Garvan Institute of Medical Research / University of New South Wales
Amanda undertook PhD studies at the University of Geneva, with funding from the prestigious Swiss Government Scholarship. Amanda’s PhD was instrumental in elucidating the physiological reasons for the “dieter’s plateau”: the phenomenon of a slowing or cessation of weight loss during a slimming regime, despite continued adherence to a reduced calorie diet. Amanda and her team at the Garvan Institute investigate which neurotransmitters and receptors within the brain are involved in mediating the dieter’s plateau, and how these molecules affect reproductive function and bone physiology. The ultimate aim is to block the molecules that hinder weight loss, either by pharmaceutical or nutritional interventions, without deleterious effects on the reproductive system or bone health.