Biography
Michael Wheeler is an Executive Dean Health Research Fellow within the Baker-Deakin Department of Lifestyle and Diabetes. His research focuses on understanding how physical activity and sedentary behaviour affect cardiovascular, cognitive, and metabolic function.
Michael studied undergraduate exercise science at Dublin City University, including an honours project which investigated the effects of subcutaneous versus visceral fat loss on markers of inflammation in response to a 12-week diet and exercise intervention. He moved to Australia to undertake a PhD at The University of Western Australia and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne. He graduated from his PhD in 2019, from The University of Western Australia with a project which focused on understanding the combined effects of exercise and sedentary behaviour on cardiovascular and cognitive health. Michael then worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Australian Catholic University on a clinical trial investigating the effects of probiotic supplementation on bone, muscle, cardiovascular, and cognitive function. During his time at ACU he also served on the Human Research Ethics Committee. In 2022 he joined the Baker-Deakin Department of Lifestyle and Diabetes within the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University, Melbourne.
Michael is also passionate about science communication. He is the co-founder and co-host of the “Let’s Talk Scicomm” podcast along with A/Prof Jen Martin from The University of Melbourne. The podcast aims to share insights on how to effectively communicate science to a variety of audiences.
Read more on Michael's profileBiography summary
Michael Wheeler is an Executive Dean Health Research Fellow at the Baker-Deakin Department of Lifestyle and Diabetes, within the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition. His research focuses on understanding how physical activity and sedentary behaviour affect cardiovascular, cognitive, and metabolic function.
Research interests
Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, glycaemic control, insulin resistance, vascular function, cognitive function cardiometabolic disease.
Affiliations
The University of Melbourne
Teaching interests
Science communication
Knowledge areas
Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, glycaemic control, insulin resistance, vascular function, cognitive function, and cardiometabolic disease.
Conferences
Axelsson, K.F., Woessner, M.N., Litsne, H. Wheeler, M., Flehr, A., King, AJ., Kalén, M., Vandenput, L., Lorentzon, M. Eating disorders are associated with increased risk of fall injury and fracture in Swedish men and women. Australia New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society. November 2021.
Invited presentation: Michael Wheeler. Understanding the role of sedentary behavior within the triad of physical activity, cardiometabolic function and cognition. 74th Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine Congress. September 2019
Michael J Wheeler, Daniel J Green, Ester Cerin, Kathryn A Ellis, Kim Rickards, Jaye Lewis, David W Dunstan. The combined effects of acute exercise and frequent breaks in sitting on postprandial metabolism in older adults. The European College of Sport Science. July 2019.
Invited presentation: Michael Wheeler. Disseminating research output to increase audience and outreach. International Society for Physical Activity and Health Webinar. September 2018
Michael J Wheeler, Ilkka Heinonen, Kathryn A Ellis, Ester Cerin, Daniel J Green, David W Dunstan. Interacting effects of exercise and breaks in sitting on cognition in older adults. The European College of Sport Science. July 2018.
Michael J Wheeler, Ilkka Heinonen, Kathryn A Ellis, Ester Cerin, Daniel J Green, David W Dunstan. Understanding the interactive effects of exercise and breaks in sitting on blood pressure in older adults. The International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health. November 2016.
Professional activities
2022 - Present: Member of the Local Organising Committee for ASPA 2022.
2022 - Present: Member of the Communication Committee for ASPA.
2022 - Present: Member of the Human Ethics Advisory Group. Faculty of Health, Deakin University.
2021-2022: Member of the Human Research Ethics Committee at the Australian Catholic University
Awards
• Executive Dean Health Research Fellowship, Deakin University (2022)
• Robert Street Prize for the PhD which made the most outstanding contribution to it’s field across all disciplines at the University of Western Australia in 2019.
• Paul Korner Medal (2019) for outstanding achievement as a PhD student at The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.
• Publication awards for distinction in scholarship. These papers were published in Hypertension, Journal of Applied Physiology, and the British Journal of Sports Medicine and the publication awards were conferred by The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, the American Physiological Society, and the University of Western Australia respectively.
• Young Investigator Award- 2018 & 2019 European Collage of Sport Science (ECSS).
• Winner of 3-Minute Thesis Competition- (2016). The University of Western Australia.
• Research Excellence Award (2014). Highest scoring honours project, Dublin City University, Ireland. This project was a 12-week diet and exercise intervention investigating the effects of subcutaneous versus visceral fat loss on insulin resistance and markers of inflammation .
Publications
Sedentary behavior and lifespan brain health
L Zou, F Herold, B Cheval, M Wheeler, D Pindus, K Erickson, D Raichlen, G Alexander, N Müller, D Dunstan, A Kramer, C Hillman, M Hallgren, U Ekelund, S Maltagliati, N Owen
(2024), Vol. 28, pp. 369-382, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Evelyn Parr, Imre Kouw, Michael Wheeler, Bridget Radford, Rebecca Hall, Joan Senden, Joy Goessens, Luc van Loon, John Hawley
(2023), Vol. 31, pp. 116-126, OBESITY, United States, C1-1
J Mesinovic, J Fyfe, J Talevski, M Wheeler, G Leung, E George, M Hunegnaw, C Glavas, P Jansons, R Daly, D Scott
(2023), Vol. 47, pp. 719-742, Diabetes and Metabolism Journal, C1
A Flehr, J Källgård, J Alvén, K Lagerstrand, E Papalini, M Wheeler, L Vandenput, F Kahl, K Axelsson, D Sundh, R Mysore, M Lorentzon
(2022), Vol. 33, pp. 1545-1556, Osteoporosis International, England, C1-1
K Axelsson, M Woessner, H Litsne, M Wheeler, A Flehr, A King, M Kalén, L Vandenput, M Lorentzon
(2022), Vol. 33, pp. 1347-1355, Osteoporosis International, England, C1-1
Frequency of Interruptions to Sitting Time: Benefits for Postprandial Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes
A Homer, F Taylor, P Dempsey, M Wheeler, P Sethi, M Townsend, M Grace, D Green, N Cohen, R Larsen, B Kingwell, N Owen, D Dunstan
(2021), Vol. 44, pp. 1254-1263, Diabetes care, Arlington, Va., C1
A Homer, F Taylor, P Dempsey, M Wheeler, P Sethi, M Grace, D Green, N Cohen, R Larsen, B Kingwell, N Owen, D Dunstan
(2021), Vol. 31, pp. 2969-2978, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Acute effects of interrupting prolonged sitting on vascular function in type 2 diabetes
F Taylor, D Dunstan, A Homer, P Dempsey, B Kingwell, R Climie, N Owen, N Cohen, R Larsen, M Grace, N Eikelis, M Wheeler, M Townsend, N Maniar, D Green
(2021), Vol. 320, pp. H393-H403, American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Bethesda, Md., C1
M Wheeler, D Green, E Cerin, K Ellis, I Heinonen, J Lewis, L Naylor, N Cohen, R Larsen, P Dempsey, B Kingwell, N Owen, D Dunstan
(2020), Vol. 17, pp. 1-11, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, London, Eng., C1
M Wheeler, D Green, K Ellis, E Cerin, I Heinonen, L Naylor, R Larsen, P Wennberg, C Boraxbekk, J Lewis, N Eikelis, N Lautenschlager, B Kingwell, G Lambert, N Owen, D Dunstan
(2020), Vol. 54, pp. 776-781, British Journal of Sports Medicine, London, Eng., C1
M Wheeler, D Dunstan, K Ellis, E Cerin, S Phillips, G Lambert, L Naylor, P Dempsey, B Kingwell, D Green
(2019), Vol. 73, pp. 859-867, Hypertension, Philadelphia, Pa., C1
Morning exercise mitigates the impact of prolonged sitting on cerebral blood flow in older adults
M Wheeler, D Dunstan, B Smith, K Smith, A Scheer, J Lewis, L Naylor, I Heinonen, K Ellis, E Cerin, P Ainslie, D Green
(2019), Vol. 126, pp. 1049-1055, Journal of Applied Physiology, United States, C1
G O'Donoghue, A Kennedy, G Andersen, B Carr, S Cleary, E Durkan, H Davis, K Færch, P Fitzpatrick, H Kenny, N McCaffrey, J Monedero, E Murphy, J Noone, T Suvitaival, T Thybo, M Wheeler, D Vistisen, J Nolan, D O'Gorman
(2019), Vol. 10, Frontiers in Physiology, Switzerland, C1-1
D Dunstan, M Wheeler, K Ellis, E Cerin, D Green
(2018), Vol. 15, pp. 11-16, Mental Health and Physical Activity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
R Climie, M Wheeler, M Grace, E Lambert, N Cohen, N Owen, B Kingwell, D Dunstan, D Green
(2018), Vol. 125, pp. 1787-1794, Journal of Applied Physiology, United States, C1
Study design and methods for the ACTIVity And TEchnology (ACTIVATE) trial
B Lynch, N Nguyen, M Reeves, M Moore, D Rosenberg, M Wheeler, T Boyle, J Vallance, C Friedenreich, D English
(2018), Vol. 64, pp. 112-117, Contemporary Clinical Trials, United States, C1-1
M Wheeler, P Dempsey, M Grace, K Ellis, P Gardiner, D Green, D Dunstan
(2017), Vol. 3, pp. 291-300, Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Acute effects of breaking up prolonged sitting on fatigue and cognition: A pilot study
P Wennberg, C Boraxbekk, M Wheeler, B Howard, P Dempsey, G Lambert, N Eikelis, R Larsen, P Sethi, J Occleston, J Hernestål-Boman, K Ellis, N Owen, D Dunstan
(2016), Vol. 6, BMJ Open, England, C1
Funded Projects at Deakin
No Funded Projects at Deakin found
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report