Professor Stephen Lillioja

Stephen Lillioja was appointed to the University of Wollongong in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences and The Graduate School of Medicine in May 2007. His duties include research activity in the Faculty and teaching in the Medical school. His academic interests include the Human Genome Project, the causes of Type 2 Diabetes, and Nutrition.

Education and training

• Medicine (MB ChB) University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand (1975).
  • Internship and residency in Auckland, New Zealand.
• Endocrinology training,
  • Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
  • Endocrine Fellow, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1981/1982).
  • Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) (1983)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIDDK, Arizona, 1982-1992.
  • Pima Indian studies of Type 2 diabetes, Research Fellow then Visiting Scientist with-intent-to-tenure.
• Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (UNSW)(1996) (Lifelong Learning in the Curriculum)
• Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree by published work (UNSW) (2005).

Working and teaching back in Australia

• Director of the Diabetes and Endocrine Services at Liverpool and Fairfield Hospitals, Sydney, Australia. 1993-2007
  • Activities. Patient Care (inpatient/outpatient), developing diabetes services, setting up an endocrine specialist training program, facilitating the accreditation of the first Nurse Practitioner in south western Sydney, helping develop an Aboriginal vascular health program, teaching medical students, teaching General Practitioners, and research.
  • A small booklet about diabetes care produced for local Lions clubs has now been printed in the thousands.
• Conjoint Associate Professor UNSW. Close participation in the initial development of the new curriculum at UNSW.

Genetic research

The Pima Indians of Arizona have the highest rate of diabetes in the world. And the NIH have been studying this population for 40 years now. While working on this project, Stephen set up a collaboration with scientists at the University of Wollongong to examine the role of fatty acids in insulin resistance. The Pima studies lead Stephen to become interested in the genetic mechanisms that might underlie Type 2 Diabetes and on returning to Australia he began studies of his own to look for genes for diabetes in women with gestational diabetes. These studies are continuing at Wollongong. He has previously received an NH&MRC grant for this work.

The Human Genome project

Most if not all human characteristics have a genetic component. The result is that both physical appearance and even behaviour runs in families. Disease and the predisposition to disease also run in families, and Type 2 diabetes is one of these diseases. The human genome is the DNA that contains all our genes. The human genome project has determined the sequence of the 3 billion DNA base pair units that is found in our genome. It is this DNA that regulates and organizes the activity in every human cell. This knowledge is fostering an increase in understanding the relationship of genes and disease and such studies are poised to revolutionize medical care. Stephen’s interest is in the application of this genome knowledge to helping those with Diabetes and other diseases.

Some Key References

• Lillioja S. Mott DM. Howard BV. Bennett PH. Yki-Jarvinen H. Freymond D. Nyomba BL. Zurlo F. Swinburn B. Bogardus C. Impaired glucose tolerance as a disorder of insulin action. Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in Pima Indians. New England Journal of Medicine. 318(19):1217-25, 1988 May 12.
• Lillioja S. Mott DM. Spraul M. Ferraro R. Foley JE. Ravussin E. Knowler WC. Bennett PH. Bogardus C. Insulin resistance and insulin secretory dysfunction as precursors of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Prospective studies of Pima Indians. New England Journal of Medicine. 329(27):1988-92, 1993 Dec 30.
• Pan DA. Lillioja S. Kriketos AD. Milner MR. Baur LA. Bogardus C. Jenkins AB. Storlien LH. Skeletal muscle triglyceride levels are inversely related to insulin action. Diabetes. 46(6):983-8, 1997 Jun.
• Pan DA. Lillioja S. Milner MR. Kriketos AD. Baur LA. Bogardus C. Storlien LH. Skeletal muscle membrane lipid composition is related to adiposity and insulin action. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 96(6):2802-8, 1995 Dec.
• Castillo C. Bogardus C. Bergman R. Thuillez P. Lillioja S. Interstitial insulin concentrations determine glucose uptake rates but not insulin resistance in lean and obese men. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 93(1):10-6, 1994 Jan.
• Lillioja S. Mott DM. Zawadzki JK. Young AA. Abbott WG. Knowler WC. Bennett PH. Moll P. Bogardus C. In vivo insulin action is familial characteristic in nondiabetic Pima Indians. Diabetes.36(11):1329-35, 1987 Nov.
• Lillioja S. Young AA. Culter CL. Ivy JL. Abbott WG. Zawadzki JK. Yki-Jarvinen H. Christin L. Secomb TW. Bogardus C. Skeletal muscle capillary density and fiber type are possible determinants of in vivo insulin resistance in man. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 80(2):415-24, 1987 Aug.

Email addresses are in the form alias@uow.edu.au

Last reviewed: 13 June, 2008