Rate My Professor Zoe Yates

Dr Zoe Yates is a Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy (Applied Sciences) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where she also serves as Student Academic Conduct Officer. She earned her PhD and Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Leeds, UK. Her academic career encompasses roles such as Research Assistant in Applied Sciences at the University of Newcastle (2003-2004), Research Scientist at the University of Leeds Unit of Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology (2003), Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Nottingham (2005-2007), and University of Newcastle Research Fellow (2007-2012) in Human Molecular Nutrition in the Discipline of Applied Sciences, School of Environmental & Life Sciences.

Yates' research centers on nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology, and the genetics of disease processes, particularly examining how folate bioavailability, metabolism, nutritional status, and genetics modulate risks for heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, spina bifida, and pregnancy outcomes. She explores the biological basis of foetal programming and adult disease through maternal nutrition effects on atherosclerosis. Yates has authored or co-authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications and numerous conference papers, including "Biophysical evidence to support and extend the vitamin D-folate hypothesis as a paradigm for the evolution of human skin pigmentation" (Lucock et al., 2021, American Journal of Human Biology), "Independent and interactive influences of environmental UVR, vitamin D levels and folate variant MTHFD1-rs2236225 on homocysteine levels" (Jones et al., 2020, Nutrients), and the book chapter "Modulation of microRNA by Vitamin D in Cancer Studies" (Beckett et al., 2019). Her work has secured grants such as the Ramaciotti Foundation Establishment Grant and University of Newcastle Strategic Pilot Grant (2007). An invited speaker at the 3rd Asia Pacific Nutrigenomics Conference (Melbourne, 2008) and 2nd Nutrition Society Australia Meeting (Newcastle, 2008), Yates contributes to committees including the Nutrition Society of Australia (Newcastle) and the University Institutional Biosafety Committee. She has supervised three PhD students to completion and teaches research methods to honours and higher degree research students.