NZSG Researchers

Dr Simone Bayer is a Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch. Her research focuses on Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction (DGBI), including irritable bowel syndrome, and improving diagnostic pathways for conditions with overlapping symptoms. She currently leads a clinical trial on bile acid malabsorption and collaborates with the Gut Foundation to develop digital tools that reduce diagnostic burden.
Dr Bayer has extensive experience in nutrition-focused clinical trials, including the COMFORT–PSYKI study on psyllium and kiwifruit, and He Rourou Whai Painga, a whānau-based Mediterranean diet intervention. Her work integrates dietary strategies, microbiome science, and translational approaches to gastrointestinal health. She has authored 18 peer-reviewed publications and presented at major international conferences such as Digestive Disease Week and the European Nutrition Conference.
Looking ahead, Dr Bayer is part of the founding team for Food4Wellbeing, a research centre dedicated to advancing evidence-based dietary interventions for gut health and overall wellbeing. Her vision is to bridge clinical practice and nutrition science, delivering innovative solutions that improve patient outcomes in gastrointestinal disorders.

I am a paediatric gastroenterology dietitian at Christchurch Hospital, where I work within the multidisciplinary team to support the nutrition care of children with complex gut conditions. I also hold a research fellow role with Professor Andrew Day in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Otago in Christchurch. I have extensive clinical and research experience in diet therapy for paediatric IBD, and I am privileged to bring evidence based findings straight into practice so we can improve health outcomes for the children and families we support.

Professor Andrew Day undertook subspecialty clinical and research training at SickKids, Toronto, Canada. He then took up a clinical academic position at UNSW and Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia, before returning to NZ in 2009. He has a clinical academic role based at University Otago Christchurch and Christchurch Hospital. He was appointed Cure Kids Chair of Paediatric Research several years ago, and his research activities are supported by Cure Kids. His research focus is predominantly upon aspects of IBD in children, with particular themes being nutrition and nutritional management, biomarkers, host/pathogen interactions and outcomes.

In my PhD (2017), I developed NZ’s first IBD patient-derived 3D intestinal organoid models, leading to publications, multiple University of Otago awards, and international plenary conference talks. At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and UC San Diego (UCSD), I advanced the organoid tech to include mesenchymal and immune cell co-cultures, genotypic recombination, laser-ablation injury modelling, 3D imaging, HiPlex Transcriptomics, and Hegemonics. Since 2022 as a Research Fellow (UoO), I’ve introduced these novel technologies to NZ, leading to 20+ national and international collaborations, positioning me as the leading NZ organoid specialist. My independently funded study in epithelial stem cell biology and clinical immunology aims to uncover new anti-inflammatory targets in treatment-resistant IBD. Guided by Vision Mātauranga, I’m also actively growing Māori research capacity and capability. Recognized as an Emerging IBD Researcher by the US Crohn’s & Colitis Congress and HRC, I review for top journals (PNAS, Nature Comm.), NIH grants, and collaborate with industry partners (US, Tokyo, Belgium and New Zealand).

My research has focused on inappropriate opioid utilisation and related adverse outcomes, with particular emphasis on persistent opioid use following hospitalisation. I combine my clinical background with academic excellence, creating and delivering clinical pharmacy practice content across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes while leading innovative research in pharmacoepidemiology, use of artificial intelligence in health and education apps and profession-based research.

Current Active Projects:

Examining opioid use patters in patients with inflammatory bowel disease after hospital discharge
Examining opioid use patterns in patients with dementia in residential care facilities
Examining opioid use patterns in patients discharged from the hospital with gout
Determining the incidence and characteristics of mortality after persistent opioid use
Developing predictive algorithms for asthma management using artificial intelligence
Investigating medication-related predictors of asthma exacerbation
Evaluating current roles of pharmacist prescribers in Aotearoa New Zealand
Use of Agentic AI in health app development
Implementation of AI chatbots in higher education
Use of AI in the assessment of colonoscopy priority
Use of AI for case-based discussion and clinical skills development in pharmacy undergraduate students


Research Approach & Impact:

Conduct large-scale population-based studies using complex national datasets
Publish in high-impact journals including Annals of Surgery, PAIN, and Anaesthesia & Analgesia
Address critical medication safety issues affecting New Zealand's healthcare system
Using AI to solve real-world health and education problems

My research expertise centres on nutrition and gastrointestinal disease, with a particular focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and perioperative care. My PhD (completed in 2017) examined nutritional therapy for adults with active Crohn’s disease, establishing the foundation for a programme of research dedicated to improving clinical outcomes through evidence-based nutrition interventions.

Since then, my work has expanded to include the development and validation of nutrition screening tools, targeted dietary therapies, and perioperative nutrition pathways for people with IBD. I led a New Zealand Health Research Council–funded clinical trial evaluating preoperative exclusive enteral nutrition and the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet as strategies to optimise nutritional status and reduce surgical risks in Crohn’s disease—one of the first studies of its kind in New Zealand.

My current HRC-funded research examines the entire perioperative nutrition journey for people undergoing colorectal surgery for bowel cancer or IBD. This programme includes studies on malnutrition screening, pre-operative nutrition optimisation, post-operative dietary intake, and the mechanisms and management of chronic disease-related fatigue.

At an international level, I have contributed to several major IBD clinical consensus guidelines, including those produced by the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation, British Dietetic Association, British Society of Gastroenterology, and World Gastroenterology Organisation.