Role
Senior Lecturer in Nutrition
Dr Hunter is a member of the Sport Science Academic Team. She is Module Leader of Applied Nutrition. Previously responsible for the design, validation and then Course Leader ship of BSc (Hons) Exercise Nutrition and Health. Research interests in the role of the gut microbiome in health and disease. Scientific Advisor to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group Human Microbiome.
Career overview
Dr Hunter gained her PhD from the University of Aberdeen in the development of stable isotope techniques to study protein synthesis in humans. She went on to undertake a 3 year post-doctoral position at the Rowett Research Institute in which she coordinated a MAFF-funded project investigating the influence of dietary lipids on post-prandial haemostasis. Since then, she has coordinated the design and validation of two undergraduate degrees relating to nutrition at NTU and taught undergraduate and postgraduate modules relating to nutrition, metabolism, and health promotion.
Research areas
Dr Hunter is an active member of the Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement Research Group and the Biomedical, Life and Health Sciences Research Centre
Current Research Students:
- Kelly Johal
- Paul Lester
- Robert Needham
- Connor Parker
- Nicola Camp
- Martha Longdon
Dr Hunter’s research focusses on the impact of nutrition on health and disease in humans. She has the following main areas of interest:
- Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in health and disease.
- The gut microbiome in health and disease.
- Nutrition for performance and health in the workplace.
Opportunities arise to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD in the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/research-degrees-at-ntu.
External activity
Dr Hunter is a Scientific Advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group: Human Gut Microbiome.
Sponsors and collaborators
Internal Collaborators:
- Dr Neil Williams, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition
- Dr Graham Sharpe, Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology
- Dr Mike Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology
- Dr Alex Sumich, Associate Professor in Biopsychology and Mental Health
- Dr Nadja Heym, Senior Lecturer in Psychology
- Dr Fiona Freeman, Principal Lecturer in Neuropharmacology
- Dr Mustafa Sarkar. Associate Professor in Sport and Performance Psychology
- Dr Stephanie McCardle, Senior Research Fellow, Biosciences
External Collaborators:
Publications
Walton G.E., Gibson, G.R. and Hunter K.A.(2020). Mechanisms linking the human gut microbiome to prophylactic and treatment strategies for COVID-19. British Journal of Nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114520003980
Sumich A., Heym N., Bloxsom C.A.J., Hunter, K., Gregson, M., and Fido, D. (2020). Don't slap the fish: the relationship between dietary Omega-3 intake and physical aggression is mediated by motor inhibition in response to distressed faces. Personality and Individual Differences, 110062. ISSN 0191-8869
Heym, N., Heasman, B.C., Hunter, K., Blanco, S.R., Wang, G.Y., Siegert, R., Cleare, A., Gibson, G.R., Kumari V. and Sumich, A.L. (2019). The role of microbiota and inflammation in self-judgement and empathy: implications for understanding the brain-gut-microbiome axis in depression. Psychopharmacology, 236 (5), pp. 1459-1470. ISSN 0033-3158
Williams N.C., Hunter K.A., Shaw D.E., Jackson K.G,. Sharpe G.R. and Johnson M.A. (2017). Comparable reductions in hyperpnoea-induced bronchoconstriction and markers of airway inflammation after supplementation with 6.2 and 3.1 g/d of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty 3 acids in adults with asthma. British Journal of Nutrition, 117(10). 1379-1389.
Williams, N.C., Johnson, M.A., Shaw, D.E., Spendlove, I., Vulevic, J., Sharpe, G.R. and Hunter, K.A. (2016). A prebiotic galactooligosaccharide mixture reduces severity of hyperpnoea-induced bronchoconstriction and markers of airway inflammation. British Journal of Nutrition, 116(5). 798-804.
See all of Kirsty Hunter's publications...