The University of Adelaide
Reproductive Epigenetics
Hannah’s research focuses on understanding the origins of diabetes and related disorders in very early life, as early as conception. Her studies are aimed at defining the mechanism by which the embryo responds to high glucose which accompanies diabetes during the earliest stages of pregnancy. She has shown that the embryo is able to sense glucose in the environment while in the fallopian tube and uterus and can alter its behaviour to best adjust to the high glucose exposure, adopting a metabolic profile that becomes permanently imprinted.
Dr Brown has been involved in a range of outreach activities including winning “I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here” where she interacted daily with students in a web-based forum, using the prize money, to run a 5-week program on Species Preservation at a local primary school. She has been a member of the Science Alive Team at the Robinson Research Institute and was an invited speaker at the “Careers in 5 @ Science Alive” session discussing science careers with 5000 high school students.