Interim Head, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food

Posted on behalf of Prof Peter Ebeling, Head of School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health

I am pleased to announce that after a competitive internal EOI process, Professor Judy Bauer has been appointed as Interim Head of the SCS Department of  Nutrition, Dietetics and Food. Professor Bauer has been a member of the department since late 2021, coming to Monash from an illustrious teaching and research career at the University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane Hospital. Professor Bauer is a Fellow of Dieticians Australia, and just last month was awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Please join me in welcoming Judy to this key leadership position in SCS and in assisting her in guiding the department on the next phase of its journey. 

Food as Medicine course rated amongst the best in the world

Four of Monash University’s free online short courses, including the Food as Medicine course, run by the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food have ranked in the world’s Top Online Courses of All Time, more than any other Australian university. Read full story here.

Christie Bennett awarded PhD

Dr Christie Bennett

Congratulations to Christie Bennett from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food who was last week awarded her PhD.

Christie's PhD was entitled 'Sleep during pregnancy: a novel opportunity to change the health of two generations.' Her research found that sleep in pregnancy does have a relationship with maternal diet and post-partum mental health.

Dr Cardoso and Dr Schroeder awarded the inaugural Andrew Ramsden MHTP ECR Collaborative Award

Pictured centre: Dr Anna Schroeder and
Dr Barbara Cardoso

Congratulations to Dr Barbara Cardoso from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food and Dr Anna Schroeder from the Department of Psychiatry who are the recipients of the inaugural Andrew Ramsden MHTP ECR Collaborative Award.

What's in a name? Confused about when to use the terms Phytochemical or Phytonutrient?

The terms 'Phytochemical' and 'Phytonutrient' seem to be loosely thrown around these days. So to set things straight, Professor Gary Williamson, Head of the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, together with a team of international collaborators have sought to create an easy-to-use reference for the use of these terms in a bid to improve standardisation. Read the full story here.

Associate Professor Claire Palermo receives internationally recognised HEA fellowship

Associate Professor Claire Palermo

Congratulations to Associate Professor Claire Palermo who has been granted a Higher Education Academy (HEA) Principal Fellowship in recognition of her commitment and contribution to student learning, and for her effective strategic leadership in academic practice.

Nights weigh on workers

Research by Associate Professor Maxine Bonham from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food has featured in the Herald Sun. Read the full article here

Food as Medicine courses

The Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food has two fully accredited professional online "Food as Medicine" courses aimed at GPs & nurses starting this week: "Food & Inflammation" & "Food, Exercise & the Gut'.

Interested in PhD projects with the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food?

Join the team and be at the forefront of exciting developments in global nutrition research. The department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food has a number of exciting PhD research projects.

SCS staff receive Dean's Awards for Excellence

The School of Clinical Sciences is celebrating the outstanding achievements of Dr Monique Kilkenny of the Department of Medicine and the Monash Nutrition Indigenous Curriculum Working Group for their recognition in the 2019 Dean’s Awards for Excellence held earlier this month.

Sustainable Food Systems: Is our nutrition workforce equipped to lead us into a sustainable future?

Photo by Bob Blob on Unsplash

Our daily food consumption impacts the natural environment in which we live, and is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. But are our dietitians and nutritionists armed with the right knowledge to empower us all to make change? Our researchers from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food are finding out. Read the full story here

ECR Mentorship Program - helping early career researchers achieve success

Dr Aimee Dordevic and Dr Xin Du
with their mentors

In 2013, the School of Clinical Sciences established the Early Career Researcher Mentorship Program to provide a support framework for ECR's as they progress in their research and teaching careers. The program, which is currently taking applications for 2019-20, pairs mentees with senior academics, providing them with confidential advice and guidance with career planning.

Victorian low and middle income households experiencing food insecurity

Sue Kleve

It is not only very low-income families in Australia who experience food insecurity but low to middle-income families as well, according to latest research at Monash University.

Published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health, the study led by Sue Kleve from the Monash Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food reveals food insecurity exists in low to middle income Victorian households.  

“Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of individuals’ and households’ physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food,” said Accredited Practising Dietitian Ms Kleve, who is also a lecturer and PhD candidate at Monash University.  

“Food insecurity affects health and wellbeing and our study shows that up to five per cent of the Victorian population is affected.”

Using data from the 2006-2009 Victorian Population Health Survey, the research team categorised respondents as food insecure if in the last 12 months they had run out of food and were unable to buy more.

Ms Kleve said the study found that between 4.9 and 5.5 per cent of the total survey population and 3.9 to 4.8 per cent of low to middle income households ($40,000-$80,000 per year) were food insecure.

“It’s concerning that food insecurity exists in households beyond those on a very low income, and for some, this is a weekly or fortnightly experience. Food insecurity is associated with negative health outcomes, including obesity, chronic disease, mental illness and social isolation in adults. However there is also the effect on children including poor general health and behavioural and academic issues.”

Ms Kleve said that food insecurity in low to middle income households was associated with limited help from friends, home ownership status, inability to raise money in an emergency and cost of some foods.

 “This research highlights that there are some low to middle income Australians who do not have enough nutritious food to eat. There is a need for a range of responses to improve people’s access to nutritious food,” Ms Kleve said.