Dr Jorja Collins awarded Churchill Fellowship

Dr Jorja Collins

Congratulations to Dr Jorja Collins from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food who has been awarded a 2019 Churchill Fellowship. The Fellowships are awarded and funded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and provide an opportunity for Australians to travel overseas to conduct research in their chosen field that is not readily available in Australia.

As an Advanced Accredited Practising dietitian, Dr Collins explores the environmental sustainability of hospital food service. Working as a food service dietitian in a large, public healthcare organisation she sees the food miles travelled, the resources used to prepare, store and heat food, and the large amount of food waste that goes to landfill. Her research aims to understand the environmental impact of current processes, the barriers and enablers to change, and what solutions are effective and feasible.

Dr Collins will travel to the U.S. to visit six award winning hospitals that have adopted a range of sustainable practices and processes in their food services. There she will tour the facilities, observe processes in action and interview key stakeholders to learn what these sustainable practices are, their benefits and trade-offs, and how they have been successfully implemented in the complex healthcare setting. Such hospitals include Boston Medical Centre who have established a rooftop garden, the University of Vermont Medical Centre who use locally sourced food, and the John Hopkins Medical Centre who have redesigned their menus to include less meat.

Dr Collins will also visit the headquarters of Health Care Without Harm, a not-for-profit organisation inspiring and supporting sustainable practices in healthcare, as well as attend the Healthy Kitchens Healthy Lives Conference run by the American Culinary Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr Collins says the fellowship will provide her with inspiration and knowledge to transform hospital food service systems in Australia.

"Climate change is the biggest issue facing our world today. As a young person concerned about the future of our planet, this is a remarkable opportunity for me. This fellowship will enhance my ability to create change within my sphere of influence."