Professor Jerry Greenfield
MBBS (BSc Med), PhD, FRACP
Professor Greenfield is an Endocrinologist and Clinical researcher. He is Head of Department, Endocrinology and Director, Diabetes Services, at St Vincent’s Hospital; Head, St Vincent's Clinical Campus and Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales.
Professor Greenfield is Editorial Board member, Clinical Obesity and an Executive Council Member, Australian Diabetes Society.
He previously held an NHMRC Neil Hamilton Fairley Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, which allowed him to study in the Departments of Medicine and Clinical Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK (2005-6, Supervisors: Prof Stephen O’Rahilly and Dr Sadaf Farooqi). He undertook a PhD at the Garvan Institute from 2001-2004, under the supervision of Prof D Chisholm, Prof L Campbell and Prof K Samaras). He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine with Honours (class 1) from the University of NSW in 1995.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2023 Raven L and Greenfield JR. A phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of SGLT2 inhibition with empagliflozin on metabolic, renal and cardiac transplant recipients. Australian Diabetes Research Grant: $20,000.
2022 Humphreys S, James D, Greenfield JR (CIC), Wojtaszewski J. Mapping the beneficial effects of exercise in humans using personalised phosphoproteomics. NHMRC Ideas Grant, APP2011083: $1,348,941.
2022 Greenfield JR, Jabbour A, Hayward A, MacDonald P, Raven L Muir C. A phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of SGLT2 inhibition with empagliflozin on metabolic,renal and cardiac transplant patients. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Sr Mary Bernice Packer Family Foundation Research Grant: $120,000.
2022 Perera C, Minoti A, Zhihong X, Falasca M, Goldstein D, Greenfield JR (CI5), Hardikar A. Innovation Grant: Early Detection with a focus on Rural and Regional areas. TheAustralian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation: $99,895.
2021 Greenfield JR, Patel S, Fourlanos S, Grey S, Phan T, Ma C. Elucidating the immune and metabolic phenotype of autoantibody negative diabetes in adults. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Sr Mary Bernice Packer Family Foundation Research Grant: $120,000.
2020 Greenfield JR, Snaith J, Samocha-Bonet D, Holmes-Walker J, Girgis C. INTIMET INsulin resistance in Type 1 diabetes managed with METformin. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Tancred Research Grant: $50,000.
2020 Apte M, Perera C, Chari S, Greenfield JR (CID), Xu Z, Wilson J, Pirola R. Pancreatic Cancer-Related Diabetes: Novel Role of Pancreatic Stellate Cells. NHMRC Ideas Grant, APP1185751: $486, 000.
2019 Greenfield JR, Snaith J, Holmes-Walker J, Girgis C, Samocha-Bonet. Phenotypic Characterisation of Insulin-Sensitive and Insulin-Resistant Adults with Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Australia Research Trust Millennium Grant (Type 1): $150,000.
2019 Liu G, Morris M, Craig M, Greenfield JR, Vranes P. Smart point-of-care paper test strips towards prevention of type 2 diabetes. Biomedical Engineering Seed Fund, UNSW: $45,0817.
2019 Day R, Greenfield JR, Sevastos J, Stocker S, Samocha-Bonet D, Milder T. Vascular effects of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation SVPHS Ladies’ Committee Sister Mary Bernice Research Grant: $120,000.
2018 Greenfield JR, Samocha-Bonet D. Personalised Medicine in Prediabetes – Towards Preventing Diabetes in Individuals at Risk. St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation SVPHS Ladies’ Committee Sister Mary Bernice Research Grant: $100,000.
2017 Gregory L, Taylor J, Greenfield JR. Introducing a Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating program for type 1 diabetes. 2017 St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Research Grant: $30,000.
2017 Day R, Macdonald P, Greenfield JR, Graham G, Stocker S, Carland J. The safety and pharmacokinetics of metformin in heart failure. 2017 St Vincent’s Clinic FoundationResearch Grant: $30,000.
2017 Day R, Carland JE, Stocker SL, Norris RLG, Greenfield JR. UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme 2017: Supporting Collaborative Research. Installation of a Shimadzu Nexera X2 UHPLC in the Depart of Clinical Pharmacology: $78,431.
2016 Samocha-Bonet D, Greenfield JR. Body acid/base balance and insulin resistance in obesity. Diabetes Australia Research Trust: $60,000.
2016 Greenfield JR, Center JR. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Tancred Research Grant: $50,000
2014 Greenfield JR, Samocha-Bonet D. Insulin-sensitive obesity: is it a sustained phenotype? Anonymous* Research Foundation (*at request of Foundation): $380,000
2013 Samocha-Bonet D, Greenfield JR, Meikle PJ, Coster ACF, Tonks K. The role of sphingolipids in insulin resistance - a follow up study in humans. Diabetes Australia Research Trust: $60,000
2012 McCormack AI, Greenfield JR. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Tancred Grant: Insulin signalling pathway in cancer tissue of insulin-resistant, insulin-sensitive and type 2 diabetic humans: $66,000
2011 Greenfield JR, Swarbrick M, Lee P, Freund J, Macefield V, Dawood T. Is MC4R deficiency associated with alterations in sympathetic nervous system and brown adipose tissue activity in humans? St. Vincent’s Clinic Annual grant: $30,000
2010 Burt M, Greenfield JR, Slavotinek J, Thompson. Effect of acute and chronic glucocorticoids on carbohydrate metabolism in elderly subjects. Diabetes Australia Research Trust: $58,290
2010 Ho K, Lee P, Greenfield JR, Freund J, Bova R. Significance of brown fat in humans. St. Vincent’s Clinic Annual grant: $30,000
2010 Greenfield JR, Samoch-Bonet D, Campbell LV. St. Vincent’s Clinic Annual grant: $30,000.
2009 Greenfield JR (New Investigator, sole CIA), NHMRC Project Grant. Effect of oral glutamine on GLP-1 and insulin secretion and glycaemia in humans: $382,500
2009 Day RO, Kirkpatrick CM, Williams KM, Greenfield JR, Giacomini K, ARC Linkage Grant. $195,214
2008 James DJ, Greenfield JR. Diabetes Australia Millennium Grant (Type 2): Defining the insulin-signalling defect in human insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes: $150,000
2008 Greenfield JR, James DJ, Chisholm DJ. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Tancred Grant: $50,000
2008 Greenfield JR, Samocha-Bonet D, Viardot A, Campbell LV. Pfizer Neuro Science Grant: $50,000
2008 Greenfield JR. Diabetes Australia Research Trust: $50,000
2005 Greenfield JR. RACP Servier Cardiovascular Metabolic Fellowship: $20,000
2005 Greenfield JR. St. Vincent’s Clinic Foundation Travelling Fellowship: $10,000
2004 Greenfield JR, Chisholm DJ, Campbell LV. Cardiovascular Lipid Research Grant: $40,000
2001 Greenfield JR. NHMRC Travelling Award for Research Training Scholarship #209658: $10,000
2001 Greenfield JR. NHMRC Medical/Dental Award for Research Training (PhD) #152502
1999 Greenfield JR. Chisholm DJ. RT Hall Trust Grant
Select awards:
2020 University of NSW 2020 Arc Postgraduate Council Research Supervisor Award
2017 Ranji and Amara Wikramanayake Clinical Diabetes Award, Australia Diabetes Society
2010 Don Chisholm Fellowship, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
2005 PhD Thesis Prize, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
1989-94 Inaugural Alumni Association Scholarship, University of New South Wales
Fields of research: Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolism
Research interests:
Our recent discoveries have identified a group of overweight and obese humans who appear to be at lower risk of diabetes and heart disease than other obese individuals. A major focus of our laboratory is to establish the factors that confer this metabolic protection and to devise a set of clinical criteria that will assist in their identification in clinical practice. The outcome of this research will expand our knowledge regarding the relative importance of metabolic abnormalities, such as abdominal and liver fat, on the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. We will find out what protects the overweight and obese people and whether they remain at lower risk of metabolic disease over long periods of time.
Another focus of our group is the identification of specific genetic defects that cause diabetes and obesity in humans. The conditions we are studying are monogenic or single-gene obesity disorders (including melanocortin 4 deficiency), lipodystrophies (partial and generalised) and monogenic diabetes (previously known as MODY - Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young). Major improvement in insulin resistance after bariatric surgery in a lipodystrophy due to a novel gene has just been reported for the first time.
Other studies have established the effects of glutamine, an amino acid, on metabolism, both in isolation and in combination with a new diabetes medication. Glutamine appears to have a promising effect on glucose lowering in the post-meal state and may offer a simple, novel and effective treatment in type 2 diabetes. We are studying the effects on an alkaline diet on insulin sensitivity in humans, to determine whether there is any scientific evidence that this approach improves metabolic health.
We have undertaken collaborative studies with the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at St Vincent's Hospital to study the effects of metformin, particularly in relation to specific genetic variations in humans.
Our current focus is on investigating the potential benefits of type 2 diabetes medications (SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists) in individuals with type 1 diabetes, in order to reduce morbidity and cardiovascular mortality.