Professor Maria Makrides
Professor of Human Nutrition
Adelaide Medical School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Professor Maria Makrides is the Theme Leader for SAHMRI Women and Kids at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, based at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Maria is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Principal Research Fellow and also Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Adelaide. She is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science.
Maria leads a multi-disciplinary research group of over 60 staff who are highly skilled in conducting and translating nutrition intervention trials involving mothers and babies.
As a research dietitian, Maria is committed to improving the nutrition and health of mothers and their babies through the conduct and translation of high quality research. She is particularly recognised for work investigating the health effects of dietary fatty acids, iron and novel dietary ingredients in the perinatal period. This work has resulted in significant changes in the composition of infant formulae and had an important impact on changing international food laws (Codex Alimentarius), which determine the minimum safe composition of infant foods. Most recently Maria was part of an international expert advisory group to comment on the composition of follow-up formulas under review by Codex.
Maria has over 300 peer reviewed publications including a number in the prestigious journals The Lancet, The Journal of the American Medical Association and the British Medical Journal. She is also co-editor of four books, including the most widely sold textbook in paediatric nutrition that is now translated into Chinese, Spanish and Russian.
Research Grants
In the last 5 years, aside from my NHMRC fellowship support, I have secured 6 NHMRC grants for 3 new trials and 3 follow-up studies totaling >$10 million. The award of a second Centre of Research Excellence: Targeted Nutrition to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes. (CIA, 2017-22) underscores my ability to pull together and secure productive and cohesive multi-disciplinary teams.
Ongoing Research Support
2019-2023 NHMRC Principal Research Fellowship APP1154912; Makrides M. Nutritional interventions to improve the health of mothers and babies
2018-2022 NHMRC APP1147576; Palmer D, Makrides M, Prescott S, Campbell D, Sullivan T, Gold M, Koplin J, Nanan R. Maternal diet rich in eggs and peanuts to reduce food allergies: a randomised controlled trial.
2018-2020 NHMRC APP1146806; Collins C, Makrides M, McPhee A, Gibson R, Sullivan T, Gould J, Best K. Efficacy and safety of omega-3 DHA supplementation in preterm infants: childhood follow-up of the N3RO trial.
2017-2022 NHMRC APP1135155; Makrides M, Gibson R, Middleton P, Crowther C, McPhee AJ, Green T, Collins CT, Muhlhausler B, Glover K, Yelland L. Targeted Nutrition to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes.
2016-2020 NHMRC Project APP1105561; Brown S, Glover K, Weetra D, Mensah F, Giallo R, Gartland D, Newbury J, Middleton P, Reilly S, Makrides M. Aboriginal Families Study: 5-6 year follow-up of an intergenerational birth cohort.
2016-2020 NHMRC Targeted Research APP1115534; Middleton P, Stuart-Butler D, Ah Kit J, Brown S, Rumbold A, Makrides M, Warin M, Brown A, Mensah F, Deverix J. Improving nutrition and health outcomes for women and babies in the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program.
Completed Research Support (in the last 5 years)
2014-2018 NHMRC Principal Research Fellowship APP1061704; Makrides M. Improving the outcomes of mothers and babies through nutritional interventions.
2013-2017 NHMRC project APP1050468; Zhou SJ, Makrides M, Quinlivan J, McPhee AJ, Yelland L, Gibson RA. Omega 3 fats to Reduce the Incidence of Prematurity: The ORIP Trial.
2012-2016 NHMRC CRE APP1035530; Makrides M, Gibson RA, Ryan P, Zhou SJ, Dodd J, McPhee AJ, Umberger W, Muhlhausler B, Collins CT, Penttila I. Foods for Future Australians.
2013-2015 NHMRC project APP1048493; Makrides M, Smithers LG, Yelland L, Treyvaud K. Does n-3 LCPUFA supplementation during pregnancy improve the Intelligence Quotient of children at school age? ($548,954)
2012-2014 NHMRC project APP1027710; Makrides M, Gold M, Palmer DJ, Sullivan T, Kennedy J, Martin A. Does n-3 LCPUFA supplementation in pregnancy reduce asthma and allergies in school age children?
2012 -2014 NHMRC project APP1022112; Collins CT, Gibson RA, McPhee AJ, Thio M, Sullivan T, Simmer K, Rajadurai V. Makrides was an Associate Investigator. N-3 fatty acids for the improvement of respiratory outcome in preterm infants (N3RO): a randomised controlled trial.
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