Dr Zoe Yates

Biography

Zoe is a Research Fellow in Human Molecular Nutrition in the Discipline of Applied Sciences, in the School of Environmental & Life Sciences.

Over the last decade I have developed a career in nutritional genetics. In 1999, I became a British Heart Foundation PhD Scholar at Leeds University, and as a graduate student studied the important interaction between folate status, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes that code for B-vitamin dependent enzymes and human health. The focus of my research endeavours was the role of C677T MTHFR and vascular complications. Between 2005 and 2007 I worked at the University of Nottingham examining the biological basis of foetal programming and adult disease. The study investigated the early life programming of disease, addressing the molecular mechanisms that may link foetal nutrition to later life atherosclerosis. In particular, it considered the effect of maternal under-nutrition (particularly a low protein diet) and the effect of maternal hyperlipidaemia (induced by a high fat/high cholesterol diet) during pregnancy on the subsequent development of atherosclerosis in the offspring of apoE*Leiden mice.

Currently I am appointed as a University of Newcastle Research Fellow within the School of Environmental & Life Sciences, Ourimbah campus (commenced June 2007). The purpose of this appointment is to broaden the Molecular Nutrition research portfolio to encompass a range of degenerative disorders, both related to vascular disease and cancer. More specifically I aim to develop in vitro and in vivo methodologies that examine genomic integrity and provide a simple functional measure of nutritional adequacy along with a measure of modulatory pressures exerted by common SNPs in B-vitamin related genes. Essentially, my research interests cover nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics of disease processes, in particularly how folate bioavailability, metabolism, nutritional status and genetics modulate risk of serious human conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, spina bifida and other conditions affecting pregnancy outcomes. In addition, I am interested in the very topical issues associated with mandatory fortification of grain at source with synthetic folic acid.

Since being in Australia I have been invited to speak at several conferences including the 3rd Asia Pacific Nutrigenomics Conference in Melbourne (2008) and the 2nd Meeting of Nutrition Society Australia (Newcastle, 2008). I have authored/co-authored over 35 peer-reviewed scientific publications including several in extremely high impact factor journals such as Nature Reviews Genetics, Lancet, and Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and also have a chapter in Folate and Development. Last year I obtained a Ramaciotti Foundation Establishment Grant to pursue my line of research, and in 2007 was successful in obtaining a University of Newcastle Strategic Pilot Grant to look at bitter taste phenotype, dietary pattern and nutritional genetics in the aetiopathology of human colonic adenoma/cancer.

My professional activities include being a committee member of Nutrition Society of Australia (Newcastle) and an active member of University of Newcastle's Institutional Biosafety Committee.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Leeds - UK, 2003
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Leeds - UK, 1996

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Research

Research keywords

• Folic Acid
• Genetic variations
• Nutrition

Research expertise

Over the last decade I have developed a career in nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics of disease processes, in particularly how folate bioavailability, metabolism, nutritional status and genetics modulate risk of serious human conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, spina bifida and other conditions affecting pregnancy outcomes.

An expert in several laboratory techniques.

Other research skills include; project design and management, article preparation and review, grant preparation and submission.

Collaboration

Research interests cover nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics of disease processes, in particularly how folate bioavailability, metabolism, nutritional status and genetics modulate risk of serious human conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, spina bifida and other conditions affecting pregnancy outcomes.

I am also very interested in the topical issues associated with mandatory fortification of grain at source with synthetic folic acid.

In conjunction with the above I am interested in the biological basis of foetal programming and adult disease, particularly the molecular mechanisms that may link foetal nutrition to later life atherosclerosis.

Languages

• English

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
110399	Clinical Sciences Not Elsewhere Classified	55
111500	Pharmacology And Pharmaceutical Sciences	25
111100	Nutrition And Dietetics	20

Memberships

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Member - Nutrition Society of Australia (Newcastle)

Invitations

Nutrition Society Australia (Sydney AGM) Sydney Group, Australia (Invited Presenter)	2010
2nd Meeting of Nutrition Society Australia Newcastle Group, Australia (Invited Presenter)	2008
3rd Asia Pacific Nutrigenomics Conference Nutrigenomics & Nutrigenetics, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2008

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

Laboratory management

Health & Safety

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Research Methods

Teaching expertise

To date has specialized in teaching Research Methods. Essentially providing a detailed view of the methods used in scientific research. Covering access to and critical evaluation of literature, design and conduct of experiments, handling and analysis of experimental data and the reporting and publication of results. Aspects such as generation and testing of hypotheses based on existing knowledge, generation of aims, animal and human ethics considerations and applications, health and safety issues, importance and choice of methodology including power analyses, preparation of data and statistical analyses, interpretation and publishing of results, the grant application process and the patent application process.

Also teach RHD & Honour students principles of good research practice within the laboratory.

Teaching interests

I assist in the teaching of the following courses:

Nutrition through the Human Lifecycle

Micronutrients