Dr Sophie Broome
Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Human Performance & Metabolism
Areas of expertise: exercise, nutrition, skeletal muscle physiology, redox signaling, mitochondria, antioxidants
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4163-7847
Phone: +613 9230 8242
Email: Sophie.Broome@acu.edu.au
Location: ACU Melbourne Campus
Dr Sophie Broome completed her PhD in the Nutrition Department at the University of Auckland in 2022, following a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences from the University of Leeds in 2016. Her doctoral research explored the role of mitochondria in exercise-induced redox signalling and skeletal muscle adaptation. In 2022, Sophie joined Australian Catholic University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, where her research focuses on understanding redox signalling networks involved in muscle adaptation and disease. She is also particularly interested in the potential of targeted antioxidant interventions for muscle-related diseases.
Select publications
- Broome S.C., Whitfield J., Karagounis LG., Hawley, JA. Mitochondria at nutritional targets to maintain muscle health and physical function during ageing. Sports Medicine. 2024.
- Hedges C.P., Shetty B., Broome S.C., MacRae C., Koutsifeli P., Buckels E.J., MacIndoe C., Boix J., Tsiloulis T., Matthews B.G., Sinha S., Arendse M., Jaiswal J.K., Mellow K.M., Hickey A.J.R., Shepherd P.R., Merry T.L. Dietary supplementation of clinically utilized PI3K p110α inhibitor extends the lifespan of male and female mice. Nature Aging. 2023
- Broome SC, Pham T, Braakhuis AJ, Narang R, Wang H, Hickey AJR, Mitchell CJ, Merry TL. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant supplementation augments acute exercise-induced increases in muscle PGC1α mRNA and improves training-induced increases in peak power independent of mitochondrial content and function in untrained middle-aged men. Redox Biology. 2022
- Broome SC, Atiola RD, Braakhuis AJ, Mitchell CJ, Merry TM. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant supplementation does not affect muscle soreness or recovery of maximal voluntary isometric contraction force following muscle-damaging exercise in untrained men: a randomised clinical trial. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2022.
- Xirouchaki CE, Jia Y, McGrath MJ, Greatorex S, Tran M, Merry TL, Hong D, Eramo MJ, Broome SC, Woodhead JST, D'souza RF, Gallagher J, Salimova E, Huang C, Schittenhelm RB, Sadoshima J, Watt MJ, Mitchell CA, Tiganis T. Skeletal muscle NOX4 is required for adaptive responses that prevent insulin resistance. Science Advances. 2021, 7, 51.
- Broome SC, Braakhuis AJ, Mitchell CJ, Merry TM. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant supplementation improves 8 km time trial performance in middle-aged trained male cyclists. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2021, 18,
- Pham T, MacRae CL, Broome SC, D'Souza RF, Narang R, Wang HW, Mori TA, Hickey AJ, Mitchell CJ, Merry TL. MitoQ and CoQ10 supplementation mildly suppresses skeletal muscle mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide levels without impacting mitochondrial function in middle aged men. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2020, 120.
- Broome SC,Woodhead JST, Merry TL. Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants and Skeletal Muscle Function. Antioxidants, 2018, 7, 107.
Grant funding
European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Research Fellowship (2024-2026)
Cabrini Foundation Grant (2024-2026)
Australian Catholic University Early Career Research Grant (2023)
Awards
- Society for Free Radical Research International Travel Grant (2025)
- FMHS PGSA Top Original Research Article Award University of Auckland (2021)
- Dean's List, Sports and Exercise Sciences, University of Leeds (2016)
- Adamson Prize, University of Leeds (2016)
- Biological Sciences Excellence Scholarship, University of Leeds (2012)
