measure of how long a couple takes to conceive, and infertility is the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Several lifestyle factors, such as smoking and obesity, have consistently been associated with a longer TTP or infertility, but the role of preconception diet in women remains poorly studied. Healthier foods or dietary patterns have been associated with improved fertility, however, these studies focused on women already diagnosed with or receiving treatments for infertility, rather than in the general population. Our multi-centre SCOPE cohort study (n=5598 pregnant women), was the first to show that a lower intake of fruit and higher intake of fast food in the preconception period were both associated with a longer TTP. In women with the lowest intake of fruit, the risk of infertility increased from 8% to 12%, and in those who ate fast food four or more times a week, the risk of infertility increased from 8% to 16%. These findings underscore the importance of considering preconception diet for fertility and preconception guidance.

Research article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29733398

Media links: https://blogs.adelaide.edu.au/robinson-institute/2018/05/04/media-release-women-who-eat-fast-food-take-longer-to-become-pregnant/

 

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2021 - 2024 NHMRC funded research fellow Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide
    2020 - ongoing Research Fellow University of Adelaide, Robinson Research Institute
    2015 - 2019 Post-doctoral research fellow, 0.6 FTE Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2016 Post doctoral research fellow, 0.5 FTE University of South Australia
    2012 - 2015 Post-doctoral research fellow (~1.5 years at 1.0 FTE) School of Medicine, Robinson Research Institute,
    2009 - 2013 Post-doctoral research fellow (~3 years at 1.0 FTE) Flinders University
    2007 - 2009 Post-doctoral research fellow Pennsylvania State University

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2019 Research Award Women's Research Excellence Award University of Adelaide Australia -
    2017 Award Travel award: Robinson Research Institute - Australia -
    2016 Award Travel grant: Robinson Research Institute - - $500
    2014 Award WCH Young Investigator Award - - -
    2014 Award ASMR Leading Light Award - - -
    2014 Award Travel grant: Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health - - $1300

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2004 - 2007 Deakin University Australia PhD
    2003 - 2003 University of Adelaide (CSIRO Human Nutrition) Australia BSc(hons)
    2000 - 2002 University of Adelaide Australia BSc

  • Postgraduate Training
    Date Title Institution Country
    2012 Research Supervisor Induction Workshop University of Adelaide Australia

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    2010 Clinical bone densitometry license Australian and New Zealand Bone Mineral Society (ANZBMS) -

  • Research Interests
    Early Origins of Health Fertility and Conception Nutrition and Metabolic Health Pregnancy and Birth Cardiovascular System & Hematology Epidemiology Nutrition and Dietetics Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine Obstetrics and Gynaecology Public Nutrition Intervention

Total funding: $3.2 M (1.1 M as CIA; 2.1 M as Co-investigator)

Teaching
2022 Course coordinator: PUB HLTH 3007 Nutrition: Ideology, Individuals & Industry
2021 Course coordinator: PUB HLTH 3007 Nutrition: Ideology, Individuals & Industry
2020

4010_HLTH_SC_2105 Reflect. Research. Resolve

Workshop coordinator, Nutritional Health stream
2020-2015

HLTH SC 3100 Exercise, Nutrition and Metabolism:

Practical demonstrator (Dietary methodology)

2017, 2015

HLTH SC 3100 Exercise, Nutrition and Metabolism:

Guest lecture (nutrition and fertility; energy expenditure and cardiovascular health)
2008 -2009 Co-lecturer: Nutrition 1, Penn State University, PA, USA

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 Principal Supervisor A critical analysis of the preconception and periconception phase: how information seeking preferences and early pregnancy adaptations affect pregnancy Master of Philosophy (Medical Science) Master Full Time Miss Kimberly Rhiann Lush
    2022 Principal Supervisor Parental nutrition, fertility and reproductive health outcomes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Cathryn Ann Tully

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2020 Co-Supervisor The Effect of Micronutrients in Oxidative Stress, Proliferation and Apoptosis in Placenta Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Nahal Habibi

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Nutritional management in culturally diverse women The University of Adelaide - Honours Full Time Amber Hanks
    2020 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Nutrition in pregnancy University of Adelaide - Postdoctorate - Nahal Habibi
    2019 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Lifestyle factors and the association with gestational diabetes, in a contemporary cohort of low socioeconomic pregnant women. University of Adelaide, Robinson Research Institute - Honours Full Time Ashleigh Schneider
    2012 - 2012 Principal Supervisor Dietary strategies to attenuate telomere loss in older Australians: a pilot study Flinders University Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics Honours Full Time YanYin Phoi

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2012 - ongoing Member SA Cardiovascular Health Research Network -
    2012 - ongoing Member Healthy Development Adelaide -
    2003 - ongoing Member Nutrition Society of Australia -
  • Position: NHMRC Externally-Funded Research Fellow C
  • Phone: 83137697
  • Email: jessica.grieger@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, floor 6
  • Org Unit: Women's and Children's Health
Connect With Me
External Profiles