Top of page

Student/Staff Portal
Global Site Navigation

School of Medical and Health Sciences

Local Section Navigation
You are here: Main Content

Dr Matthew Snelson

Vice Chancellor's Research Fellow

Staff Member Details
Email: m.snelson@ecu.edu.au
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4829-9550

Dr Matthew Snelson is an advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Vice Chancellor's Research Fellow in the School of Medical and Health Sciences within the Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute (NHIRI). He is interested in how dietary interventions can influence the prevention and management of chronic diseases—such as hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, and kidney disease—through modulation of gut homeostasis. His work explores how nutrition-driven changes in the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability, and metabolic pathways can reduce disease risk and improve therapeutic outcomes.

Background

Matthew completed his PhD in 2019 at Monash University’s Department of Diabetes, where he investigated how a processed diet disrupts gut homeostasis and contributes to the development of diabetic kidney disease. Following this, he continued as a postdoctoral research fellow in the same department, focusing on the effects of resistant starch on diabetic kidney disease.

From 2022 to 2025, Matthew held a Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and served as Group Leader and Co-Deputy Lab Head of the Hypertension Research Laboratory at Monash University. His research program examined how dietary interventions can influence hypertension by modulating gut microbiota and intestinal permeability.

He is the current Treasurer and immediate past President of the Australasian Human Microbiome Research Network.

Professional Associations

2009 – current: Dietitians Australia

2015 – current: Nutrition Society of Australia

2018 – current: Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Society

2021 – current: Australasian Human Microbiome Research Network

2023 – current: Hypertension Australia

2023 – current: International Society of Hypertension

2023 – current: Australian Cardiovascular Alliance

2026 – current: Western Australian Cardiovascular Research Alliance

Awards and Recognition

2024    Best Oral Presentation, 30th Congress of the International Society of Hypertension 2024, International Society of Hypertension

2024    Victorian Heart Institute Australian Stroke and Heart Research Accelerator ECR Travel Grant, $2000

2024    Nutrition Society of Australia Representative at Science Meets Parliament 2024

2023    People's Choice, Best Oral Presentation, National Committee for Nutrition, Australian Academy of Science Boden Research Conference

2023    National Heart Foundation Collaboration & Exchange Award, National Heart Foundation

2023    Winner, Australian Nutrition Trust Fund Travelling Fellowship, Australian Nutrition Trust Fund

2022    2nd Best Oral Presentation, Nutrition Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting

2022    Best Research Highlight, Microbiome Virtual International Forum

2021    Young Investigator Award, Nutrients

2021    Winner, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute Prize for Diabetes Research, Alfred Health Week

2021    Winner, Rapid Fire Talks,Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences ECR Symposium

2021    Winner, Early-Career Development Award, Nutrition Society of Australia

2021    Winner, Basic Science Award, Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology Annual Scientific Meeting

2020    Finalist, Young Investigator Award, Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology Annual Scientific Meeting

2019    Winner, Best Biomedical Research Talk Award, Alfred Health Alliance EMCR Symposium

2019    Finalist, Australian Diabetes Society-Pincus Taft Young Investigator Award, Australasian Diabetes Congress

2019    Winner, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute Prize for Diabetes Research, Alfred Health Week

2018    Postgraduate Publication Award, Monash University

2018    2nd Best Oral Presentation, Nutrition Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting

2018    Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology International Travel Award

2018    Victorian Finalist, FameLab Competition

2017    Winner, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute Prize for Diabetes Research, Alfred Health Week

2017    Winner, 3 Minute Thesis Competition, Central Clinical School, Monash University

2016    New Conference Presenter Award, Dietitians Association of Australia National Conference

Research Areas and Interests

  • Diet and nutrition
  • Gut Microbiota
  • Intestinal Permeability
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • Diabetes

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University, 2019.

Research Outputs

Journal Articles

  • Gibson, M., Snelson, M., Rowsthorn, E., Cribb, L., Franks, K., Mangan, C., Cavuoto, M., Campbell-Brown, B., Harding, I., Law, M., Chong, T., O'Brien, T., Vivash, L., Marques, F., Yiallourou, S., Pase, M. (2026). Association of 24-Hour Blood Pressure Variability With Cognition and Brain MRI Markers of Structural Change in Adults in Mid- to Late-Life. Neurology, 106(10), e214935. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000214935.
  • Vashisht, E., Nguyen, H., Marques, F., Snelson, M. (2026). Diet, Gut Microbiota, and Intestinal Permeability: Emerging Mechanisms in Hypertension Pathogenesis. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2026(_), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2026.03.005.
  • Xu, C., Snelson, M., Marques, F. (2026). Cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome through the lens of gut‑derived uremic toxins. Gut Microbes, 18(1), 30 pages. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2685906.

Journal Articles

  • Ferguson, JJ., Clarke, ED., Stanford, J., Gómez-Martín, M., Jakstas, T., Collins, CE., Beck, KL., Cuparencu, C., De Souza, DP., Duncanson, K., Garcia-Aloy, M., Godny, L., Hill, JO., Holmes, E., Kerr, DA., Kimble, R., Marques, FZ., McCrory, MA., Mills, CE., Moschonis, G., Nguo, K., Samocha-Bonet, D., Snelson, M., Staudacher, HM., Traka, MH., Tuck, CJ. (2025). Strengthening the reporting of diet item details in feeding studies measuring the dietary metabolome: The DID-METAB core outcome set statement. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 55(7), article number e70030. https://doi.org/10.1111/eci.70030.
  • Dinakis, E., Xu, C., Muralitharan, R., Jama, H., Xie, L., Leung, K., Colafella, K., McArdle, Z., Salimova, E., Tavares, L., Snelson, M., Johnson, C., Gaspari, T., Mackay, C., O'Donnell, J., Marques, F. (2025). pH-sensor GPR68 plays a role in how dietary fibre lowers blood pressure in a preclinical model of hypertension. Clinical Science, 139(21), 1239-1259. https://doi.org/doi: 10.1042/CS20243009.
  • Camargo Tavares, L., Muralitharan, RR., Snelson, M., Marques, FZ. (2025). Rare pathogenic variants in G-protein-coupled receptor genes involved in gut-to-host communication are associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Cardiovascular Research, 121(9), 1316-1318. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaf070.
  • Snelson, A., Greco, S., Letizi, C., Snelson, M., Polkinghorne, K., Tee, M., Lambert, K. (2025). Are Mid-Dialysis Handgrip Strength Measurements Reliable and Reproducible? A Comparison to Predialysis Handgrip Strength Measurements. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 36(2), 287-294. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2025.09.004.
  • Snelson, M., Muralitharan , R., Liu, C., Markó , L., Forslund , S., Marques, F., Tang, W. (2025). Gut-heart axis: the role of gut microbiota and metabolites in heart failure. Circulation Research, 136(11), 1382–1406. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.125.325516.
  • Trambas, IA., Bowen, L., Thallas-Bonke, V., Snelson, M., Sourris, KC., Laskowski, A., Tauc, M., Rubera, I., Zheng, G., Harris, DC., Kantharidis, P., Shimizu, T., Cooper, ME., Tan, SM., Coughlan, MT. (2025). Proximal tubular deletion of superoxide dismutase-2 reveals disparate effects on kidney function in diabetes. Redox Biology, 82(2025), article number 103601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2025.103601.
  • Snelson, M., Rhys-Jones, D., Jama, H., Creek, D., Mackay, C., Muir, J., Marques, F. (2025). Preintervention intake of whole grains versus refined grains, and the gut microbiome, discriminate the antihypertensive effect of prebiotic fiber. Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, 18(5), e005019. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1161/CIRCGEN.124.005019.
  • Yang, C., Snelson, M., El-Osta, A., Marques, F. (2025). Parental diet and offspring health: a role for the gut microbiome via epigenetics. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 22(11), 755-772. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-025-01106-3.
  • Snelson, M., Biesiekierski, J., Chen, S., Sultan, N., Cardoso, B. (2025). The effects of nut intake on gut microbiome composition and gut function in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Advances in Nutrition, 16(7), 100465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100465.
  • Biesiekierski, JR., Yao, CK., Tuck, CJ., Snelson, M. (2025). Methodological advances in gastrointestinal tract physiology measurements: relevance to nutritional studies. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 84(2), 155-167. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665124007444.
  • Ferguson, J., Clarke, E., Stanford, J., G�-Mart�m., ., Jakstas, T., Collins, C., Beck, KL., Collins, CE., Cuparencu, C., De Souza, DP., Duncanson, K., Garcia-Aloy, M., Godny, L., Hill, JO., Holmes, E., Kerr, DA., Kimble, R., Marques, F., McCrory, MA., Mills, C., Moschonis, G., Nguo, K., Samocha-Bonet, D., Snelson, M., Traka, MH., Tuck, CJ. (2025). Diet Item Details: Reporting Checklist for Feeding Studies Measuring the Dietary Metabolome (DID-METAB Checklist)�Explanation and Elaboration Report on the Development of the Checklist by the DID-METAB Delphi Working Group. Advances in Nutrition, 16(5), article number 100420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100420.
  • Snelson, M., Biesiekierski, JR., Chen, S., Sultan, N., Cardoso, BR. (2025). Effects of Nut Intake on Gut Microbiome Composition and Gut Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition, 16(7), article number 100465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100465.

Journal Articles

  • Muralitharan, RR., Nakai, ME., Snelson, M., Zheng, T., Dinakis, E., Xie, L., Jama, H., Paterson, M., Shihata, W., Wassef, F., Vinh, A., Drummond, GR., Kaye, DM., Mackay, CR., Marques, FZ. (2024). Influence of angiotensin II on the gut microbiome: modest effects in comparison to experimental factors. Cardiovascular Research, 120(10), 1155-1163. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvae062.
  • Snelson, M., Deliyanti, D., Tan, SM., Drake, AM., De Pasquale, C., Kumar, V., Woodruff, TM., Wilkinson-Berka, JL., Coughlan, MT. (2024). Dietary resistant starch enhances immune health of the kidney in diabetes via promoting microbially-derived metabolites and dampening neutrophil recruitment. Nutrition and Diabetes, 14(1), article number 46. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41387-024-00305-2.
  • Jama, HA., Snelson, M., Schutte, AE., Muir, J., Marques, FZ. (2024). Recommendations for the Use of Dietary Fiber to Improve Blood Pressure Control. Hypertension, 81(7), 1450-1459. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22575.
  • Tan, DS., Akelew, Y., Snelson, M., Nguyen, J., O’sullivan, KM. (2024). Unravelling the Link between the Gut Microbiome and Autoimmune Kidney Diseases: A Potential New Therapeutic Approach. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(9), article number 4817. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25094817.
  • McGuinness, AJ., Stinson, LF., Snelson, M., Loughman, A., Stringer, A., Hannan, AJ., Cowan, CS., Jama, HA., Caparros-Martin, JA., West, ML., Wardill, HR. (2024). From hype to hope: Considerations in conducting robust microbiome science. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 115(2024), 120-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.022.
  • Snelson, M., Vanuytsel, T., Marques, FZ. (2024). Breaking the Barrier: The Role of Gut Epithelial Permeability in the Pathogenesis of Hypertension. Current Hypertension Reports, 26(9), 369-380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-024-01307-2.
  • Truby, H., Allman-Farinelli, M., Beck, EJ., Beckett, EL., Bondonno, C., Dordevic, AL., Livingstone, KM., Willcox, J., Wilkinson, SA., Coughlan, MT., Hwang, L., Kent, K., McNaughton, S., Padayachee, A., Pollard, C., Roura, E., Stapleton, N., Gidley, M., Simpson, S., Kassock, K., Yao, C., Baguley, B., Tuck, C., Moores, C., Lawrence, AS., Kirkegaard, A., Vincze, L., Kempler, J., Brain, K., Davies, A., Dickinson, K., Vingrys, K., Leung, G., McLeod, S., Wellington, M., Kocanda, L., Marchese, L., Brooker, P., Day, K., Machado, P., Canfell, O., Chan, V., Biesiekierski, J., Leech, R., Li, SX., Ridley, E., Cardoso, B., Stanford, J., Grafenauer, S., Smith-Brown, P., Brayner, B., Snelson, M., Iyer, P., Chen, J., Clarke, E., Houghton, MJ., Costanzo, A., Danaher, J., Li, L., Dix, C., Burgess, N., Loyer, J., O'Hanlon, J., Carter, S., Staudacher, H., La Macchia, K., Pretorius, R., Kaul, N., Stewart, G. (2024). Advancing the decadal plan for the science of nutrition: Progressing a framework for implementation. Nutrition and Dietetics, 81(2), 133-148. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12876.

Journal Articles

  • Muralitharan, RR., Snelson, M., Meric, G., Coughlan, MT., Marques, FZ. (2023). Guidelines for microbiome studies in renal physiology. American Journal of Physiology - Renal Physiology, 325(3), pp. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00072.2023.

Journal Articles

  • Drake, A., Coughlan, M., Christophersen, C., Snelson, M. (2022). Resistant Starch as a Dietary Intervention to Limit the Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease. Nutrients, 14(21), article number 4547. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214547.
  • Tan, SM., Snelson, M., Østergaard, JA., Coughlan, MT. (2022). The Complement Pathway: New Insights into Immunometabolic Signaling in Diabetic Kidney Disease. Antioxidants and Redox Signaling, 37(10-Dec), 781-801. https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2021.0125.
  • Snelson, M., Rampanelli, E., Nieuwdorp, M., Hanssen, NM., Coughlan, MT. (2022). Microbial influencers: treating diabetes through the gut. Immunology and Cell Biology, 100(6), 390-393. https://doi.org/10.1111/imcb.12558.
  • Murray, M., Coughlan, MT., Gibbon, A., Kumar, V., Marques, FZ., Selby-Pham, S., Snelson, M., Tsyganov, K., Williamson, G., Woodruff, TM., Wu, T., Bennett, LE. (2022). Reduced Growth, Altered Gut Microbiome and Metabolite Profile, and Increased Chronic Kidney Disease Risk in Young Pigs Consuming a Diet Containing Highly Resistant Protein. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9(2022), article number 816749. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.816749.
  • Snelson, M., Lucut, E., Coughlan, MT. (2022). The Role of AGE‐RAGE Signalling as a Modulator of Gut Permeability in Diabetes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(3), article number 1766. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031766.
  • McFarlane, C., Krishnasamy, R., Stanton, T., Savill, E., Snelson, M., Mihala, G., Morrison, M., Johnson, DW., Campbell, KL. (2022). Diet Quality and Protein-Bound Uraemic Toxins: Investigation of Novel Risk Factors and the Role of Microbiome in Chronic Kidney Disease. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 32(5), 542-551. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2021.10.003.

Journal Articles

  • Snelson, M., De Pasquale, C., Ekinci, EI., Coughlan, MT. (2021). Gut microbiome, prebiotics, intestinal permeability and diabetes complications. Best Practice & Research: Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 35(3), article number 101507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beem.2021.101507.
  • Snelson, M., Tan, SM., Clarke, RE., De Pasquale, C., Thallas-Bonke, V., Nguyen, T., Penfold, SA., Harcourt, BE., Sourris, KC., Lindblom, RS., Ziemann, M., Steer, D., El-Osta, A., Davies, MJ., Donnellan, L., Deo, P., Kellow, NJ., Cooper, ME., Woodruff, TM., Mackay, CR., Forbes, JM., Coughlan, MT. (2021). Processed foods drive intestinal barrier permeability and microvascular diseases. Science Advances, 7(14), article number eabe4841. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe4841.
  • Tan, SM., Lindblom, RS., Ziemann, M., Laskowski, A., Granata, C., Snelson, M., Thallas-Bonke, V., El-Osta, A., Baeza-Garza, CD., Caldwell, ST., Hartley, RC., Krieg, T., Cooper, ME., Murphy, MP., Coughlan, MT. (2021). Targeting methylglyoxal in diabetic kidney disease using the mitochondria-targeted compound mitogamide. Nutrients, 13(5), article number 1457. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051457.
  • Secombe, KR., Al-Qadami, GH., Subramaniam, CB., Bowen, JM., Scott, J., Van Sebille, YZ., Snelson, M., Cowan, C., Clarke, G., Gheorghe, CE., Cryan, JF., Wardill, HR. (2021). Guidelines for reporting on animal fecal transplantation (GRAFT) studies: recommendations from a systematic review of murine transplantation protocols. Gut Microbes, 13(1), article number 1979878. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2021.1979878.
  • Thallas-Bonke, V., Tan, SM., Lindblom, RS., Snelson, M., Granata, C., Jha, JC., Sourris, KC., Laskowski, A., Watson, A., Tauc, M., Rubera, I., Zheng, G., Shah, AM., Harris, DC., Elbatreek, MH., Kantharidis, P., Cooper, ME., Jandeleit-Dahm, K., Coughlan, MT. (2021). Targeted deletion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 from proximal tubules is dispensable for diabetic kidney disease development. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 36(6), 988-997. https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfaa376.
  • Snelson, M., Clarke, RE., Nguyen, T., Penfold, SA., Forbes, JM., Tan, SM., Coughlan, MT. (2021). Long Term High Protein Diet Feeding Alters the Microbiome and Increases Intestinal Permeability, Systemic Inflammation and Kidney Injury in Mice. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 65(8), article number 2000851. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202000851.
  • McFarlane, C., Krishnasamy, R., Stanton, T., Savill, E., Snelson, M., Mihala, G., Kelly, JT., Morrison, M., Johnson, DW., Campbell, KL. (2021). Synbiotics easing renal failure by improving gut microbiology ii (Synergy ii): A feasibility randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 13(12), article number 4481. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124481.

Journal Articles

  • Tan, SM., Ziemann, M., Thallas-Bonke, V., Snelson, M., Kumar, V., Laskowski, A., Nguyen, T., Huynh, K., Clarke, MV., Libianto, R., Baker, ST., Skene, A., Power, DA., Macisaac, RJ., Henstridge, DC., Wetsel, RA., El-Osta, A., Meikle, PJ., Wilson, SG., Forbes, JM., Cooper, ME., Ekinci, EI., Woodruff, TM., Coughlan, MT. (2020). Complement C5a induces renal injury in diabetic kidney disease by disrupting mitochondrial metabolic agility. Diabetes, 69(1), 83-98. https://doi.org/10.2337/db19-0043.
  • Snelson, M., Biruete, A., McFarlane, C., Campbell, K. (2020). A Renal Clinician's Guide to the Gut Microbiota. Journal of Renal Nutrition, 30(5), 384-395. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2019.11.002.
  • Lindblom, RS., Higgins, GC., Nguyen, T., Arnstein, M., Henstridge, DC., Granata, C., Snelson, M., Thallas-Bonke, V., Cooper, ME., Forbes, JM., Coughlan, MT. (2020). Delineating a role for the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in diabetic kidney disease by targeting cyclophilin D. Clinical Science, 134(2), 239-259. https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20190787.
  • Kaye, DM., Shihata, WA., Jama, HA., Tsyganov, K., Ziemann, M., Kiriazis, H., Horlock, D., Vijay, A., Giam, B., Vinh, A., Johnson, C., Fiedler, A., Donner, D., Snelson, M., Coughlan, MT., Phillips, S., Du, X., El-Osta, A., Drummond, G., Lambert, GW., Spector, TD., Valdes, AM., Mackay, CR., Marques, FZ. (2020). Deficiency of Prebiotic Fiber and Insufficient Signaling Through Gut Metabolite-Sensing Receptors Leads to Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation, 141(17), 1393-1403. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043081.
  • Muralitharan, RR., Jama, HA., Xie, L., Peh, A., Snelson, M., Marques, FZ. (2020). Microbial Peer Pressure: The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Hypertension and Its Complications. Hypertension, 76(6), 1674-1687. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.14473.
  • Snelson, M., Tan, SM., Higgins, GC., Lindblom, RS., Coughlan, MT. (2020). Exploring the role of the metabolite-sensing receptor GPR109a in diabetic nephropathy. American Journal of Physiology - Renal Physiology, 318(3), pp. https://doi.org/10.1152/AJPRENAL.00505.2019.

Journal Articles

  • Snelson, M., Jong, J., Manolas, D., Kok, S., Louise, A., Stern, R., Kellow, NJ. (2019). Metabolic effects of resistant starch type 2: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrients, 11(8), article number 1833. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081833.
  • Snelson, M., Coughlan, MT. (2019). Dietary advanced glycation end products: Digestion, metabolism and modulation of gut microbial ecology. Nutrients, 11(2), article number 215. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11020215.
  • Snelson, M., Kellow, NJ., Coughlan, MT. (2019). Modulation of the Gut Microbiota by Resistant Starch as a Treatment of Chronic Kidney Diseases: Evidence of Efficacy and Mechanistic Insights. Advances in Nutrition, 10(2), 303-320. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmy068.

Journal Articles

  • Snelson, M., Clarke, RE., Coughlan, MT. (2017). Stirring the pot: Can dietary modification alleviate the burden of CKD?. Nutrients, 9(3), article number 265. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9030265.
  • Snelson, M., Mamo, JC., Lam, V., Giles, C., Takechi, R. (2017). Differential Effects of High-Protein Diets Derived from Soy and Casein on Blood–Brain Barrier Integrity in Wild-type Mice. Frontiers in Nutrition, 4(2017), article number 35. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2017.00035.
Skip to top of page