Newcastle University

Qualifications

BSc Hons Pharmacology, Newcastle University

BBSRC funded Ph.D. in Molecular Nutrition and Biochemistry, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences. Supervisor: Professor Dianne Ford.

Title of thesis: Genetic influences on inter-individual variation in soyabean isoflavone absorption and metabolism.

Research Interests

My research focuses on dietary polyphenols, from genetic differences that may influence variation in polyphenol metabolism to the ability of these polyphenols to mimic the beneficial effects seen with dietary restriction on ageing.

Consumption of soyabean isoflavones may have a number of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Intervention studies with the supplementation of isoflavones have revealed inconsistent results on clinical effectiveness. There is large inter-individual variation in isoflavone bioavailability which cannot be explained fully by studies investigating soya matrix, microbial action, gender or age alone. The overall aim of the study was to establish if genotype influences the metabolism of a single, bolus, oral dose of soyabean isoflavones. To achieve this I have conducted a pilot human nutrition study, involving over 200 women in the Clinical Research Facility, RVI.

Another area of my research is to investigate if dietary polyphenols can alter epigenetic modifications on histones and DNA, alterations that may be benefical in the ageing process.

A recent model I have been exploring to assess the effect of diet on DNA methylation and lifespan is the Honeybee. Honeybees have similar methylation machinery to humans and it has been shown that a change in diet early in a bees life can dramatically alter the life outcome of the bee (lifespan and reproductive capcacity are hugely altered); changes in DNA methylation also coincide with these dietary effects. 

 Member of Human Nutrition Research Centre (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/hnrc/) and Epithelial Research Group (http://research.ncl.ac.uk/epithelia/)

Part-time Lecturer Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne

Nutritional Studies Module CH0384

Jan 2011- present 

Undergraduate seminars Newcastle University

Supervision and training of PhD students  

• Ions LJ, Wakeling LA, Bosomworth HJ, Hardyman JEJ, Escolme SM, Swan DC, Valentine RA, Mathers JC, Ford D. Effects of Sirt1 on DNA methylation and expression of genes affected by dietary restriction. Age 2013, (epub ahead of print).
• Wakeling LA, Ford D. Polymorphisms in genes involved in the metabolism and transport of soy isoflavones affect the urinary metabolite profile in premenopausal women following consumption of a commercial soy supplement as a single bolus dose. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 2012, 56(12), 1794-1802.
• Wakeling LA, Alatawi F, Ions LJ, Hesketh J, Ford D. SIRT1-independent epigenetic effects of resveratrol mediated through the estrogen receptor. In: Experimental Biology. 2012, San Diego, California, USA: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
• Ford D, Ions LJ, Alatawi F, Wakeling LA. The potential role of epigenetic responses to diet in ageing. In: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society: A joint meeting of the Nutrition Society and the UK Molecular Epidemiology Group. 2011, London: Cambridge University Press.
• Ions L, Wakeling L, Ford D. Can soyabean isoflavones mimic the effects of energy restriction on healthy ageing?. Nutrition Bulletin 2009, 34(3), 303-308.
• Wakeling LA, Ions LJ, Ford D. Could Sirt1-mediated epigenetic effects contribute to the longevity response to dietary restriction and be mimicked by other dietary interventions?. Age 2009, 31(4), 327-341.
• Wakeling L, Ford D. Genetic influences on interindividual variability in soybean isoflavone absorption and metabolism. In: International Research Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Cancer. 2007, Washington, DC: Journal of Nutrition, American Society for Nutrition.
• Wakeling LA, McGarr EF, Ford D. The association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with beta-glucosidase activity in oral epithelium. In: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2006, Aberdeen, Scotland: Cambridge University Press.