Professor Louise Maple-Brown

Deputy Director (Research); Senior Principal Research Fellow

Qualifications:

PhD, University of New South Wales, 2006; Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Sydney, 1996; Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 2003.

Approved level of HDR supervision at Charles Darwin University:

Principal Supervisor for PhD

Location:

Darwin - Royal Darwin Hospital campus

Biography:

Louise Maple-Brown is a Senior Endocrinologist at the Royal Darwin Hospital (NT, Australia), Deputy Director Research (April 2023) and Senior Principal Research Fellow at Menzies.

Louise established and leads the Diabetes across the Lifecourse: Northern Australian Partnership. The partnership includes several large NHMRC-funded projects, including the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Models of Care, Northern Territory and Far North Queensland Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership and The PANDORA (Pregnancy And Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia) Cohort Study.

After completing the majority of her physician and endocrinology training at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Louise moved to Darwin in 2002 to pursue her passion of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities to improve health outcomes. Louise was Head of Department of Endocrinology at Royal Darwin Hospital (2012-2022) and founded the NT Diabetes Network in 2018 (inaugural Chair 2018 -2022). She was a member of the Australian Diabetes Society Council (2014-2022) and the Council of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (2011-2014). Louise has been providing clinical diabetes services to urban and remote NT communities for over 20 years. She is a current member of the NT Clinical Senate.

In 2020 Louise was awarded the Australian Diabetes Society Ranji and Amara Wikramanayake clinical Diabetes Mid-Career Research award and in 2021, Louise was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. 

 

Research Themes
  1. Maple-Brown, L.J., Graham, S., McKee, J., & Wickow, B. (2020). Walking the path together: incorporating Indigenous knowledge in diabetes research. The Lancet  Diabetes & Endocrinology, 8(7), 559-560.
  2. Maple-Brown, L.J., & Hampton, D. (2020). Indigenous cultures with similar colonisation history share the challenge of intergenerational diabetes. Lancet Global Health (Invited Commentary), 8(5), e619-e620. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)20072-3 
  3. Maple-Brown, L., Hughes, J., Chatfield, M., Ward, L.C., Piers, L.S., Jones, G.D., et al. (2015). Adding measures of body composition to the CKD-EPI GFR estimating equation in Indigenous Australians: the eGFR study. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 65(4): 632-4.
  4. Edwards, L., Connors, C., Whitbread, C., Brown, A., Oats, J., & Maple-Brown, L. (2014). Improving health service delivery for women with diabetes in pregnancy in remote Australia: survey of care in the Northern Territory diabetes in pregnancy partnership. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 54(6): 534-40. 
  5. Maple-Brown, L., Hughes, J.T., Lu, Z.X., Jeyaraman, K., Lawton, P., Jones, G.R.D., et al. (2014). Serum vitamin D levels, diabetes and cardio-metabolic risk factors in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome, 6: 78.
  6. Maple-Brown, L.J., Ekinci, E.I., Hughes, J.T., Chatfield, M., Lawton, P.D., Jones, G.R.D., et al. (2014). Performance of formulas for estimating glomerular filtration rate in Indigenous Australians with and without type 2 diabetes: the eGFR study.  Diabetic Medicine, 31(7): 829-38.
  7. Maple-Brown, L.J., Brimblecombe, J., Connelly, P.W., Harris, S.B., Mamakeesick, M., Zinman, B., et al. (2013). Similarities and differences in cardiometabolic risk factors among remote Aboriginal Australian and Canadian cohorts. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 100: 133-141.
  8. Maple-Brown, L.J., Ye, C., Hanley, A.J., Connelly, P.W., Sermer, M., Zinman, B., et al. (2012). Maternal pre-gravid weight is the primary determinant of serum leptin and its metabolic associations in pregnancy, irrespective of gestational glucose tolerance status. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 97(11): 4148-55.
  9. Maple-Brown, L.J., Hughes, J.T., Lawton, P.D., Jones, G.R., Ellis, A.G., Drabsch, K., et al. (2012). Accurate Assessment of Kidney Function in Indigenous Australians: the eGFR Study. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 60(4): 680-682.
  10. Maple-Brown, L., Sinha, A.K., & Davies, E.A. (2010). Type 2 diabetes in Indigenous Australian children and adolescents. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 46(9): 487-90.
  11. Maple-Brown, L., Cunningham, J., Barry, R.E., Leysley, L., O’Rourke, M.F., Celermajer, D.S., et al. (2009). Impact of dyslipidaemia on arterial structure and function in urban Indigenous Australians. Atherosclerosis, 202(1): 248-54.
  12. Maple-Brown, L., Cunningham, J., Dunne, K., Whitbread, C., Howard, D., Weeramanthri, T., et al. (2008). Complications of diabetes in urban Indigenous Australians: the DRUID study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 80: 455-462. 
Click here to view more Louise Maple-Brown publications in PubMed.
  1. MEDIA RELEASE | NHMRC Grants awarded to investigate local and global health challenges
  2. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies takes the stand to address the diabetes epidemic
  3. MEDIA RELEASE | Global study highlights Menzies’ program as a leading example of diabetes best practice
  4. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies’ researchers contribute to global studies on structural racism’s impact on unequal diabetes cases and care
  5. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies appoints new Deputy Directors Research
  6. $20m Committed to Launch Leading National Research Centres for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
  7. Aboriginal women with gestational diabetes at increased risk of developing type 2 form, new research shows
  8. Media Release | Gestational diabetes an important indicator of developing type 2 diabetes for Aboriginal women
  9. The Australian | Spotlight on Indigenous diabetes crisis
  10. ABC Darwin | New research shows northern Australia leads the world for type 2 diabetes in young people
  11. Youth-onset type 2 diabetes in the NT exceed international figures
  12. ABC Online | Amputee Crystal Love Johnson set for stage comeback after long battle with diabetes
  13. Diabetes in poverty-stricken pregnant women in the NT, highest in the world
  14. NT News | Diabetes concern for mums-to-be
  15. Media release | The Hon Greg Hunt MP
  16. Media release | Rates of diabetes in pregnancy continue to rise in the NT
  17. Five medical research projects recognised in the Northern Territory
  18. $400 million funding boost for health and medical research
  19. Q&A with Menzies endocrinologist, Professor Louise Maple-Brown
  20. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in focus at rural health symposium
  21. In remote communities, where more health workers are needed, chronic disease is rising
  22. Mix 104.9 | Diabetes Symposium in Darwin
  23. NT News | Diabetes given centre stage
  24. Media Alert | Health experts in Darwin to discuss diabetes in pregnancy
  25. Sport a boost to Menzies Indigenous health research
  26. $6.57 MILLION TO KICK GOALS FOR YOUTH AND DIABETES HEALTH
  27. Metformin appears safe in treating hyperglycemia during pregnancy
  28. Medical Republic | Alarming rates of T2 diabetes in our young indigenous
  29. NACCHO Aboriginal Health | #Obesity #Diabetes News
  30. Intervention needed to reduce Type 2 Diabetes in young Indigenous Australians
  31. Roundtable Towards Roadmap For Renal Health - Media Release
  32. Diabetes researcher reminds mums with diabetes to focus on their health
  33. Territory Q features HOT NORTH
  34. New research may help break the cycle of intergenerational diabetes
  35. Funding boost to tackle health challenges in northern Australia
  36. Powerful predictor for the progression of kidney disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations
  37. NT joins global effort to combat diabetes effecting more and more mothers and babies around the world
  38. TerritoryQ: Dedicated Life, Assoc Prof Louise Maple-Brown
  39. NHMRC fellowship snapshot: Associate Professor Louise Maple-Brown
  40. Specialists calls for greater focus on diabetes in pregnancy this National Diabetes Week
  41. Research endorses national standard for assessment of kidney function in Indigenous Australians