Liza Phillips

Liza Phillips

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Dr Liza Phillips (MBBS (Hons), FRACP, PhD, MS (Epi)), is a consultant endocrinologist and post-doctoral research fellow at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. She has clinical interests in diabetes, pituitary disease and inborn errors of metabolism in adults and is the deputy director of physician education at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. She is an early career researcher with an interest in the epidemiology and physiology of type 2 diabetes, in particular, the interaction between the gut and glycaemia and the impact of glycaemic control/diabetes in critical care.

Research Project 1 

Title: Effects of acute and sub-acute treatment with metformin on cardiovascular responses to a glucose challenge in type 2 diabetes

 

Project description: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with a two-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and despite targeted lifestyle and pharmacologic strategies that modify risk factors, myocardial infarction remains the leading cause of death in this population.

Improvements in glycaemic control have only a modest effect to optimise cardiovascular outcomes in contrast to their profound effect to diminish the risk of development and progression of microvascular disease. Moreover, studies with metformin, an established first-line medication for T2DM, and more recently, agents from the sodium glucose linked transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist classes, have highlighted the importance of ‘non-glycaemia’ driven mechanisms, translating into impressive reductions in cardiovascular disease in T2DM.

Postprandial hyperglycaemia is an independent cardiovascular risk factor, makes a major contribution to overall glycaemic control as determined by HbA1c and thus is an important therapeutic target. Our recent work has established that metformin, at least in the acute setting, modulates cardiovascular responses, including blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), to enteral nutrients in patients with T2DM. In this study we will investigate the acute and sub-acute effects of metformin on the cardiovascular responses to a 75g glucose challenge in T2DM.

 

Projects available for:list as appropriate

Honours / HDR / Masters 

Location: 

AHMS (Adelaide Health & Medical Sciences Building, North Tce)

Research project start:

Semester 1 

Semester 2

Semester 1 and 2

 

Special requirements: 

Police Clearance

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2014 - ongoing Deputy Director of Physician Training Royal Adelaide Hospital
    2014 - ongoing Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2014 - ongoing Endocrinologist Royal Adelaide Hospital

  • Postgraduate Training
    Date Title Institution Country
    PhD University of Queensland Australia
    FRACP Royal Australasian College of Physicians Australia
    Masters of Science in Epidemiology Columbia University United States

  • Certifications
    Date Title Institution name Country
    2000 MBBS (Hons) University of Adelaide Australia

2019 Phillips L. The RAH Gum Bequest (HSCGB) salary support ($40, 000)

2019 Phillips L, Wu T, Rayner C, Jones KL, Horowitz M. The Royal Adelaide Hospital Clinical Project Grant: Effects of acute and sub-acute treatment with metformin on cardiovascular responses to a glucose challenge in type 2 diabetes ($49,998)

2019 KL Jones, L Phillips, T Wu, C Marathe, M Horowitz, C Rayner – Diabetes Australia Research Trust General Grant: Effect of exenatide once weekly on gastric emptying of, and the postprandial glycaemic and cardiovascular responses to, an oral glucose load in type 2 diabetes. ($59,872)

2019 KL Jones, L Phillips, C Rayner, T Wu, M Horowitz - Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation - Clinical Project Grant: Effect of exenatide BID on small intestinal transit, absorption, glycaemia and blood pressure in type 2 diabetes. ($49,859)

2017 KL Jones, L Phillips, C Rayner, A Deane. University of Adelaide, School of Medicine - RIBG Equipment Grant: Mechanisms and management of postprandial hypotension. ($7200)

2017 L Phillips, C Rayner, N Nguyen, KL Jones, M Horowitz; Diabetes Australia Research Trust:  Impact of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy on gastric emptying, gut hormone, and glycaemic responses to a meal in type 2 diabetes. ($60,023)

2017 Y Ali Abdelhamid, KL Jones, M Horowitz, P Kar, L Phillips, T Nguyen, A Deane; - Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation – Clinical Project Grant: Prevalence, mechanisms and impact of postprandial hypotension in elderly survivors of critical illness. ($49,208)

2017 KL Jones, T Kimber, L Phillips, C Rayner. Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation – Clinical Project Grant: Acute effects of dopaminergic therapy with levodopa/carbidopa on the gastric emptying, blood pressure and superior mesenteric artery blood flow responses to oral glucose in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. ($30,000)

2016-2018 Phillips L. The Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship ($126,000)

2016 Phillips L. The Gum bequest (HSCGB) RAH salary and project support: 1) Pituitary disease in Australia and 2) The influence of the gut-incretin axis on glycaemia in Type 2 diabetes ($17, 400)

2016 Phillips L The Gum bequest (HSCGB) RAH equipment grant: ANSAR; autonomic function package, ECG and analytic system ($34,500)

2016 Phillips L, Horowitz M, Rayner C, Jones K. The Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation Clinical Project Grant Does rapid gastric emptying increase the risk of type 2 diabetes ($50,113)

2016 Phillips L. RACP Diabetes Australia Research Establishment Fellowship 2016 The relationship between gut and glycaemia in type 2 diabetes ($50,000)

2015 Phillips L, Horowitz M, Shaw J, Deane A, Plummer M Diabetes Australia – General Grant: Glycaemia in the critically ill ($59, 915)

2015 Chapman I, Phillips L, Torpy D. The Royal Adelaide Hospital Research Foundation Clinical Project Grant Cushing's disease: Understanding the long-term morbidity and mortality in the context of control and relapse. ($39, 990)

2013 Phillips L The Servier Staff Research Fellowship, Royal Australasian College of Physicians Masters of Science in Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia, NY USA ($10, 000)

2009 Phillips L Glaxo Smith Kline Postgraduate Support Grant Adiponectin- role in modulating postprandial inflammatory, oxidative and cardiovascular stress ($25,000)

2008 Phillips L Princess Alexandra Research Foundation Training Grant Adiponectin- role in modulating postprandial inflammatory, oxidative and cardiovascular stress ($20, 000)

2007 Phillips L NHMRC John Shaw Scholarship Adiponectin- role in modulating postprandial inflammatory, oxidative and cardiovascular stress ($107,100)

2007 Phillips L Basser Research Entry Scholarship, Royal Australian College of Physicians ($29, 000) (not taken up due to NHMRC award)
 
 
 

 

2014-

 

 

Courses

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clinical lecturer for University of Adelaide: lecture undergraduates (diabetes and complications, osteoporosis); OSCE examination; written examination questions; review PBL content

MD Endocrine Module Development 

 

Teaching on the Run workshop, RAH

Teaching and Learning in Healthcare Settings, RACP

RACP local examiner

Local and State clinical trial examination and Long Case Programme

 

 

 

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Natural History of Meal-Induced Changes in Blood Pressure, Gastric Emptying and Incretin Hormone Secretion and Approaches to the Management of Postprandial Hypotension Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hung Thai Pham
    2015 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Long-Term Outcomes in Survivors of Critical Illness and Interaction with Glucose Metabolism Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Yasmine Ali Abdelhamid
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