Maria Makrides

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) Leadership (L3) 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 and was awarded South Australian Scientist of the Year 2022.

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.

Maria has over 370 peer reviewed publications including a number in the prestigious journals: the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, 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.

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2013 - ongoing Theme Leader & NHMRC Principal Research Fellow South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
    2010 - 2014 Research Director Women's & Children's Health Research Institute
    2004 - 2013 NHMRC Senior Research Fellow Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute
    2000 - 2003 NHMRC RD Wright Fellow Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute
    1997 - 2000 Postdoctoral Fellow University of Adelaide
    1995 - 1997 Postdoctoral Fellow Flinders University
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2015 Award 12th Fatty Acid and Cell Signalling (FACS) Award for testing novel hypotheses in large scale clinical trials - - -
    2014 Fellowship Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science - Australia -
    2012 Award Fellowship of the Nutrition Society of Australia - Australia -
    2012 Award International Women’s Day Award Organisation of Hellenic Women of Australia Australia -
    2006 Award Nutrition Society of Australia Research Medal - Australia -
    2005 Award Appointment to the National Nutrition Committee Australian Academy of Science Australia -
    1997 Award Research Award Nutrition Society of Australia Australia -
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2012 Nutrition Society of Australia Australia Fellow
    1995 Flinders University Australia Doctor of Philosophy
    1991 Flinders University Australia Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics
    1989 University of Melbourne Australia Bachelor of Science

Research Grants 

In the last 5 years, I have secured >$37 million in funding from all sources.  This includes 5 NHMRC project grants and a MRFF grant totalling over $22 million.  The award of a second Centre of Research Excellence in Targeted Nutrition to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes (CIA, 2018-23) underscores my ability to pull together and secure productive and cohesive multi-disciplinary teams. I have had continuous NHMRC funding since 1997.

Ongoing Research Support

2022-2024  The Hospital Research Foundation, M Makrides, Gibson R, Yelland L, Middleton P, Coates P, Best K. Stet-wide evaluation of maternal omega-3 precision nutrition to prevent prematurity 

2021-2022  SA Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Health Directorate; Glover K, Makrides M, Clark Y, Rumbold A, Middleton P & Brown S. Closing the Gap - Aboriginal Maternal and Child Health. 

2021-2022  Channel 7 Research Foundation; Glover K, Milera L, Glass J, Miller T, Mundy R, Makrides M, Reid J, Middleton P, Green T, Netting M & Elovaris R. Feeding Practices and Anaemia Rates of South Australian Aboriginal Infants and Young Children living in South Australia 

2020-2022  The Hospital Research Foundation, Makrides M & Netting M. Pregnancy Egg and Peanut (PrEggNut) Study

2020-2025  MRFF MRF1199617;  Makrides M, Green T, Grivell R, Cheong J, Shao Jia Z, Sullivan T, Afzali H, Best K, Gould J & Mackerras D.  Iodine supplementation in pregnancy to improve early childhood neurodevelopment: how much is enough?

2019-2024  NHMRC APP1171422; Wolfe R, Lee K J, Forbes A, Webb S, Marschner I C, Makrides M, Snelling TL, Davidson A, Heritier S & Yelland L.  Better health through better trials: A national network to develop and implement innovative clinical trials methodology 

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. 

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.  ($2,500,000)

 Completed Research Support (in the last 5 years)

2020-2020  WCH Foundation; Best K, Green T, Sullivan T, Makrides M & Skubisz M.  A pilot study to determine the level of plasma unmetabolised folic acid following prenatal multivitamin supplementation with and without folic acid. 

2018-20  Thyne Reid Foundation;  Makrides M.  Omega-3 fats to prevent preterm birth: communicating the message to pregnant women and health professionals 

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. 

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 JImproving nutrition and health outcomes for women and babies in the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program.  

2018-2019  WCH Foundation;  Netting M, Makrides M, Green T, Quinn P, Gold M.  The effects of feeding in term infants with an improved infant formula on neurodevelopmental outcomes.  

2014-2018  NHMRC Principal Research Fellowship APP1061704;  Makrides M.  Improving the outcomes of mothers and babies through nutritional interventions.  

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 Principal Supervisor Evaluating targeted omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in women to prevent prematurity: barriers and facilitators of a novel screening program Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Celine Northcott
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Stillbirths in High-Income Countries: Lifestyle, Environmental and Sociodemographic Risk Factors Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Anneka Jane Bowman
    2016 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Oxidized Lipids as Potential Mediators and Markers of Disease in Pregnancy and Development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Christopher Edward Ramsden
    2015 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Mass Deworming for Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Schistosomiasis Among Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Rehana Abdus Salam
    2014 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Closing Research Gaps for Cerebral Palsy Prevention and Magnesium Sulphate Neuroprotection Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Emily Shepherd
    2013 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Enteral Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation to Attenuate Inflammation in the Preterm Infant Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Naomi Hayden Fink
    2012 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Effects of n-3 LCPUFA supplementation for pregnant and lactating women in preventing allergic diseases in early childhood Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Anoja Wickrama Gunaratne
    2012 - 2015 Principal Supervisor The effect of Prenatal Supplementation with Omega 3 Long Chain Poly-unsaturated Fatty Acids (LCPUFA) on Childhood Allergic Disease at Six Years of Age Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Karen Best
    2011 - 2016 Principal Supervisor A Randomised Controlled Trail of DHA-Rich Fish Oil Supplementation During Pregnancy and Subsequent Development of Language in Early Childhood Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Nicola Rachael Gawlik
    2011 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Investigating the Relationship between Maternal Iodine Intake in Pregnancy and Iodine Status or Thyroid Function of Mothers and Infants. A prospective cohort study Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Dominique Condo
    2011 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Exploring the nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Lenka Malek
    2011 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Nutritional strategies for allergy prevention, diagnosis and treatment, with a specific focus on egg allergy Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Merryn Netting
    2010 - 2014 Co-Supervisor The effect of higher protein human milk fortifier on growth in preterm infants Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Jessica Reid
    2009 - 2013 Principal Supervisor A Randomised Controlled Trial of DHA-Rich Fish Oil Supplementation During Pregnancy and Subsequent Development of Attention, Working Memory and Inhibitory Control in Early Childhood Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jacqueline Gould
    2005 - 2010 Principal Supervisor The Efficiency and Safety of a Higher Protein Human Milk Fortifier on Growth for Preterm Human Milk-Fed Infants. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Jacqueline Miller
    2003 - 2005 Principal Supervisor Effect of Iron Supplementation in Pregnancy on Childhood Development: a Long Term Follow-Up of a Randomised Controlled Trial Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jo Zhou
    2003 - 2006 Principal Supervisor The Effect of Egg Ingestion on Ovalbumin Concentration in Human Milk Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Debra Palmer
    2003 - 2006 Principal Supervisor Safety and Efficacy of High Dose Docosahexaenoic Acid for the Preterm Infant Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time APrf Lisa Smithers
  • Board Memberships

    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2001 - ongoing Member International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) - -

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