Deanne is an Associate Professor in Biomedicine at Griffith University. She is passionate about understanding how a mothers diet, before and during pregnancy, affects the growth and development of her children.

Deanne’s team investigates the role of the diet during pregnancy on development. She is particularly interested in the omega 6 fatty acid linoleic acid, and how this affects development. Australian’s are eating more than 3 times the recommended daily intake of linoleic acid in foods such as potato chips and vegetable oil. Her research has shown that linoleic acid alters hormones important for development in a rodent model. Further, linoleic acid affects the mother’s metabolism.

Understanding the mechanism by which linoleic acid controls development, can help us to develop a public health message about how much linoleic acid should be eaten during pregnancy.

Originally from Adelaide, Deanne joined Griffith’s School of Environment and Sciences as the Deputy Dean Learning and Teaching (Sciences) in December 2016, after academic positions at The University of Melbourne, Victoria University and the University of Queensland. She was also a Postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University (USA) and The University of Sydney. She became an Associate Professor in Biomedicine in 2020.

Deanne has published over 65 scientific papers, and he recent research was featured in newspapers in a number of countries including the UK, USA, India, Ireland, Russia and France. In Australia, her research was presented on radio news bulletins and she was interviewed on radio.

Deanne is an enthusiastic ambassador of diversity in the STEM sector and reaches out to promote science career pathways to the younger generations. She is a first generation Australian, and appreciates the great opportunities science has provided to her. She enjoys meeting with high school children to talk about the wonders of science and what it means to be a scientist.

Electorate: McPherson
MP: Karen Andrews