Dr. Margaret Morris

Biography

Professor Margaret Morris is an Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales in the School of Biomedical Sciences. Her research primarily uses neuropharmacological approaches to explore underlying brain mechanisms related to epilepsy, obesity, and diabetes. She has developed models of voluntary high-fat feeding in rats and mice, focusing on the impact of parental obesity on early childhood events and the associated metabolic and cardiovascular risks for offspring. Her lab has extensively studied maternal obesity and its effects on offspring health, particularly the influence of paternal obesity as demonstrated in research published in Nature (2010). Major questions she investigates include how varied, energy-rich diets might override regulatory controls that maintain body weight, as well as the links between poor diet and behavior, including the role of the gut microbiome. Professor Morris' findings also highlight the behavioral benefits of voluntary exercise in offsetting the negative impacts of early life stress, rather than solely focusing on dietary factors.

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