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Medicine & Health School of Biomedical Sciences

Morris Group: Environmental Determinants of Obesity

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Our research addresses critical questions concerning how provision of a varied, energy rich diet can override the control mechanisms that otherwise maintain body weight, with a particular focus on the brain-gut axis and cognitive decline, using rodent models.  

The impacts of maternal obesity, cycling between healthy and unhealthy diets, and time restricted feeding, on the nexus between metabolic health, composition of the gut microbiome and cognitive function is a key interest.  

A leading discovery from our laboratory showing paternal diet can influence offspring glucose tolerance led to a major rethink of transgenerational inheritance of metabolic disease risk in mammals.

A world leader in research into high fat diet, Margaret is the top ranked expert on ‘high fat diet’, in expertscape. 

Current projects

  • Behavioural and physiological outcomes of maternal obesity in offspring
  • The effects of poor diet on cognition, and role of the gut microbiome
  • Brain and metabolic benefits of time restricted feeding 

Highlighted publications

  1. Kendig MD; Leigh SJ; Hasebe K; Kaakoush NO; Westbrook RF; Morris MJ, 2023, 'Obesogenic Diet Cycling Produces Graded Effects on Cognition and Microbiota Composition in Rats', Molecular Nutrition and Food Research,Ìý67,Ìý
  2. Kendig MD; Leigh SJ; Morris MJ, 2021, 'Unravelling the impacts of western-style diets on brain, gut microbiota and cognition', Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, pp. 233 - 243, 
  3. Hasebe K; Kendig MD; Morris MJ, 2021, 'Mechanisms underlying the cognitive and behavioural effects of maternal obesity', Nutrients, 13, pp. 1 - 24,
  4. Leigh SJ; Kaakoush NO; Westbrook RF; Morris MJ, 2020, 'Minocycline-induced microbiome alterations predict cafeteria diet-induced spatial recognition memory impairments in rats', Translational Psychiatry,Ìý10,Ìý
  5. Ng S; Lin RCY; Laybutt DR; Barres R; Owens JA; Morris MJ, 2010, 'Chronic high-fat diet in fathers programs b-cell dysfunction in female rat offspring', Nature, 467, pp. 963 - 966, 

Our experts

Margaret Morris
Margaret Morris
Professor of Pharmacology
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Professor Margaret Morris - Group Leader

Professor Margaret Morris is a Professor of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of NSW. She uses neuropharmacological approaches to explore underlying brain mechanisms in epilepsy, obesity, diabetes, and the link between obesity and high blood pressure. 

Team members

Associated academics

Research Theme

Neuroscience | Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease |