Director
Professor Peter SW Davies B.Sc (Hons), MPhil, PhD, R.Nutr
Deputy Scientific Directors
Dr Rebecca Hill B.App.Sc (Hons), PhD, R.Nutr
Operations Manager
Ms Marea Fox
Communications and Fundraising Officer
Mrs Kate Gadenne
Executive Assistant to Director
Receptionist
Clinical Consultant
Professor Geoffrey Cleghorn MBBS, FRACP, FACG, FCA
Body Composition Lab Technician
Ms Katie Wootton B.Hlth.Sc, M.Nutr & Diet APD.
Researchers
Assoc Prof Peter Lewindon
Dr Alexia Murphy B.App.Sc (HMS)
MBBS, FRACP, DTM&H
Dr Elly Scheermeyer B.Ed (Secondary), M.Sc, PhD
M.Diet.St, B.App.Sc
Postgraduate Students
Dr Mandana Arshi (MBBS)
Ms Kimberley Baxter B.Hlth.Sci (Hons), B.FoodTech
Ms Denise Brookes B.App.Sc, M.App.Sc
Ms Paula Brown B.Sc Nutr & Diet
Mrs Christine Chapman-Kiddell B.Sc Nutr (Hons), Grad.Dip.Diet.
Miss Sarah Elliott B.App.Sc
B.App.Sc, Grad.Dip.Diet, M.Puc.Hlth, APD, AN
Dr Diane Jensen MBBS B.Sc, Grad.Dip.Ed
Ms Khairun Nessa M.Nutr & Food Sc, B.Nutr & Food Sc
Mrs Ruth Taylor Newby B.App.Sc, BLM (Secondary)
Dr Ohn Nyunt MBBS, PGDTMH
Ms Sarah Officer B.App.Sc, B.Hlth.Sc (Hons)
Ms Stina Oftedal B.Bus (BusAdm)(Hons), B.Hlth.Sc (Hons) Nutr & Diet.
Miss Niikee Schoendorfer M.Hlth.Sc, B.Hlth.Sc
Dip.App.Sc, Dip.Herbal.Med, G.Dip.Nutr.Med
Miss Jacqueline Walker B.App.Sc, B.Sc (Hons) Nutr & Diet
B.Hlth.Sc
RN EM Dip App Sc B App Sc M Phil MPH
BSc, PG.Dip FT, M Nut Diet, APD
Miss Kristy Reid B.Ex.Sc
Honorary Research Consultants
Dr Kristie Bell B.App.Sc (HEc), B.Hlth.Sc (Hons) Nutr & Diet, PhD
Dr Pamela Dodrill B.Sp.Path (Hons), PhD
Dr Ian Hughes B.VSc, B.Sc, PhD
Dr Erin Ross Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Dr Sue Shepherd PhD, B.App.Sci. (Health Promotion), M. Nut. & Diet
Professor Helen Truby M.Hum Nutr, Adv.APD, PhD
Dr Melinda White B.App.Sc, PhD
Professor Peter SW Davies
ps.davies@uq.edu.au
Professor Peter Davies is the Director of the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), and Deputy Head of the School (Research) in the School of Medicine at The University of Queensland.
He has published over 370 articles and papers in the field of nutrition, energy metabolism, and growth and development in both health and disease in infants and children.
Peter has served on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Body Composition Research, Acta Paediatrica, Annals of Human Biology and the International Journal of Obesity.
Peter is also Honorary Secretary of the Nutrition Society of Australia and a past president of Nutrition Australia. He also chairs a number of advisory boards in the nutrition industry. He is a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Dietary Guidelines Committee as well as on the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) Infant and Young Child Scientific Advisory Group.
Dr Rebecca Hill
rj.hill@uq.edu.au
Dr Rebecca Hill is an early career researcher, having only completed her PhD in 2003. Prior to this, in 1998, she was awarded First Class Honours. In the past 10 years, Dr Hill has published many peer reviewed journal papers, reviewed abstracts and other publications. A particular highlight is the review she published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2001 which has, to date, been cited 135 times (ISI Web of Science, accessed 12.11.10); which places this paper third out of all the papers cited in that journal for that year.
Dr Hill moved her research interest into the area of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during 2004 and as a result of her outstanding contribution in this area she was awarded the Young Investigator Award by the Australian Australia’s and Colitis Association (ACCA) in 2005. She has presented at several national and international conferences (many as an invited speaker) and has presented her work at numerous local meetings. Most recently, she was an invited speaker at Australian Gastroenterology Week 2010 and was selected as a participant in the ESPGHAN Gastroenterology Summer School in Greece.
Dr Hill is currently supervising five PhD Students under the two themes that she leads; ‘Gastroenterology’ and ‘Food Allergy and Intolerance’, and she regularly reviews manuscripts for international journals in the areas of energy expenditure, body composition, and growth. She is a member of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia and its IBD Interest Group; the Nutrition Society of Australia; Nutrition Australia; and the Dietitians Association of Australia. She is currently working at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) in Brisbane where she is a Research Fellow, member of the Executive Committee, the Deputy Scientific Director, and theme leader for two of the CNRC’s research themes, namely, ‘Gastroenterology’ and ‘Food Allergy and Intolerance’
Career Highlights:
Early 1998, Dr Rebecca Hill was awarded a Vacational Scholarship which resulted in her first peer review publication in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which to date, has been cited 24 times (ISI Web of Knowledge, accessed 18.02.09).
Five manuscripts and two abstracts were accepted for publication resulting from Rebecca’s PhD. One of these papers, a review published in the British Journal of Nutrition has, to date, been cited 106 times (ISI Web of Knowledge, accessed 18.02.09); which places this paper third out of all the papers cited in that journal for that year. Rebecca also presented her work at three local conferences, and two international conferences in Vienna and Rome during this time.
At the end of 2004, Rebecca was charged with developing a new area of research for the CNRC in IBD. In January 2005, a new research project began, investigating nutritional status, linear growth and body composition in children with IBD. In 2005, Rebecca was awarded the Young Investigators Award from ACCA for this research. Rebecca also secured a grant for $7658 from this organisation. This research has garnered collaborations with the Queensland Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Service at the Royal Children's Hospital, the Brisbane IBD Research Group and the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. The latter collaboration has resulted in a new research study, commencing January 2009, investigating the probiotic VSL#3 and its efficacy in inducing and maintaining remission in children with Crohn’s disease.
Ms Marea Fox
marea.fox@uq.edu.au
As Operations Manager, Marea Fox brings together her management, communications and organisational strengths to the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre.
Marea joined the CNRC in 2006 with over 16 years experience in public relations management including extensive experience across the public and private sectors. Marea is responsible for the centre’s public relations activities, events and day to day operational systems.
Marea’s previous work has been recognised with international, national and state awards for the Crime Stoppers Youth Challenge (a crime prevention education program for schools in Tasmania and Queensland) and the Workplace Safe campaign.
r.fadzil@uq.edu.au
As the person who answers the telephone and greets guests at reception, Rohani Fadzil is the first point of contact for Children’s Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) clients.
As executive assistant to the Director, Professor Peter SW Davies, and the Centre's receptionist, Rohani brings a wide range of administrative experience to her role.
Rohani joined the CNRC after being at the St Lucia campus for several years in a variety of roles ranging from Engagement Officer, and Disability Administrator to presenting student accommodation information sessions to new international and domestic students.
Professor Geoffrey Cleghorn
g.cleghorn@uq.edu.au
Geoffrey Cleghorn is Deputy Head of the School of Medicine, Director International of the School of Medicine and Professor of Paediatrics.
Professor Cleghorn is a graduate of the University of Queensland Medical School and undertook postgraduate training in paediatric gastroenterology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Following his training he entered academic practice within University of Queensland at the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane.
Professor Cleghorn has published more than 90 manuscripts and book chapters and is a seasoned lecturer and public speaker on a number of infant related issues including perinatal and paediatric nutrition. His research interests include the use of energy expenditure and body composition analysis in a number of disease states including chronic liver disease, cystic fibrosis, and general nutritional rehabilitation. He has been the recipient of a number of research grants from national and international granting bodies including the Australian Research Council, the National Health & Medical Research Council from Australia and the National Institutes of Health from the USA.
Professor Cleghorn has developed an extensive network of associations throughout Asia and hence has a very high profile within this region. He is a frequent, invited visitor to countries throughout Asia and has spoken on a number of nutritional and gastrointestinal topics during these visits. This profile has enabled Professor Cleghorn to be formally appointed as a visiting Professor to the Academic Teaching Staff of the Department of Child Health, University of Indonesia in this role he became involved in several multinational trials in S.E. Asia, and this has resulted in a number of trainees traveling to Brisbane to further their paediatric gastrointestinal and nutritional studies with him and his colleagues.
Professor Cleghorn has been a member of the well respected, Queensland Liver Transplant Service (QLTS) from its inception in 1985 until the present day. He has been involved in many of the historical and seminal advances in paediatric liver transplantation including the world’s first successful living related donor liver transplant and the development of the liver cut down technique now universally known as the “Brisbane Technique”. Research from the QLTS has highlighted the importance of nutrition in these patients and again is now acknowledged internationally.
Professor Cleghorn has had extensive collaborative experience with all levels of industry from the conduct of commissioned trials for regulatory approval to board room advice. He has been on the medical advisory boards of the peak meat industry body in Australia and Gerber Australasia. He has had extensive experience within the broader Asian region providing advice to the regional medical office for Mead Johnson Nutritionals.
His memberships include the Queensland Paediatric Society, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the North American Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition. In addition, he also holds the following positions:
• President – The Asian and Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition
• President - The Federation of International Societies of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• Executive Councilor, The International Pediatric Transplantation Association
• Editorial Board, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Editorial Board, Bailiere’s Clinical Gastroenterology
• Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia
Miss Katie Wootton
k.wootton@uq.edu.au
Katie completed an undergraduate in Health Science (Nutrition) at the Queensland University of Technology, and a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics at Griffith University. She currently works as the technician in the Body Composition Laboratory, and is responsible for performing tests to determine the nutritional status and body composition of clinical and research populations.
Katie has a particular interest in paediatric nutrition, particularly in the field of childhood obesity and eating disorders.
Dr Ian Hughes
i.hughes@uq.edu.au
Dr Ian Hughes graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in Veterinary Science and went on to complete a PhD at the University of Sydney on “The Molecular Genetics of Porcine Stress syndrome”. He taught genetics and statistics in the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland for 10 years while also conducting research into a number of genetic and multifactorial diseases of cats, dogs, pigs, and sheep.
Later Ian moved to the Queensland University of Technology where he undertook major projects on the genetics of human height and the development of a genetic test for schizophrenia. While at QUT he also worked on the genetics of human pigmentation and published significant work on calvarial bone development in craniosynostosis.
Dr Hughes is currently undertaking research at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre, The University of Queensland, on the clinical use of growth hormone and genetic and environmental factors contributing to low grade, recurrent disease in urban, rural, and remote aboriginal children.
Associate Professor Peter Lewindon
p.lewindon@uq.edu.au
Associate Professor Lewindon has a background in Adult Internal Medicine, and General Paediatrics with 17 years in Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and 11 years as a Paediatric Transplant Hepatologist. Having first trained in adult medicine he completed paediatric training in the United Kingdom and Australia. He was a Lecturer for 2 years at Chinese University of Hong Kong and Director of the only paediatric gastroenterology service in Hong Kong. He has been at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane since 1997 where he has broad clinical interests. He inaugurated the statewide paediatric manometry service for Queensland in 1999 and has established research collaborations with: Professor Ramm, QIMR looking into the mechanisms of hepatic fibrosis in children with cholestasis; Dr Radford-Smith and the Brisbane Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Group to investigate the epidemiology of IBD in children; and Associate Professor Peter Davies and the CNRC investigating the nutritional impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in children.
Associate Professor Lewindon holds 2 NHMRC grants and is a regular reviewer for scientific journals, granting bodies (NHMRC) and PhD theses in paediatric liver disease and intestinal motility. He sits on the Specialist Advisory Committee for Gastroenterology to the Royal College of Physicians and is an executive member of the Gastroenterology Society of Queensland and the Federation of International Societies of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
alexia.murphy@uq.edu.au
Dr Alexia Murphy is a Post doctorate Research Fellow with the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre and is the Theme Leader for Oncology Research within the CNRC. Dr Murphy has been with the CNRC since 2000, after completing her undergraduate degree in Applied Science - Human Movement Studies through the Queensland University of Technology. Alexia completed her PhD, titled ‘Body Composition Measurements and Nutritional Status in Children with Clinical Conditions: Cystic Fibrosis and Cancer’, with The University of Queensland in 2010.
Dr Murphy is the Theme Leader for Oncology Research within the CNRC and is responsible for undertaking and overseeing nutrition research in children with cancer. Alexia founded the Children’s Oncology Nutrition Network in 2009 which connects clinicians and researchers working in the area of Paediatric Oncology Nutrition throughout Australia. Alexia is currently supervising two PhD students within the Oncology Theme.
Dr Murphy is also Scientist-in-Charge of the CNRC’s Body Composition Laboratory. This position involves overseeing the measurement of body composition and energy expenditure of both patients and research subjects.
Alexia has co-authored 2 book chapters and to date 39 peer review articles and abstracts including 2 first author articles in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Alexia has been a part of 3 successful grants worth in total $445000.
Jane Peake
j.peake@uq.edu.au
Dr Jane Peake is a paediatric immunologist and allergist who specialises in primary immunodeficiency disorders, allergic disease, food allergy, anaphylaxis, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis. Dr Peake works as the head of the Queensland Paediatric Immunology and Allergy Service based at the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane, and is also a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Queensland.
Dr Mandana Arshi
m.arshi@uq.edu.au
Dr Mandana Arshi is a medical doctor and a PhD research candidate at the Children's Nutrition and Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Paediatrics and Child Health Discipline, Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane. Her research interest is in childhood asthma and obesity, particularly the interactions between inflammatory markers of obesity, airway inflammation and airway responsiveness in children with persistent asthma.
Denise Brookes
d.brookes@uq.edu.au
Originally from South Australia, Denise started her career in the corporate health & fitness industry in 1990 whilst finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Exercise & Sports Science. She has subsequently worked & lectured in this field in Malaysia, England and with the Asian Academy of Sports & Fitness Professionals in Hong Kong and China. Denise added Pilates to her repertoire in Hong Kong, studying with Polestar Pilates both in Mat work and Clinical disciplines. In 2003 she returned to Australia to successfully complete her Masters in Clinical Exercise at the School of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland. Her research is published in Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. Within the school Denise was also an active tutor for the undergraduate students in exercise prescription & programming, professional skills, biophysical foundations of human movements, and health fitness diet & exercise.
Motivated to continue to expand her skills, understanding and contribution to the industry, Denise is currently a PhD candidate with the CNRC at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. Her research involves the investigation of bone strength parameters in children and adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The aim of her research is to look at how muscle development influences bone development in children and adolescents with CF. The focus is using peripheral quantitative tomography (pQCT) to examine the mass and structure of the bone and the influence of the surrounding muscle. Denise works with the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital to directly assist her abilities and knowledge of the densitometry modalities that measure bone and muscle. Overall, this will provide a more comprehensive understanding of bone health in CF that currently is an area of underdeveloped research.
Christine Chapman-Kiddell
christine.chapman-kiddell@health.qld.gov.au
Christine worked as a Clinical Dietitian in the UK and Australia. She is currently employed at RBWH as a Clinical Dietitian working in the areas of gastoenterology and parenteral nutrition. Christine special interest is in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Intestinal Failure.
Christine is currently enrolled in an MPhil at UQ, Investigating the role of diet in the development of Crohn's disease. This has included investigating a potential role for obesity.
Kimberley Baxter
k.cojean@uq.edu.au
Kim Baxter is a research dietitian at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre at the University of Queensland. She has been working at the CNRC since 2007 as a research dietitian for the Eat Smart study. Eat Smart is a dietary intervention study which is investigating different dietary approaches to treat adolescent obesity. Part of this study will contribute to her PhD, which she is currently working towards. Her PhD project will explore novel markers of disease risk in obese adolescents, including biochemical inflammatory markers and arterial function.
Kim has a background in the areas of food science, nutrition and dietetics. She graduated from the University of Queensland in 2002 with Honours in Food Technology. She then went on to work in a product development role in the food industry. Seeking a career in the health sciences, she pursued studies in nutrition and dietetics at the Queensland University of Technology, graduating with first class honours in 2006. Kim is passionate about working with children and adolescents and believes that good nutrition in these early years is the key to healthy eating habits and a healthy weight for life.
Sarah Elliott
sarah.elliott@uq.edu.au
Sarah Elliott is currently doing her PhD with the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre, University of Queensland, Royal Children’s Hospital.
As a graduate of Applied Science – Food Science and Nutrition, from the University of Queensland she has been exposed to a number of challenging research opportunities, and is especially interested in childhood nutrition as well as the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.
She commenced work with the CNRC in 2006 as Research Assistant in the Healthy Kids Queensland: Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, an initiative of Eat Well, Be Active - Healthy Kids for Life (Queensland Governments first action plan 2005-2008). Nutrition, physical activity and anthropometric data were collected from approximately 3000 children from grades 1, 5, and 10. From the data generated, Sarah will be investigating the associations of BMI and waist circumference with energy intake and percentage energy from macronutrients.
Sarah’s current research will aim to validate the use of a reduced isotope dose of doubly labelled water in children, and provide an accurate, cost effective way of measuring total energy expenditure. She will also be examining changes in body composition and energy expenditure in obese adolescents.
Sarah also works as a technician in the Body Composition Laboratory and is responsible for performing tests to determine the nutritional status and body composition of clinical and research populations.
Dr Diane Jensen
d.jensen1@uq.edu.au
Diane Jensen is a Paediatric Endocrinologist and confirmed PhD candidate, currently undertaking a project in collaboration with the CNRC and the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes as part of the "Eat Smart" Team. Diane’s project involves investigating the effectiveness of a drug treatment in helping obese adolescents maintain weight loss after a period of dietary restriction. Her supervisors are Prof Jenny Batch (RCH), Prof Helen Truby (CNRC and Monash University) and A/Prof Neil King (QUT). Her research will also examine the role of appetite in adolescent obesity.
Jo-Anne McMah
j.mcmah@uq.edu.au
Jo-anne is one of the dietitians working on the CP Child: Growth, Nutrition and Physical Activity study. Jo-anne completed an undergraduate in Health Science (Nutrition) at the Queensland University of Technology, and a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics at Griffith University. She was previously working at the Royal North Shore Hospital as the community dietitian and was also involved in facilitating education sessions as part of the ‘Go4Fun’ Children’s Obesity Program. She relocated to Brisbane for this work opportunity to pursue her interest in research, and further her skills and knowledge in paediatric dietetics. Jo-anne is enthusiastic to take on the role of conducting assessments, analysing food diaries, compiling and sending study reports and taking study participant bookings.
Khairun Nessa
k.nessa@uq.edu.au
Khairun completed her Bachelor and Masters Degree in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and is now a PhD research candidate at the Children’s Nutrition and Research Centre, The University of Queensland. Her research interest is in the growth and body composition of children with eating disorders.
Ruth Taylor Newby
ruth.newby@uqconnect.edu.au
Ruth has worked for many years as a medical scientist in diagnostic pathology with a particular interest in Haematology and Transfusion medicine. Ruth’s research interests with the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre are in the area of early infant feeding, and lie specifically with the investigation of maternal behaviours associated with infant feeding during the infant’s first year. She is currently employed as a member of academic staff at CQ University on Bundaberg campus, teaching Bioscience and Nursing programs.
Dr Ohn Nyunt
ohn.nyunt@mater.org.au
Ohn Nyunt an advanced trainee in Paediatric Endocrinology at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Ohn has clinical experience in Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Mellitus; and general Paediatric Endocrinology, with a special interest in endocrinological problems of children with Prader Willi Syndrome. Dr Nyunt is currently undergoing a PhD course at the University of Queensland on the energy homeostasis in children with Prader Willi Syndrome. Research works are being performed at the Children's Nutrition Research Centre and Mater Children's Hospital. Dr Nyunt is a lecturer at the School of Medicine at The University of Queensland and also teaches Paediatrics to medical students. He is involved in both basic and advanced Paediatric training at the Mater Children's Hospital in Brisbane. Dr Nyunt obtained his medical degree obtained from the Institute of Medicine Yangon, Myanmar.
Sarah Officer
s.officer@uq.edu.au
Ms Sarah Officer is currently a PhD student at the Children's Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC). Her research involves investigating growth outcomes and diet in prematurely born children at 5 years of age. Prior to this, Ms Officer completed a BHlthSc(Hons) while based at the CNRC, undertaking a project to describe infant feeding practices in Brisbane’s Sudanese community. Ms Officer completed her undergraduate degree, a BAppSc majoring in food science and nutrition, at the University of Queensland.
Stina Oftedal
s.oftedal@uq.edu.au
Stina graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 2010 with a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons.), and is currently doing her PhD with the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre and the Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre at the University of Queensland, Royal Children’s Hospital. Stina’s PhD research focuses on physical activity, diet and body composition in preschool children with cerebral palsy, linking results to functional abilities. This research aims to identify groups within the cerebral palsy population who may be at risk of not meeting their full functional potential secondary to low levels of physical activity, and support the importance of inactivity prevention and physical activity promotion strategies in the management of young children with cerebral palsy.
Nita Sharp
n.sharp@uq.edu.au
Nita has lectured and worked around the world in lifestyle, nutrition medicine and spa techniques, before coming to the CNRC as a PhD student. Her research interests are in how a person’s nutritional biochemistry is affected by their genetic potential and their interaction with the environment.
These research interests are being bought into her other passions, which are children and the Indigenous community. The outcomes of this research she is currently involved in will hopefully assist in some way by finding solutions and interventions with the children to help “Close the Gap” to health concerns.
Niikee Schoendorfer
n.schoendorfer@uq.edu.au
The focus of Niikee Schoendorfer’s research is on determining valid biochemical parameters to ascertain the body levels of micronutrients in paediatric populations. Micronutrient levels are currently being observed in children with severe cerebral palsy either perioperatively or otherwise, as well as in typically developing children, in order to utilise these parameters to optimise their nutritional status. The aim is to improve the overall health of these children and outcome measures post surgery such as length of stays in hospital, complications and quality of life parameters.
Niikee is also coordinating a research network interest group to foster the introduction of suitable naturopathic students into complementary medicine clinical research in conjunction with the School of Medicine at the University of Queensland. This endeavour is being conducted to improve quality and increase output of evidence based complementary medicine research in the mainstream scientific arena.
Jacqueline Walker
jacqueline_walker@health.qld.gov.au
Jacqueline is currently doing her PhD with the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre and the Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre at the University of Queensland, Royal Children’s Hospital.
After completing a combined undergraduate degree in exercise science and nutrition and dietetics in Sydney, Jacqueline relocated to Brisbane to pursue her interest in dietetic research in clinical paediatric populations.
Her current research focuses on the various aspects of diet, hydration and body composition in young children with cerebral palsy. A range of assessments and measures will be used to investigate these factors in a group of preschool-aged children, linking results to the level of functional ability and comparing to typically developing children. This research aims to highlight what differences in diet, hydration and body composition already exist in young children with cerebral palsy, which will enable better management and planning of nutritional treatment options at an earlier stage of life.
Anna Walsh
Anna began at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre in early 2010. Anna completed her Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition) at QUT and has worked in the health industry for a number of years. With a special interest in dietary influences on thyroid health, Anna is completing her post graduate studies establishing the relationship between dietary iodine intake and thyroid function in school age and young children.
n.webster@uq.edu.au
Natalie is a qualified dietitian at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre at the University of Queensland. She is currently the dietitian to the 'Eat Smart' and 'Eat Smart for Success' research studies. These studies investigate different dietary approaches to treat adolescent obesity and also the effectiveness of drug treatment in helping obese adolescents maintain weight loss after a period of dietary intervention. Her role is to provide dietetic therapy and counselling to the participants throughout their study intervention.
Natalie is also a full time, new graduate dietitian at the Royal Children’s Hospital covering critical care patients including, renal, high dependency, burns and weight management. She holds a Masters degree in Dietetic Studies from the University of Queensland.
Lesley.Williams@uq.edu.au
Alison is an experienced community maternal and child health nurse who has practised in Victoria and Queensland. More recently Alison has worked as a nurse researcher for the Royal Children’s Hospital and District (Brisbane) and is currently on leave from this position. Her interest in infant nutrition stemmed from her midwifery training at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne and was further developed during study to become a Community Health nurse with a major in Maternal and Child Health. Working in the community clinical setting over many years combined with further study in the area of Public Health and paediatric emergency department care has developed her interest in the nutritive care of infants on presentation/admission to a paediatric facility. This will be the focus of Alison’s doctoral study at the CNRC which will commence in March 2011.
k.wilson8@uq.edu.au
Kate Wilson is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with 11 years clinical experience working primarily with children. She graduated from The University of Sydney in 1997 with a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics. Highlights of her career include obtaining federal funding for 2 years to run a healthy lifestyle program for under 5s in Gladstone Qld and commencing research into the attitudes of GPs to childhood obesity on the Central Coast NSW. As a Clinical Paediatric Dietitian she has worked in tertiary, secondary and the community sectors in various settings in NSW, Qld and the UK. She is currently a PhD research candidate at the Children Nutrition Research Centre studying food intolerances in children with functional gastrointestinal pain.
Paula Brown
p.brown1@uq.edu.au
Paula Brown is a UK trained Paediatric Dietitian. She completed a BSc Nutrition and Dietetics (First Class Honours) at Kings College London, in 2002, and was awarded the Maud Taylor Prize for best overall student. She has 6 years clinical experience, including 4 years in paediatrics. She has also worked as an assistant research Dietitian in the UK, a volunteer Nutritionist in Ecuador and a Health Specialist Representative in Australia.
Paula started her PhD at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre on the 29th of August 2011 and will be focusing on the diet and body composition of pre-school children.
Kristy Reid
kristy.reid@uq.edu.au
Kristy Reid has a bachelor degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of the Sunshine Coast. After completion of the degree she was employed by the CNRC as a research assistant and body composition laboratory technician. During employment she co-wrote a booklet with Professor Peter SW Davies on Exercise and Physical Activity for children with Prader Willi Syndrome before travelling overseas. She has returned to continue research and complete her Honours degree in the area of physical activity and paediatric oncology.
Tracy Harb
t.harb@uq.edu.au
Tracy commenced as a research student with the CNRC in early 2010. She is currently investigating the links between maternal diet and infant colic in exclusively breast fed babies aged 0-6 months.
Tracy is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, working at Queanbeyan Hospital, NSW. In addition, she works in two private practice clinics in Southern NSW. She enjoys working with mothers and young children, and has a special interest in paediatric nutrition and food allergies and infant feeding. She is a member of the Dietitians Association of Australia, Public Health Association of Australia and The Nutrition Society of Australia.
She has enjoyed a varied career in public health, and has worked in program management and policy development for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, and as a public health Epidemiologist for the Greater Southern Area Health Service in NSW.
Dr Kristie Bell
kristie_bell@health.qld.gov.au
Dr Kristie L Bell completed her doctoral studies on the topic of Energy Expenditure, Physical Activity and Body Composition of Children with Cerebral Palsy in with the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre in 2005. Her PhD research has resulted in 3 publications in peer reviewed journals with another 2 publications currently in preparation. Since completing her PhD, Dr Bell has obtained 2 research grants as CIA to investigate the energy requirements of children following traumatic brain injury with CIA Davies as a co-investigator.
Dr Bell has extensive clinical experience managing the nutritional needs of children with CP and other physical disabilities. This expertise was officially recognised in 2006 with the award of Advanced Clinician/Professional status through the Queensland Health Conditional Advancement Scheme.
Current Research Program
Most recently Dr Bell is a chief investigator and coordinator of an NHMRC funded study investigating the influence of diet, physical activity, growth and body composition on health outcomes, participation and health related quality of life in young children with cerebral palsy, aged from 18 months to 5 years (NHMRC 569605). This newly commencing study will be conducted in addition to the QLD CP Child study. It is a joint project involving the Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre and the School of Human Movement Studies at the University of Queensland and the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Centre, University of Virginia, USA.
Dr Erin Ross
Feedingfun@comcast.net
Dr Erin Ross is a speech/language pathologist and a clinical research fellow in nutrition. She specialises in the development of feeding and feeding disorders in infants and very young children. Dr Ross has worked in several Neonatal Intensive Care Unit settings over the past 15 years. She has been the Education Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Fragile Infant Feeding Institute and is a Clinical Instructor with the Centre for Family and Infant Interaction at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Centre. Dr Ross has worked in private practice with Dr Toomey for over 10 years and recently completed her doctorate in Clinical Sciences at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr Ross is an internationally recognised speaker in feeding development and feeding disorders in premature and very young infants.
Elly Scheermeyer
e.scheermeyer@uq.edu.au
Elly immigrated to Australia after finishing her graduate studies and teaching qualification in Holland. She did a Masters Qualifying at James Cook University, Townsville, and after this finished a PhD in Environmental studies at Griffith University.
Her interest has always been in research, but due to the birth of a child with a syndrome, she had a major career interruption and subsequently has been focusing her research in health. Over the years she has participated in various research projects and edited a book for CSIRO. In addition she instigated the establishment of a multi-disciplinary clinic with a number of specialists at the Mater Hospital and an association for people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) in Queensland. Presently she is setting up a database for children with PWS in Australia and New Zealand in collaboration with the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) PWS subcommittee. She is also involved in various Cochrane Systematic Reviews and a variety of other studies in her present employment.
Dr Pamela Dodrill
p.dodrill@uq.edu.au
Pamela Dodrill has broad clinical and research interested in feeding and eating difficulties in young children.
Pamela was awarded a Queensland Health – Health Research Fellowship and has an honorary academic position at the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre. Pamela is currently leading a team of multi-disciplinary clinical researchers who are involved in the Healthy Eating Learning Program (HELP) study. This study is a large, randomized controlled trial comparing the clinical efficacy and cost efficiency of various interventions for children with feeding/eating difficulties and a restricted range or dietary intake. Pamela is also involved in a number of studies investigating feeding issues in preterm infants, as well as healthy full-term infants.
Pamela has continued to work clinically with children with feeding, eating, and swallowing problems at the Royal Children’s Hospital over the last decade. She also teaches courses and workshops on managing paediatric feeding problems for under-graduate students and practicing health professionals. Pamela founded and coordinates the Neonatal and Infant Therapy Interest Group (NITIG), a nation-wide collaboration for health professionals and researchers working with young children.
Professor Helen Truby
Helen.truby@med.monash.edu.au
Professor Truby is the head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Monash University in Melbourne and is also an honorary researcher with The University of Queensland. Professor Truby is currently heading up the "Eat Smart" study, which is examining the energy requirements in young people with obesity and the effect of different diets on body composition during weight loss at the Children's Nutrition Research Centre. In addition, she is working on a number of collaborative research studies which include the Queensland Diabetes Centre, Pathways Clinical and Research Centre, Montrose Access and the Neuromuscular Disease Clinic.
Helen is a graduate of the University of Wales in the United Kingdom. She undertook postgraduate training in Human Nutrition at Deakin University and gained her PhD at the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a Clinical Specialist Dietitian for 7 years at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne and as a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Surrey in England. She has published over eighty papers and abstracts in the areas of paediatric nutrition, cystic fibrosis and weight management. In June 2007 Helen was awarded the British Dietetic Association Rose Simmonds Award for best published work in 2006 for a paper published in the British Medical Journal. Dr Truby has also been the recipient of a many major research grants.
Mrs. Kate Gadenne
k.gadenne@uq.edu.au
Kate Gadenne joined the CNRC in late 2011 to support the Children's Nutrition Research Centre with communications and fundraising.
Kate has more than 10 years experience in fundraising and communications with strong expertise in strategic campaigns, community fundraising, event management, corporate copywriting, tender writing and grant writing.
Kate has worked across the public and private sectors in organisations such as the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, the Australian Army, Queensland's Department of Justice and Attorney General, and the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin. Most recently Kate worked as a consultant providing specialist copywriting, tender writing and grant writing support to some of Australia's largest not-for-profits.
Dr. Sue Shepherd
Dr Sue Shepherd is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and senior lecturer at Monash University's Department of Medicine. Sue has 13 years experience specialising in food intolerances and is the founder of the low FODMAP diet for management of irritable bowel syndrome. She has been awarded the Dietitian’s Association of Australia Annual Award for Achievement for outstanding contribution to the profession, and the Gastroenterological Society of Australia’s Young Investigator Award. She has written five cookbooks – for people with coeliac disease, fructose malabsorption and irritable bowel syndrome. She is currently on the committees of the Digestive Health Foundation, Coeliac Research Fund, and Gastrointestinal Advisory Group for Therapeutic Guidelines.
Dr. Melinda White
Dr White has worked at the Royal Children’s Hospital as a dietitian for over 14 years and currently is the clinical leader in paediatric oncology. She has a PhD in the area of paediatric intensive care nutrition and has continued with paediatric research resulting in several research grants and international publications in oncology and paediatric intensive care. Dr White is on the editorial board and reviewer for scientific publications in the field of nutrition.
