Rate My Professor Simone Bayer

Dr Simone Bayer is a Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch, Faculty of Medicine, Division of Health Sciences. She holds a Master's degree in Nutrition Science and a PhD in Pathology from the University of Otago. Born in Germany, she relocated to New Zealand in 2009 to undertake her doctoral research in the Free Radical Research Group under Professor Christine Winterbourn, investigating oxidative stress mechanisms, including neutrophil-mediated oxidation of erythrocyte peroxiredoxin 2 (published in The FASEB Journal, 2013) and accumulation of oxidized peroxiredoxin 2 in red blood cells (Transfusion, 2015). Her early work also addressed hypovitaminosis C and vitamin C deficiency in critically ill patients despite recommended intakes (Critical Care, 2017, over 500 citations) and appropriate handling of blood samples to avoid vitamin C oxidation (Antioxidants, 2018).

Bayer's current research centers on functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, functional constipation, and functional diarrhoea. She examines nutritional interventions' impacts on gastrointestinal symptoms, gut microbiome, and quality of life, such as green and gold kiwifruit for constipation relief (Nutrients, 2022; Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice & Research, 2024), mānuka honey for functional dyspepsia (JMIR Research Protocols, 2025), and bile acid malabsorption evaluation (Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2025). Other contributions include putative mechanisms of kiwifruit on normal gastrointestinal function (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2018), multi-omic analysis of gut-brain interaction disorders (Gut Microbes, 2026), and normalization protocols for constipation symptoms with kiwifruit (JMIR Research Protocols, 2026). She received the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology Young Investigator Award in 2020 for her paper on psyllium and SunGold kiwifruit treatments for constipation. Bayer serves as Treasurer of the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology, collaborating with researchers like Professors Richard Gearry and Nicholas Talley. Her work bridges nutrition science and gastroenterology, advancing dietary management of functional gut disorders.