Meet the research team
Main Study Co-ordinators
Mirei Okada,
PhD Candidate
Study Co-ordinator
Mirei is a current PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Andrew Holmes, Assoc. Prof. Sarah Maguire, and Prof. Stephen Simpson. She aspires to help the wider community by integrating the areas of the gastrointestinal and mental health fields, allowing further opportunities to tackle difficult areas in biomedical translational research. Mirei is a study coordinator for this study and will be mostly running Part 2, working with participants to collect important bio-samples for analysis.
Melissa Pehlivan,
PhD Candidate
Study Co-ordinator
Melissa is a current PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Sarah Maguire and Prof. Stephen Touyz. She hopes to further our understanding of why and how young people diet, as well as the emotional impacts of dieting. Melissa is also a study coordinator on the study and will be mostly running Part 1, recruiting new participants and encouraging continuing participants to complete the study surveys throughout their dieting journey.
The Collaborators
Assoc. Prof. Andrew Holmes,
Coordinating Principal Investigator
A/Prof. Holmes is a microbial ecologist, specialising in the gut microbiome.
Assoc. Prof. Sarah Maguire,
Co-Investigator
A./Prof Maguire is a clinical psychologist with expertise in eating and dieting.
Prof. Stephen Simpson,
Co-Investigator
Prof. Simpson is a nutritional biologist specialising in human health and aspects on the ecology of feeding and precision nutrition.
Prof. Stephen Touyz,
Co-Investigator
Dr Jane Miskovic-Wheatley,
Co-Investigator
Dr Miskovic-Wheatley is a clinical psychologist with expertise in eating and dieting.
Prof. Ian Caterson,
Co-Investigator
Prof. Caterson is a professor in human nutrition, specialising in obesity and weight management
Prof. Touyz is a clinical psychologist and mental health advisor, specialising in eating and dieting.
Sarah Barakat,
Co-Investigator
Sarah is a registered psychologist, completing her combined Masters of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Sydney.