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
| 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 |
Mia Wansbrough
Research Assistant
Tahlia Fulton
PhD student
I completed my undergraduate degree at Monash University majoring in both chemistry and genetics. For my honours year, Matt supervised my project looking at the effects of dietary pretreatment on subsequent stress tolerance. My PhD project is continuing on from my honours project with a broader scope to understand how diets can alter responses to stress. I spend my free time outside when the weather is nice, otherwise I am reading or playing video games.
Email: tlful1@student.monash.
Jiayi Lin
PhD student
I recently completed my bachelor degree in Monash University, majoring in Biomedical Science. I have a particular interest in how dietary manipulation can improve the phenotype of diseased individuals. I’m currently working on my honours project which aims to develop a diet to treat an inborn error of amino acid metabolism. Outside the lab I enjoy traveling with my families and friends.
Josh Johnstone
PhD student
I recently finished my undergraduate degree at Monash University with a major in genetics. I’ve long been interested in understanding the mechanisms of ageing, and during my honours year I investigated how lifespan is sustained when individual essential amino acids are removed from the diet of D. melanogaster. My PhD project will expand upon this work to further define the fundamental processes which are required for maintaining life. Outside the lab I enjoy hiking, reading, and playing video games.
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
Honours student
I completed my undergraduate degree at Monash University in 2022, majoring in Genetics. I am currently undertaking my honours year in which I am investigating the effects of zinc depletion in D. melanogaster. Outside the lab, I enjoy producing music.
Lab Alumni
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
