Programming and development

Focus

Diabetes and metabolic diseases
Inflammation and infectious diseases
Neuroscience and neurological disorders
Respiratory health

 

Group leaders

Associate Professor Hui Chen

 

Group members

Dr George Herok

The major interest of my research is on the factors affecting foetal development and health outcomes in multiple organ systems. Developmental markers have been the centre of my research.

Recently, the long term impact of intrauterine environmental changes has been extended into the risk of chronic disease in the offspring. The primary outcomes include neurocognitive disorder (learning and memory disorders), respiratory disorders (asthma and COPD), and metabolic disorders (fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes). The secondary outcomes include chronic kidney disease.

The models include maternal obesity, maternal cigarette smoking, maternal e-cigarette smoking, and maternal inhalation of air pollutant. Increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are the putative/proposed pathways.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.