Lab Members
Matt Piper
Dietary restriction (DR or calorie restriction) is an evolutionarily conserved intervention that extends healthy lifespan. I am interested in the nutrients and molecular mechanisms required to elicit this effect – in particular the role of protein. Knowledge of these interactions will aid our understanding of the role of nutrient balance in adult health, appetite and longevity.
Email: matthew.piper@monash.edu
Twitter: @mattpiperlab
| 2021 – present | Associate Professor |
| 2020 – 2021 | Senior Lecturer, Monash University |
| 2016 – 2020 | ARC Future Fellow, Monash University |
| 2010 – 2016 | Royal Society University Senior Research Fellow, UCL |
| 2002 – 2010 | Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UCL |
| 2001 – 2002 | Tenure-track researcher, Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands |
| 1997 – 2001 | PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, UNSW, Australia |
| 1996 – | Honours [First Class] Molecular Genetics, UNSW, Australia |
| 1993 – 1995 | Bachelor of Science, University of Adelaide, Australia |
Funding
| 2025-2029 | National Health and Medical Research Council | Ideas Grant |
| 2025-2028 | Australian Research Council | Discovery Project |
| 2022 – 2023 | Longevity Impetus Grant | |
| 2020 – 2022 | National Health and Medical Research Centre | Ideas Grant |
| 2016 – 2020 | Australian Research Council | Future Fellowship |
| 2012 | Wellcome Trust | Wellcome Trust People Awards |
| 2012 | UCL Crucible Centre | Art/science collaboration |
| 2012 | AGE UK | Art/science collaboration |
| 2012 – 2015 | Royal Society | URF research grant |
| 2011 – 2016 | Royal Society | University Research Fellowship |
| 2011 – 2014 | BBSRC | New Investigator Award |
| 2011 – 2015 | UCL Crucible Centre (Medical Research Council) | 4y PhD studentship |
Louise Cardamone
Research Assistant
Sweta Sarmah
PhD student
I obtained my Undergraduate degree in Medical Biotechnology in the year 2017 from Sikkim Manipal University (SMU), India. In 2018, I received a scholarship to pursue my Masters at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. During my Masters I studied the Insulin/IGF-1-like signaling (IIS) pathway and identified the regulators of DAF-16/FOXO expression which participate in DAF-16-mediated lifespan and dauer regulation. Now, during my PhD, I envisage to understand the effect of metal ions in lifespan and reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster, and the molecular mechanisms for controlling oogenesis in response to metal ion deficiency. Outside academia, I like photography, cooking, reading and exploring Melbourne.
James del Tito
PhD student
After completing my undergraduate degree at Monash with a major in genetics, I joined the Piper Lab as an Honours student in 2023. During this time I investigated the role of dietary zinc in D. melanogaster males. Now, for my PhD, I am exploring how organ decline varies with genotype and diet in an effort to understand the diversity of ageing. Outside the lab, I enjoy producing music and reading.
Matteo Forte
PhD student
With a BSc and MSc in Food Technologies and a MSc in Food and Health, I transitioned from studying how food is produced to exploring how it shapes the aging process. My PhD research focuses on the evolutionary links between diet, lifespan, and reproductive fitness in D. melanogaster, examining the effects of amino acid and micronutrient restrictions. I investigate major conserved nutrient-sensing pathways involved in aging, with the aim of identifying potential targets for age-related interventions. I’m also passionate about sport nutrition, I practice triathlon, and I love discovering Australia.
Lab Alumni
Dr Josh Johnstone – Phd student
Title of Research: The role of GCN2 in somatic maintenance and ageing
Dr Jiayi Lin – Phd student
Title of Research: Defining Dietary Treatments for Human Sulfur-containing Amino Acid Disorders Using Drosophila melanogaster.
Dr Tahlia Fulton – Phd student
Title of Research: The Role of Amino Acids in Stress Tolerance.
Dr Krithika Balagopal – Phd student
Title of Research: What is the cost of infection? Examining the role of macro- and micro- nutrients in shaping infection costs
Dr Brooke Zanco – Phd student
Title of Research: The role of sterols in mediating the effects of dietary restriction in Drosophila melanogaster females
Dr Javier Gomez – Phd student
Title of Research: The role of dietary amino acids in shaping Drosophila melanogaster reproduction and lifespan
Carolyn Ma – Masters Student
Study scientist at Applied Insect Science, UK
Arani Azim – Masters Student
Title of Research: Determining The Role Of Drosophila Salt Inducible Kinase 3 In Animal Growth In Relation To Dietary Nutrients
Jeanie Heer – Honours student
Title of Research: All amino acids are essential, but some amino acids are more essential than others
Annelise Quig – Honours student
Title of Research: Diet as a Treatment for Inborn Errors of Amino Acid Metabolism
Damian de Zilva – Honours student
Title of Research: The effects of “Sterol limitation on the physiology of Drosophila melanogaster
Oliver Anderson – Honours student
Title of Research: Modelling a fly model of phenylketonuria.
Lisa Rapley – Honours student
Title of Research: How diet, specifically protein, impacts immune function
Helen Rushby – Honours student
Title of Research: Flies, smell and appetite
Rob di Paolo – Honours student
Title of Research: Drosophila microbiota and amino acid supply
Andrea Chan – Honours student
Title of Research: Amino acid deficits and toxicity hardening
Sasha Pollock – Honours student
Title of Research: The role of essential amino acids in lifespan
Iris Bouwmeester – Dutch visiting student
Title of Research: Flies, nutrition and cold stress
Amy Dedman – Research Assistant
Mia Wansbrough – Research Assistant
