Our people

MMIHR includes leading researchers with a proven track record and international reputation for research excellence, as well as up-and-coming researchers in the field.

Together the team brings passion, expertise and the determination to make a difference in communities through research addressing today’s most pressing health challenges.

Meet our Executive Team

Institute Director

Professor John Hawley

Deputy Director

Associate Professor Orly Lacham Kaplan

Professor of Research, Translation and Enterprise 

Dr Leonardis Karagounis 

Our Research Programs 

• Behaviour, Environment and Cognition Research Program,
• Bone Health and Fractures Research Program 
• Exercise and Nutrition Research Program 

Honorary Appointments 

• Professor Bruce E. Kemp - awarded 10 July 2022 in recognition of his work concerned with the structure and function of metabolic regulatory enzyme AMPK and its signaling pathways. 

Professorial Fellows 

• Professor Louise M. Burke OAM - sports dietitian with 40 years of experience in the education and counselling of elite athletes. Sports nutrition, exercise metabolism, supplements, low energy availability and ketogenic diet are her areas of expertise. 
• Professor John A. Kanis - involvements of many disciplines applied to metabolic bone disease. These include basic and clinical research, epidemiology, health technology assessment and health economics. 
• Dr Michael McClung - work within in osteoporosis and possible therapy treatments, metabolic bone disease and evaluation of fracture risk
• Professor Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen - expert in environmental exposure assessment, epidemiology and health risk/impact assessment with a strong focus and interest on healthy urban living. 
• Professor James F. Sallis - promotion of physical activity and understanding the role of policies and environments in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, nutrition and obesity. 
• Professor Luc van Loon - international research standing in the area of skeletal muscle metabolism.