Rate My Professor Associate Damien Belobrajdic

Associate Professor Damien Belobrajdic is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in the School of Allied Health and Human Performance, College of Health, at Adelaide University, where he also holds casual teaching roles and serves as the course coordinator and owner for the undergraduate unit Human Nutrition (NUTR 2004). Previously, he was a Lecturer and Course Coordinator in Human Nutrition at the University of South Australia, UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance. Belobrajdic brings extensive experience from his tenure as Principal Research Scientist and Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, where he led a multidisciplinary team of approximately 20 researchers, postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and technicians specializing in gut health, novel foods, and nutritional trials. He completed his PhD in 2003 through the Department of Physiology at the University of Adelaide, undertaking his doctoral research at CSIRO Human Nutrition on topics such as whey protein effects on body weight and insulin sensitivity.

Belobrajdic's research specializations encompass the metabolic and gastrointestinal effects of dietary components, including wholegrain cereals and phytochemicals for type-2 diabetes prevention, high-amylose wheat on postprandial glycemic responses, whey and plant-based proteins on weight management and iron bioavailability, resistant starch in animal models, and plant-based mince on energy intake and fullness. His key publications include "A High-Whey-Protein Diet Reduces Body Weight Gain and Alters Insulin Sensitivity Relative to Red Meat in Wistar Rats" (Journal of Nutrition, 2004), "Moderate Energy Restriction-Induced Weight Loss Affects Circulating IGF Levels Independent of Dietary Composition" (European Journal of Endocrinology, 2010), "The Potential Role of Phytochemicals in Wholegrain Cereals for the Prevention of Type-2 Diabetes" (Nutrition Journal, 2013), "High-Amylose Wheat Lowers the Postprandial Glycemic Response: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial" (Journal of Nutrition, 2019), "Assessing the Effect of Plant-Based Mince on Fullness and Subsequent Energy Intake" (Nutrients, 2022), and "Assessing the Protein Quality, In Vitro Intestinal Iron Bioavailability, and Sensory Properties of a Novel Plant Protein Blend" (Nutrients, 2024). These contributions have advanced understanding of functional foods and diet in chronic disease prevention. Beyond research and teaching, he engages in science outreach through CSIRO's STEM Professionals in Schools program, delivers webinars on gut health research, and holds leadership positions as Honorary Treasurer of the Nutrition Society of Australia since 2020 and member of the Complaints Advisory Committee for the Grains & Pasta sector.