Professor Ben Wheeler is a paediatric endocrinologist and paediatrician working for the University of Otago and the Southern District Health Board. He is also co-director of the New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit.
Ben has specific research interests in paediatric endocrinology and nutrition, encompassing topics related to:
- Childhood diabetes
- Vitamin D and bone health
- Other aspects of nutrition and endocrinology
- Visit the New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit website
- Learn more about Associate Professor Wheeler
Current projects
- MiaoMiao Study
- Vitamin D and breastfeeding study
- SKIDOO study
- BLISS (Baby led introduction to solids study) – in collaboration with the Department of Human Nutrition and Department of Medicine
- TrialNET (International diabetes collaboration – NIH funded)
- Managing Diabetes in a "Flash" study
- CREATE Trial
Key people
- Professor Ben Wheeler Principal Investigator
- Gaye Ellis Research Nurse
- Dr Sara Styles Postdoctoral Fellow
- Shirley Jones Research Nurse
- Dr Alisa Boucsein Research Fellow
- Pip Milford-Hughes Research Assistant
Postgraduate students
- Mercedes Burnside PhD candidate
- Mona Elbalshy PhD candidate
- Venus Michaels PhD candidiate
- Shelley Rose PhD candidate
- Gianna Salis PhD candidate
- Shekhar Sehgal PhD candidate
Alumni
- Hayleigh Miller BMedSc(Hons)
- Deanna Beckett PhD candidate
- Grace Boston BMedSc(Hons) Student
- Matthew Chae BMedSc(Hons)
- Brooke Marsters BMedSc(Hons)
Collaborations
Associate Professor Wheeler has active collaborations both nationally and internationally. These include:
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Otago Wellington
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Otago Christchurch
- APEG Bone and Mineral Working Group
- Bioethics Centre, University of Otago
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago
- Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago
- Liggins Institute (paediatric endocrinology), University of Auckland
- NIH funded TrialNet study
- NZ National Diabetes Work Programme
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago
Key funders
- Health Research Council (HRC)
- Freemasons New Zealand
- Lotteries Research
- Cure Kids
- Otago Medical Research Foundation (OMRF)
- HCO Charitable Trust
- Healthy Eating Healthy Activity (HEHA)
- Fisher and Paykel
- National Institute of Health (NIH) (USA)
- Various Pharmaceutical Industry funded trials