Rate My Professor Chris Della Vedova

Dr Chris Della Vedova is a senior academic at Adelaide University, contributing to genetics education within the School of Biological Sciences. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Georgia in 1999 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics from the University of Missouri in 2004. He then undertook postdoctoral research in evolutionary developmental genetics at the University of Oxford. In 2008, he joined the University of South Australia as a Lecturer in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, advancing over nearly two decades to Senior Lecturer in Clinical and Health Sciences and Program Director - Biosciences. He has also held the position of Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Flinders University.

Dr Della Vedova's research specializations include the genetic and physiological basis for complex neurobehavioural conditions, chronobiology, the effects of sleep deprivation and shift work on glucose metabolism, driving performance, sleepiness, gastric upset, hunger, and biomarkers for fatigue, stress, addiction, pain sensitivity, and headache mechanisms. He has published extensively on these topics, with key works such as "Timing of food intake during simulated night shift impacts glucose metabolism: A controlled study" (Grant et al., 2017; 110 citations), "The Dominant Inhibitory Chalcone Synthase Allele C2-Idf (Inhibitor diffuse) From Zea mays (L.) Acts via an Endogenous RNA Silencing Mechanism" (Della Vedova et al., 2005; 87 citations), "Illicit stimulant use is associated with abnormal substantia nigra morphology in humans" (Todd et al., 2013; 73 citations), "Peripheral interleukin-1β levels are elevated in chronic tension-type headache patients" (Della Vedova et al., 2013; 63 citations), "It’s not just what you eat but when: The impact of eating a meal during simulated shift work on driving performance" (Gupta et al., 2017; 48 citations), and "Caffeine reduces the impact of drowsiness on driving errors" (Aidman et al., 2018; 28 citations). These contributions have advanced understanding in occupational health, pain research, and drug detection methodologies. In 2026, Dr Della Vedova and Dr Sarah Davey received a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Awards for University Teaching for their innovative interactive oral assessments replacing laboratory reports in genetics, which improved student engagement, learning outcomes, and authentic skill development. He actively engages in teaching and learning research emphasizing authentic assessment and constructive feedback.