Dr Carmel Smart

Dr Carmel Smart

Dr Carmel Smart

Research Program:
Research Topics:
Project Grant
2019 Project Grant
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2017 Project Grant
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2016 Project Grant
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2016 Project Grant
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2015 Project Grant
Travel Grant
2014 Travel Grant
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2014 Project Grant
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2013 Project Grant
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2013 Project Grant
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2012 Project Grant
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2012 Project Grant
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2011 Project Grant
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2010 Project Grant
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2008 Project Grant
Equipment Grant
2008 Equipment Grant
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2002 Project Grant

What are your research interests?

My major research interests are in the care of children, adolescents and their families with Type 1 Diabetes. I am particularly interested in the impact of varying amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate on blood glucose levels after eating and ways to optimise glucose control after meals.

My aim is to develop a family-friendly app to guide the parent and child on insulin dosages at mealtimes. I’m also interested also in the management of toddlers with diabetes as their food behaviours can present unique challenges to parents and carers. 

Why did you get into research?

Type 1 Diabetes is a difficult chronic disease - when blood glucose rise after eating it can cause high levels of frustration for parents as well as increase the risk of complications. I became involved in research because I wanted scientific answers to questions posed by my patients. In diabetes care, many aspects of education, including dietary management, were anecdotal and I wanted real evidence behind any changes I was suggesting that people make to their own and their children’s lives. 

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

To achieve optimal glycaemic control without hypoglycaemia is a central goal of therapy for children with Type 1 diabetes. Eating is an essential daily activity that often results in both hyperglycaemic and hypoglycaemic glucose excursions. 

Our aim is to overcome these unexplained glucose highs and lows after food allowing our children and families to have more freedom in their daily lives and to prevent the immediate and long-term complications of diabetes. A family-friendly app would make these complex calculations simpler for families. Our data and algorithm could then be incorporated into an “artificial pancreas” which ultimately frees patients from having to do all these calculations each time they eat.

Biography

Dr Carmel Smart has worked with children and families as a paediatric diabetes dietitian at the John Hunter Children's Hospital for over 20 years. Her involvement in national and international diabetes clinical care guidelines further supported the need for more scientific evidence to guide diabetes management. 

Dr Smart has worked as a Specialist Endocrinology Dietician at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital for over 20 years. She completed her PhD in 2012 and has successfully written nationally competitive grants which have assisted her in being both an active clinician and researcher. In addition, Dr Smart is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer with the University of Newcastle.  

Relative to opportunity as a non-full timer, she has a strong track record of productivity. Her research focuses on the effect of macronutrients on glycaemia and she has over 18 publications in peer review journals in the past 5 years. She is recognised as a world expert on diet and Type 1 Diabetes and has been invited as lead author on national and international clinical practice guidelines in dietary management. 

Most recently, she was invited as a lead author on the American Diabetes Association Clinical Nutrition Guidelines and as a co-author on the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) Preschool Guidelines (only Australian representative). Her research has translated into changes and improvements in clinical care at a global level. Dr Smart has been an invited plenary speaker at national and international conferences. 

She has won several awards including APEG Young Investigator (the first time this has been awarded to a non-medical graduate), two best poster awards at international conferences, Dietitians Association of Australia Contribution to Diabetes award and the HCRF Research Excellence award. Dr Smart was invited convenor of the ISPAD Health Professional Science School and the non-medical representative on the ISPAD advisory committee. In 2015, she was invited as a member of the JDRF International Expert Advisory Group for exercise management in Type 1 diabetes. Carmel co-supervises 3 PhD students. She is a co-chair of the APEG/ISPAD Committee for 2015 conference. 

 

Specialised/Technical Skills 

  • Nutritional  management of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
  • Postprandial blood glucose monitoring
  • Interpretation of continuous glucose monitoring profiles
  • Insulin dosing algorithms for fat, protein and carbohydrate
  • Impact of Glycemic index on blood glucose control
  • Insulin pump therapy and bolus types

Affiliations

  • Hunter New England Local Health District Clinical Research Fellow
  • Associate Investigator, Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund Centre for Research Excellence 
  • Senior Diabetes and Endocrine Dietitian, John Hunter Childrens Hospital, Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • Mothers and Babies Research Group / Pregnancy and Reproduction Program, HMRI
  • School of Heath Sciences, University of Newcastle
  • International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, Allied Health and Nursing Representative 
  • Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group, Diabetes Subcommittee  

Downloads

2019

Counting the carbohydrate, fat and protein: An insulin dosing app to improve blood glucose levels in Type 1 Diabetes in children and adolescents using insulin pump therapy
Project Grant
Researchers:
Description:

Type 1 Diabetes is associated with a significant, on-going health care burden for the individual and the community.  While insulin pump therapy will tailor the insulin dose and delivery accordingly, insulin dosing for carbohydrate, fat and protein is significantly more complicated than determining the insulin dose for carbohydrate alone.

more

2017

Improving glucose control and health outcomes for people with diabetes
Project Grant
Researchers:

Conjoint A/Prof Bruce King, Dr Carmel Smart

Description:

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the fastest growing chronic disease affecting Australian children. T1D is a lifelong condition where the body is not able to produce insulin which controls blood glucose. People with T1D must follow a strict daily regime of blood glucose testing, insulin administration and careful dietary management to control their blood glucose levels. Good blood glucose control is critically important in preventing life- threatening complications of diabetes.

more

2016

Establishment of an insulin dosing schedule for high fat, high protein meals in individuals with type 1 diabetes using insulin pump therapy
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Carmel Smart, Associate Professor Bruce King

Description:

A common challenge for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is controlling significant elevations of blood glucose following meals [1]. This is of concern as postprandial hyperglycaemia has been identified as an important risk factor in the development of long-term complications of T1D including cardiovascular disease [2].

more
In children and young people with type 1 diabetes and newly diagnosed coeliac diseased, does commencement of a gluten-free diet improve daily glycaemic variability?
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Carmel Smart, Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Prudence Lopez

2015

JDRF Travel Grant Award - American Diabetes Association in June in San Francisco
Project Grant
Researchers:

Ms Megan Patterson, Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Carmel Smart, Dr Prudence Lopez
 

2014

What is the optimal percentage of rapid and extended bolus insulin in a combination insulin bolus?
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Prudence Lopez, Bruce King, Carmel Smart 

JDRF Travel Grant Award
Travel Grant
Researchers:

Ms Megan Paterson, Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Carmel Smart, Dr Prudence Lopez 

Description:

American Diabetes Association in June in San Francisco

more

2013

A comparison of three insulin dosage algorithms for meals of variable macronutrient composition on postprandial glucose levels in children with type 1 diabetes
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Carmel Smart, Bruce King 

What is the impact of meals of varying fat and protein content on postprandial blood glucose level in children and young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Project Grant
Researchers:

Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Prudence Lopez and Dr Carmel Smart 

Description:

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease which places a significant burden of management on patients and their families. 

more

2012

The Gastronomic Lunch of the Year Fellowship
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Bruce King, Carmel Smart, Patricia Crock, Don Anderson
 

A double blind cross over trial in young insulin pump users comparing their glucose control when their insulin pump settings have been set from continuous glucose sensing data interpreted by a new computer program (PumpTune), to when a doctor reviews the
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Donald Anderson, Dr Bruce King, Hphelan, Associate Professor P Cook, Mneylan, Carmel Smart
 

2011

A double blind cross over trial in young insulin pump users comparing their glucose control when their insulin pump settings have been set from continuous glucose sensing data interpreted by a new computer program (PumpTune), to when a doctor reviews the
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Donald Anderson, Dr Bruce King, Associate Professor Pcook, Mneylan, Carmel Smart
 

2010

How do high protein and/or high fat meals affect postprandial glycaemic control in children and adolescents using intensive insulin therapy?
Project Grant
Researchers:

Professor Clare Collins, Carmel Smart, Bruce King, Patrick McElduff 

2008

Equipment Grant
Equipment Grant
Researchers:
In children with type 1 Diabetes on intensive insulin therapy, can improving carbohydrate knowledge and targeted nutrition education strategies improve diabetes management?
Project Grant

2002

Acting on overweight and obesity in Hunter children
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