Professor Leonidas Karagounis

Professor Leonidas Karagounis

Professor, Research Translation & Enterprise

Areas of expertise: nutrition; integrative physiology; metabolic health; aging; physical activity; chrono-nutrition.

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2403-3387

Email: Leonidas.Karagounis@acu.edu.au 

Location: ACU Melbourne Campus

Professor Leonidas Karagounis is a researcher in human nutrition science and metabolism at the Australian Catholic University’s Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, where he leads Research Translation & Enterprise efforts as part of the institute's executive team.

With a BSc in Nutritional Biochemistry and a PhD in Molecular Nutrition & Physiology from the University of Nottingham Medical School in the UK, his career spans academia and global industry—including postdoctoral research in China and senior roles at Nestlé Research and Nestlé Health Science in Switzerland.

Professor Karagounis has over 20 years of experience investigating the effect of nutrition and lifestyle on muscle metabolism, aging, physical activity, and metabolic disease with a strong track record of peer reviewed publications. His work includes landmark trials in dietary protein intake and nutraceutical research across age groups, several patents, and translation of his research into the development and commercial launch of scientifically proven nutritional products in the areas of childhood growth & development, healthy aging and metabolic health.

He holds an adjunct professorship at the University of Bern and is a member of the Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute in Greece. He also serves on several scientific advisory boards and is on the Executive Board of Siftlink, an AI focused health science startup in Switzerland delivering precision innovation by integrating advanced analytics and AI in biology and chemistry for the development of nutrition, skincare & pharma products.

Select publications

  • Trigonelline is an NAD+ precursor that improves muscle function during ageing and is reduced in human sarcopenia.
    Membrez M, Migliavacca E, Christen S, Yaku K, Trieu J, Lee AK, Morandini F, Giner MP, Stiner J, Makarov MV, Garratt ES, Vasiloglou MF, Chanvillard L, Dalbram E, Ehrlich AM, Sanchez-Garcia JL, Canto C, Karagounis LG, Treebak JT, Migaud ME, Heshmat R, Razi F, Karnani N, Ostovar A, Farzadfar F, Tay SKH, Sanders MJ, Lillycrop KA, Godfrey KM, Nakagawa T, Moco S, Koopman R, Lynch GS, Sorrentino V, Feige JN. Nat Metab. 2024
  • Evaluating the Impact of Urolithin A Supplementation on Running Performance, Recovery, and Mitochondrial Biomarkers in Highly Trained Male Distance Runners.
    Whitfield J, McKay AKA, Tee N, McCormick R, Morabito A, Karagounis LG, Fouassier AM, D'Amico D, Singh A, Burke LM, Hawley JA. Sports Med. 2025
  • Associations between muscle mass and strength and bone microarchitecture in Caucasian postmenopausal women.
    Gandham A, Vandenput L, Turbic A, MacRae M, Nassar H, Kolterman OG, Perlman A, Thompson ME, Karagounis LG, Lorentzon M. Osteoporos Int. 2025
  • Oleuropein Supplementation Increases Resting Skeletal Muscle Fractional Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Activity but Does Not Influence Whole-Body Metabolism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Trial in Healthy, Older Males.
    Pinckaers PJ, Petrick HL, Horstman AM, Moreno-Asso A, De Marchi U, Hendriks FK, Kuin LM, Fuchs CJ, Grathwohl D, Verdijk LB, Zorenc AH, Senden JM, Migliavacca E, Metairon S, Poquet L, Morin-Rivron D, Karagounis LG, Holloway GP, Feige JN, van Loon LJ. J Nutr. 2025
  • The polyphenol metabolite urolithin A suppresses myostatin expression and augments glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle cells.
    Wilhelmsen A, Karagounis LG, Bennett AJ, D'Amico D, Fouassier AM, Jones SW, Tsintzas K. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2025
  • Effect of medium-chain triglycerides and whey protein isolate preloads on glycaemia in type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover study.
    Pabla P, Mallinson J, Nixon A, Keeton M, Cooper S, Marshall M, Jacques M, Brown S, Johansen OE, Cuenoud B, Karagounis LG, Tsintzas K. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025
  • Dose response effects of theacrine on cognitive performance and subsequent sleep.
    Gardiner CL, Weakley J, Leota J, Burke LM, Karagounis LG, Russell S, Johnston RD, Townshend A, Halson SL. Sci Rep. 2024
  • Nicotinamide and pyridoxine stimulate muscle stem cell expansion and enhance regenerative capacity during aging.
    Ancel S, Michaud J, Migliavacca E, Jomard C, Fessard A, Garcia P, Karaz S, Raja S, Jacot GE, Desgeorges T, Sánchez-García JL, Tauzin L, Ratinaud Y, Brinon B, Métairon S, Pinero L, Barron D, Blum S, Karagounis LG, Heshmat R, Ostovar A, Farzadfar F, Scionti I, Mounier R, Gondin J, Stuelsatz P, Feige JN. J Clin Invest. 2024
  • Characterising 24-h skeletal muscle gene expression alongside metabolic & endocrine responses under diurnal conditions.
    Smith HA, Templeman I, Davis M, Slater T, Clayton DJ, Varley I, James LJ, Middleton B, Johnston JD, Karagounis LG, Tsintzas K, Thompson D, Gonzalez JT, Walhin JP, Betts JA. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2024
  • Mapping of Dietary Interventions Beneficial in the Prevention of Secondary Health Conditions in Spinal Cord Injured Population: A Systematic Review.
    Stojic S, Eriks-Hoogland I, Gamba M, Valido E, Minder B, Chatelan A, Karagounis LG, Ballesteros M, Díaz C, Brach M, Stoyanov J, Diviani N, Rubinelli S, Perret C, Glisic M. J Nutr Health Aging. 2023
  • A meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of alternate day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time-restricted eating for weight loss.
    Elortegui Pascual P, Rolands MR, Eldridge AL, Kassis A, Mainardi F, Lê KA, Karagounis LG, Gut P, Varady KA. Obesity. 2022
  • A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial in Healthy Older Adults to Determine
    Efficacy of Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine Supplementation on Glutathione Redox Status and Oxidative Damage
    Lizzo G, Migliavacca E, Lamers D, Frézal D, Corthesy J, Vinyes-Parès G, Bosco N, Karagounis LG, Hövelmann U, Heise T, Eynatten M, Gut P. Front Aging. 2022
  • Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation Interferes with Anabolic and Catabolic Characteristics of the Aged Human Skeletal Muscle.
    Draganidis D, Jamurtas AZ, Chondrogianni N, Mastorakos G, Jung T, Grune T, Papadopoulos C, Papanikolaou K, Papassotiriou I, Papaevgeniou N, Poulios A, Batrakoulis A, Deli CK, Georgakouli K, Chatzinikolaou A, Karagounis LG, Fatouros IG.
    Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021
  • A randomized controlled trial to isolate the effects of fasting and energy restriction on weight loss and metabolic health in lean adults
    Templeman I, Smith H.A, Chowdhury E, Chen Y.C, Carroll H, Johnson-Bonson D, Hengist A, Smith R, Creighton J, Clayton D, Varley I, Karagounis LG, Wilhelmsen A, Tsintzas K, Reeves S, Walhin JP, Gonzalez JT, Thompson D, Betts JA
    Science Translational Medicine, 2021
  • Ingestion of a pre-bedtime protein containing beverage prevents overnight induced negative whole-body protein balance in healthy elderly men Karagounis LG, Beaumont M, Donato-Capel L, Godin JP, Kapp AF, Draganidis D, Pinaud S, Vuichoud J, Shevlyakova M, Rade-Kukic K, Breuille D Front Nutr. 2019
  • Protein Intake at Breakfast Promotes a Positive Whole-Body Protein Balance in a Dose-Response Manner in Healthy Children: A Randomized Trial.
    Karagounis LG, Volterman KA, Breuillé D, Offord EA, Emady-Azar S, Moore DR.
    J Nutr. 2018
  • Dietary protein intake in school-age children and detailed measures of body composition: the Generation R Study.
    Jen V, Karagounis LG, Jaddoe VWV, Franco OH, Voortman T.
    Int J Obes 2018
  • Transcriptomic analyses reveal rhythmic and CLOCK-driven pathways in human skeletal muscle.
    Perrin L, Loizides-Mangold U, Chanon S, Gobet C, Hulo N, Isenegger L, Weger BD, Migliavacca E, Charpagne A, Betts JA, Walhin JP, Templeman I, Stokes K, Thompson D, Tsintzas K, Robert M, Howald C, Riezman H, Feige JN, Karagounis LG, Johnston JD, Dermitzakis ET, Gachon F, Lefai E, Dibner C.
    Elife. 2018
  • Effect of resistance training and protein intake pattern on myofibrillar protein synthesis and proteome kinetics in older men in energy restriction.
    Murphy CH, Shankaran M, Churchward-Venne TA, Mitchell CJ, Kolar NM, Burke LM, Hawley JA, Kassis A, Karagounis LG, Li K, King C, Hellerstein M, Phillips SM.
    J Physiol. 2018
  • Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN) - Terminology Consensus Project process and outcome.
    Tremblay MS, Aubert S, Barnes JD, Saunders TJ, Carson V, Latimer-Cheung AE, Chastin SFM, Altenburg TM, Chinapaw MJM; SBRN Terminology Consensus Project Participants.
    Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017
  • Protein and Energy Intakes Are Skewed toward the Evening among Children and Adolescents in the United States: NHANES 2013-2014.
    Mathias KC, Almoosawi S, Karagounis LG.
    J Nutr. 2017
  • Postexercise Dietary Protein Ingestion Increases Whole-Body Leucine Balance in a Dose-Dependent Manner in Healthy Children.
    Volterman KA, Moore DR, Breithaupt P, Godin JP, Karagounis LG, Offord EA, Timmons BW.
    J Nutr. 2017
  • A Systematic Review of the Effects of Plant Compared with Animal Protein Sources on Features of Metabolic Syndrome.
    Chalvon-Demersay T, Azzout-Marniche D, Arfsten J, Egli L, Gaudichon C, Karagounis LG, Tomé D.
    J Nutr. 2017
  • Amino Acid Composition of Breast Milk from Urban Chinese Mothers.
    Garcia-Rodenas CL, Affolter M, Vinyes-Pares G, De Castro CA, Karagounis LG, Zhang Y, Wang P, Thakkar SK.
    Nutrients. 2016.
  • Screen-based sedentary behavior and associations with functional strength in 6-15 year-old children in the United States.
    Edelson LR, Mathias KC, Fulgoni VL 3rd, Karagounis LG.
    BMC Public Health. 2016
  • Hypoenergetic diet-induced reductions in myofibrillar protein synthesis are restored with resistance training and balanced daily protein ingestion in older men.
    Murphy CH, Churchward-Venne TA, Mitchell CJ, Kolar NM, Kassis A, Karagounis LG, Burke LM, Hawley JA, Phillips SM.
    Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2015

Funding

  • Unilever
  • NURITAS
  • NSW Government
  • Mrs Toddy’s Tonics
  • Gnosis
  • Nestlé Health Science

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Adjunct Professor, University of Bern
  • Member of the Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute (MLMI)
  • Sedentary Behaviour Research Network (SBRN)
  • Medical Advisory Board Member, Vital Proteins
  • Board of Directors, Siftlink
  • CSO, The Neat Science

Academic Collaborations

  • The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
  • Inselspital Bern University Hospital, Switzerland
  • University of Bath, United Kingdom
  • University of Thessaly, Greece
  • Copenhagen University Hospitals, Denmark
  • Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia
  • Baker HDI, Australia
  • University of Hasanuddin, Indonesia
  • Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

Patents

  • EP4262776A1
    • Compositions and methods using at least one glycine or derivative thereof and/or at least one n-acetylcysteine or derivative thereof, and at least one thymol and/or carvacrol
  • AU2014217764A1
    • Food composition and its use against dehydration in children
  • JP2019076104A
    • To provide a non-therapeutic method designed to restore and/or maintain a positive net protein balance in children, in children after a physical exercise causing a protein degradation

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