I am Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Griffith University and a Fellow of the Dietitians Association of Australia. I am a Conjoint Professor with the Faculty of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle, and an Adjunct Professor with the Faculty of Health at the University of Canberra.
My undergraduate degree was in Science (Biochemistry) with first class honours in Nutrition, and I also hold tertiary qualifications in Social Science, Health Promotion and Dietetics. My PhD was conducted through the School of Medicine at the University of Newcastle and formed part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. It examined what happened to the weight of women as they experienced the menopause transition.
My key areas of teaching are research methods, public health nutrition, community nutrition, nutrition education programs and counselling. Much of my research is interdisciplinary, and I have published widely in the field of obesity and in the area of the sociology of food and nutrition. My research interests include weight gain and weight control practices, including the 40-Something RCT aimed at preventing weight gain in mid-age women. I have also published in the gendered aspects of dieting, the rural and allied health workforce, and the sociological aspects of slow food.
Fellow of Dietitians Australia