I'm a Dietitian: Recent Episodes
Dietitians Australia
I’m a Dietitian is a podcast hosted by Dietitians Australia – the leading voice of nutrition in Australia. Tune in as President of Dietitians Australia, Tara Diversi, interviews inspiring Accredited Practising Dietitians as they share stories about life, opportunities, and growth within nutrition. Find us at: dietitiansaustralia.org.au @dietitiansaus
Dr Varitha Kinghorn is the first Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian (AdvAPD) in Northern and North West Tasmania with 15 years of experience across clinical, food services and academic sectors. She is the first Australian dietitian to be recognised as a Nutrition Care Process (NCP) Global Trainer by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (USA). Varitha is internationally well-known in the area of NCP and its terminology. She developed and evaluated online education for dietitians' professional development to learn about NCP globally as part of her PhD research. Owing to the success of her PhD international research, Varitha was invited to be part of the International Advisory Committee of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (USA). Varitha is recognised as a leader in online education and professional training for the NCP. Her innovative work in this area had influenced and impacted the practice of dietitians worldwide.
Lauren Atkins is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, Senior Oncology Dietitian and Co-founder and Director of her business OnCore Nutrition. She has over 10 years experience in oncology and haematology nutrition care. Lauren hosts her own podcast, OnCore Nutrition Two Peas in a Podcast and is passionate about empowering people with knowledge to optimise their health.
Website: http://www.oncorenutrition.com/
Email: lauren.atkins@oncorenutrition.com
Podcast: OnCore Nutrition Two Peas in a Podcast
Instagram: @OnCoreNutrition
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnCoreNutrition/
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-atkins-983268108/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncore-nutrition/
Dr Scott Teasdale is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Postdoctoral Research Fellow with UNSW Sydney and Mindgardens Neuroscience Network. His research focuses on people living with a mental illness, and in particular, the role of nutrition and lifestyle for physical and mental health. Dr Teasdale is an ambassador for Equally Well Australia, an organisation that aims to reduce the life expectancy gap that exists between people living with a mental illness and the general population. He is also a member of Dietitian's Australia's Mental Health Working Group. Dr Teasdale completed his PhD on the role of nutrition interventions for people with severe mental illness, and previously worked clinically as a Mental Health Dietitian.
Scottish born and raised, Joanna McMillan has spent the last 22 years living in Australia where she is one of the country’s favourite and most trusted health and wellbeing experts. She is a PhD qualified nutrition scientist, Accredited Practising Dietitian, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow with La Trobe University, guest lecturer at The University of Sydney and Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. A regular on television, radio and in print media, Jo is also an author, a TEDx and international keynote speaker.
Georgia is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian specially trained in fertility nutrition. Georgia is currently also working on her PhD in fertility nutrition interventions for primary health care. She has worked in women's health and infant nutrition for more than a decade. She is passionate about enhancing fertility, preconception, pregnancy and postpartum through nutrition, particularly for those undergoing IVF. Georgia is also a sessional marker for Deakin University's nutrition subjects and a PEN expert opinion/ peer reviewer for women's health, men's health and fertility practice guidelines. In her personal life, Georgia enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, often exploring regional Victoria or simply cooking a meal as a family.
Dr Rajshri Roy is an Australian APD, and a New Zealand registered dietitian. She is an early career researcher who completed her PhD at the Charles Perkins Centre in the University of Sydney. Her research expertise is in population nutrition and community dietetics, looking at food environment point-of-purchase interventions, nutrition education and behaviour change for young adults using digital and social media. Dr Roy is currently working as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, teaching in the Master of Nutrition and Dietetics program and researching within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
Lyndi Cohen is a dietitian, regular nutritionist on Channel 9’s TODAY show, and the author of the best-selling book The Nude Nutritionist. In a world of strange superfoods and unregulated wellness influencers, Lyndi is most popular for calling out nutrition nonsense and promoting real health and a healthy body image. Lyndi is also the creator of the Back to Basics App, a lifestyle approach to help you be healthy without dieting and founder of the Keep It Real program to help stop binge eating. She was recently voted one of Women's Health’s 25 most 'Fifluential' people in Australia.
Dr Rebecca Byrne is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology. Rebecca practised as a clinical dietitian before commencing her PhD examining the dietary intake of toddlers, sat within the NOURISH randomised controlled trial. NOURISH was one of the first trials internationally to evaluate how mothers' responsive feeding practices influence infant diet quality, eating behaviour and growth.
After two years as a postdoctoral research fellow within the NHMRC funded Centre for Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Rebecca was appointed as a lecturer at QUT in 2019. Her research focuses on what and how young children are fed, particularly the influence of feeding practices used by educators in the Early Childhood Education and Care setting, and understanding how eating behaviours – such as fussy eating – develop.
Purva is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and a Lifetime member of the Indian Dietetic Association. Pursuing her PhD from Latrobe university, with over 13 years of experience as a clinical dietitian. Working in private practice enables Purva to practice according to her values of promoting sustainable and positive health change. She started her private practice, Diet Yumm in Melbourne in 2016 with one location, which is across 15 locations at present with 3 other dietitians in the team. Before migrating to Melbourne, she was head of the Department of Nutrition in Bariatric Surgery in a multispecialty hospital in Delhi. She is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of the migrant community.
Stefanie Valakas is an expert fertility dietitian & nutritionist and founder of The Dietologist. Stefanie and her virtual practice are dedicated to excellence in nutrition for reproductive health concerns, fertility & pregnancy. Her passion for nutrition in this space has truly grown from her experience helping her clients online from around the world and also through her own personal experiences of navigating a diagnosis of endometriosis.
You can learn about how you can work with Stefanie and The Dietologist team below:
Website: thedietologist.com.au
Instagram @the_dietologist and @endo.dietitian
Facebook Pages: The Dietologist and The Endometriosis Dietitian
Facebook Group: Fertility Friendly Food
Podcast: Fertility Friendly Food
Shane is a leading Accredited Practising Dietitian in the area of eating disorders and disordered eating. With 25 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors, Shane currently leads River Oak Health, a private practice dedicated to eating disorders with clinics located across Southeast Queensland.
Tracy is a Gamilaroi woman, Dietitian/Nutritionist, Beauty Therapist and founder of Wattleseed Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing. Wattleseed Nutrition is a 100% Aboriginal owned business based on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Tracy is also an accredited Wayapa® Wuurrk practitioner. Tracy views health and wellbeing through a strengths-based, holistic and cultural lens, focusing on sustainable and healing connections, conversations and actions. She truly believes in the strength and healing power of understanding and sustaining our connections to traditional foods, lands, and cultural practices.
Lana Hirth is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who prides herself in providing up-to-date and evidenced-based care in women's health, pregnancy and postnatal nutrition. Lana focuses on interpartum nutrition as an opportunity to optimize the nutrition of both mum and baby to help people live life to the full. Lana hosts the 'New Mums Nutrition' podcast, runs a virtual private practice and online masterclasses. She is also a certified pre- and postnatal dietitian and is a finalist in her local business awards. For more information, visit lanahirth.com or @lanahirthdietitian
Dr Fuller has degrees in exercise physiology, dietetics, and a doctorate in obesity treatment. His current position as research program leader within the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney involves working with government and industry to develop cost-effective treatments for weight management. He has a proven track record of commercialising research and continues to receive significant funding and awards for his work. He is a recognised media expert, including his role as resident obesity expert on Channel 9’s Today Show, is the author of three best-selling books on the Interval Weight Loss program, and has published in top ranked journals in the medical field
Jemma is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with over 16 years experience across the foodservice, food manufacturing and public health sectors. A strategic thinker and with a strong business acumen, Jemma has led teams of dietitians in both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. Jemma has extensive experience working with the media and is passionate about communicating messages that are engaging and create behaviour change.
Melissa Armstrong graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science and a Post Graduate Diploma Nutrition and Dietetics in 1985. She has held clinical dietetic positions in a variety of hospital settings both in Australia and the UK.
Since 2014, Melissa has been the Manager of Nutrition and Dietetic Services at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. Currently in her fourth term as a Dietitians Australia Board Director she has been Vice President since 2017. Melissa has extensive experience in the tertiary education of dietetic, medical and diabetes educator students; public hospital and not-for-profit corporate governance; strategic planning; finance and risk management and quality leadership.
Sally Anderson is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), Advanced Sports Dietitian, and Exercise Physiologist. She consults to programs boasting Olympians and the World number one tennis player, Ash Barty.
Apple to Zucchini is her private practice based in Brisbane, where she enjoys the company of several sensational sports dietitians. Within her private practice, her area of speciality is helping teens and their families work through obsessive exercise and eating concerns.
Dr Roslyn Giglia is the Nutrition and Food Security Manager of the Healthy Food for All team at Foodbank WA. Prior to this she had spent 15 years in academia and initially at Curtin University where she completed her PhD on alcohol and breastfeeding.
She is a dietitian and nutritionist with a strong interest in public health nutrition, breastfeeding, maternal health and child health, having completed her Masters of Public Health investigating the food and nutrient intakes of children in long day care.
Tim McMaster is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Accredited Sports Dietitian. He has worked as a dietitian for over 8 years, where his main area of practice is in diabetes.
Tim has also previously worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples health, and dabbles on the side in sports nutrition, most recently as the sports dietitian at the Footscray Bulldogs for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Tim works at Diabetes Victoria and is involved in numerous programs, events, and presentations for people living with or affected by diabetes.
Lina Breik is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with expertise in critical care nutrition and home tube feeding. She spear-headed the development of the Dietitians Australia Nutrition Support for Critical Care Course and is the Founder of Tube Dietitian, a business aimed at bridging the gap between hospital and home for people with feeding tubes.
Lina is a Senior Dietitian at Eastern Health in Melbourne, where her skillset has been recognised beyond the clinical scene as she has led redesign projects improving ICU patient flow, implementing food service change and monitoring nutrition risk. She has 17 published abstracts (8 as first author) and recently completed a Master of Public Health investigating micronutrient intake in critically ill patients. Lina has been recognised with the 2020 Dietitians Australia Young Achiever Award.
Lisa Yates is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and a Fellow of Dietitians Australia. Lisa has had a varied career including - hospital dietetics, running her own private practice for 24 years, working in PR and communications, in marketing specialising in promoting horticulture, and now working as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Food Policy team at the NSW Ministry of Health.
Dr Sara Grafenauer is a Fellow of Dietitians Australia and the General Manager of the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council. Sara is a former Executive Manager at Dietitians Australia and sits on the Boards of the Global Whole Grain Initiative and Nutrition Australia.
Her PhD research was in dietary patterns, and current research interests include wholegrains and legumes within a food system, particularly in regard to front-of-pack labelling. Sara collaborates with numerous Universities regarding grains and legume research projects with a view to the entire agricultural value chain.
Joel Feren is The Nutrition Guy, an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a background in biomedical science. He specialises in credible and evidence-based health communications and nutrition marketing. He helps food brands and businesses tell their nutrition story and engage, educate and connect with customers to drive meaningful change.
Joel also considers nutrition to be too important to be an afterthought for food brands and businesses. He is also a seasoned media performer and appears regularly on TV. He is a Dietitians Australia media spokesperson.
Katrina Campbell is an Advanced APD with a unique combination of expertise in research, clinical dietetics, academia, management and consultancy.
She currently holds a strategic health service-wide conjoint in Health Services Research (Allied Health) in Metro North and Menzies Health Institute. She leads pragmatic clinical and implementation trials measuring patient, health service and economic outcomes.
She also has an international profile in renal nutrition and published more than 100 papers in this area. Katrina is passionate about building the dietetic profession to challenge the status quo, evaluate outcomes and harness opportunities to improve the health of all Australians.
Dr Cameron McDonald is a dietitian and exercise physiologist who has spent the last decade furthering his knowledge and skills to promote health in a way that makes it easy and obvious for clients.
Dr Cam blends his background as an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Accredited Exercise Physiologist, with his long-standing personal interest in health, and his passion for understanding the latest research in genetics and environmental influence on health. He takes this passion to both the general community, however he has a large focus on improving the education of health professionals in the space of personalised health. He currently spends most of his time educating Medical, Allied Health and Fitness industry practitioners in the application of personalisation, and how it can be readily used to dramatically improve outcomes for their clients.
Joyce Haddad is an APD, PhD Candidate and Personal Trainer. Joyce is the director of A Dietitian’s Mission, a business which promotes healthy and sustainable eating at both the individual and public levels. Her PhD research focuses on establishing how to design effective tailored public health nutrition advice and messaging to improve the diet quality of Australians. Joyce was recently working with the World Health Organization HQ in Geneva, Switzerland, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joyce’s dietetic and health career is dedicated to ensuring everyone, everywhere appreciates real food, and the complex reactions it creates in our bodies, the messages that it delivers, and the social, emotional, physical, and mental changes it can influence.
Peter Clark is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Advanced Accredited Sport Dietitian. Nearly 15 years ago, Peter established his own dietetics practice in Port Macquarie called Healthier You Pty Ltd. Peter is also undertaking his PhD looking at identifying a scalable method for assessing outcomes in private practice. Peter serves on the External Advisory Board for Bond University and hosts a regular nutrition segment on ABC Mid North Coast Radio. Prior to becoming a Dietitian, Peter had a 17-year corporate career in the pharmaceutical industry in Australia and the USA.
Alan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who completed a PhD at the University of Sydney on the association between carbohydrate and the risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases. He completed a degree in Nutrition and Food Science in 1992, Dietetics in 1993 and a Certificate 111 in Commercial Cookery in 2018 and is a Chef. He has co-authored nearly 40 peer reviewed articles and has presented his research at scientific conferences around the globe. He is the author of 5 books including The Good Carbs Cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners, and Reversing Diabetes.
Fiona Willer is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian who combines academic research, university lecturing and public speaking with creating professional development resources and training for health professionals through her business, Health, Not Diets. Her research areas are dietetic private practice benchmarking, inter-professional learning, health consciousness and dietary quality and the integration of weight neutral lifestyle approaches into the practice of health professionals, particularly dietitians. Fiona has served on the boards of international and domestic organisations including HAES Australia, the Association for Size Diversity and Health and now Dietitians Australia.
Tetyana is a research fellow and head of Translation and Education at the Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University. She is extensively involved in education and training of professionals and community on the topic of Nutritional Psychiatry and is regularly invited to speak at academic and professional events. Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Dr Rocks also leads research projects exploring the relationship between diet and mental- and gut-health, including investigations in individuals with eating and post-traumatic stress disorders.
Brady is company director of Healthy Lifestyles Australia, an allied health company operating since 2008. He also performs consultations within the company as a dietitian, sports dietitian and exercise physiologist. Healthy Lifestyles Australia operates in over 120 locations in QLD and employs over 35 staff.
Soumya Kuthadi is a Melbourne based Accredited Practicing Dietitian working in private practice and research since graduating in 2019. Ever since Soumya has been effected by the travel ban imposed by Australia since March 2020, Soumya has rewired her goals and has been making her own opportunities overseas in India. During the 6 months, Soumya has started her own business of healthy desserts, mentored new grad dietitians getting into private practice, started organic vegetable farming at her parent’s mango farm, conducted cooking workshops to raise funds for those effected by COVID-19, working on research papers in collaboration with Australian researchers, written a handful of articles on immunity during COVID-19 and is also working for a chocolate company as a research and development dietitian for a chocolate company.
Roger Hughes graduated as a dietitian in 1988 and has worked across Australia in clinical, food service management and public health nutrition roles. He left real world dietetic practice in 1997 to establish Griffith University’s dietetic program and has since then been principally involved in establishing and leading dietetic education programs at USC, Bond and in the early planning at UTAS. He focused his dietetic practice interest early in his career in the field of public health nutrition, going onto to focus on workforce development research in public health nutrition and taking international leadership roles in public health nutrition.
Kara Landau is a highly respected NYC based Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Founder of Uplift Food – Good Mood Food -The world's first dietitian created functional snack brand to focus exclusively on the mood supportive benefits of gut healthy prebiotics. A previous spokesperson for the Dietitians Australia, and now the media representative for the Global Prebiotic Association.
Clare Collins is a Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics and Director of Research for the School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle. She leads a large team of research dietitians internationally in developing food and nutrition eHealth tools and programs and evaluating the impact on eating patterns and diet-related health across key life stages and chronic disease conditions. Professor Collins has published over 400 publications and supervised over 35 Higher Degree Research candidates to completion. In 2017 she was awarded the prestigious Hunter Medical Research Institute, Researcher of the Year prize.
Kali is a dietitian, author, podcaster, corporate wellbeing consultant and Director of My Food Culture. For the last decade, Kali has worked in private practice, specialising in the non-diet approach and more recently, corporate wellbeing.
Julie Dundon is an advanced APD and Director of Nutrition Professionals Australia. Julie has partnered with many organisations to find the right nutrition solutions in a range of settings across Australia. Her experience is Food Services Manager, residential site manager and consultant dietitian has provided Julie with valuable insight to the daily challenges of the aged care sector. She is a leader in the Dietetics profession with ten years on the Board of Dietitians Australia, which included four years as Vice-President and four years as President. Recently, Julie has been appointed as a Subject Matter Lead (Aged Care) with Dietitians Australia.
Wendy has just over 20 years' experience as a dietitian. After changing careers and graduating at age 40, she went on to fulfill a rewarding career as a hospital clinical dietitian, an academic and now researcher. Wendy is a volunteer, has been involved in Interest Group leadership, served on several conference committees, wrote the manual for mentors, and has successfully officially mentored over 40 provisional APDs with more underway.
Robbie is a Sydney-based APD and Exercise Scientist who graduated with a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Nutrition and a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics. He has over 15 years' experience in the health and fitness industry and is the Director and Co-founder of the all-in-one practice management system and telehealth platform, HealthBank.io.
Kim is an Advanced APD with over 25 years experience with coeliac disease and food intolerances, gained from working with the team at the Allergy Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. Kim completed her PhD in coeliac disease and the gluten free diet. She also has a Private Practice in Malabar. Kim was part of the original working party defining the FSANZ low gluten and gluten free food standards and was a past consultant dietitian to Coeliac Australia. An important focus for Kim is educating people about the minutia of the gluten free diet.
Dr Trent Watson is CEO of Ethos Health, a multidisciplinary allied health business based in Newcastle and Hunter region. Trent completed his undergraduate studies and PhD in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Newcastle and has continued his study and research interests in workplace health and safety, with a special interest in nutrition, obesity and fatigue management. He has had a variety of interesting consultancies including dietetic consultant to Channel 10’s Biggest Loser program, Chairman of the NSW Mineral Council Obesity Subcommittee and advisor to large blue collar corporate health and safety strategies.
Elise Tripodi is an APD working in Sydney. Elise commenced her career working as a mental health dietitian with the Keeping the Body in Mind Program, a community program supporting the physical health of consumers living with a severe mental illness. Elise currently works as the first dietitian employed by Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, working across correctional facilities in NSW and the Forensic Hospital in Sydney. Elise is passionate about improving the profile of dietitians working in mental health and is the convenor of the DA Mental Health Interest Group.
Simone Austin is the author of 2019 published book 'Eat Like An Athlete.' She has a proven track record of success as an Advanced Sports Dietitian working for the last 12 years with Hawthorn AFL Football club and other elite teams. She has been the president of Sports Dietitians Australia and has been awarded the inaugural prize for advocacy for the profession in 2019. She has worked in private practice for 25 years and in the corporate world, only recently finishing at both as part of her career shift to take up the Senior Dietetic role at Dietitians Australia this year. She gets energy from presenting, with highlights such as presenting with Chef George Calombaris, and is regularly in the media on radio, print and television having been a DA media spokesperson for the past 7 years.
Themis Chryssidis is a dietitian and managing director of three food and hospitality businesses, a highly regarded cooking school, a registered training organisation and Dietary Hawk. He holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics. He is a business owner, RTO operator and a hard working entrepreneur and innovator.
Dr Megan Rossi, also known as The Gut Health Doctor, is a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist with an award-winning PhD in gut health, as well as the author of Love Your Gut, an easy-to-digest lifestyle guide to gut health and beyond, coming out in the US this January. Megan wanted to make the real evidence accessible to everyone, to empower you with knowledge and practical advice that cuts through the fads. No jargon, no complicated science or magic fixes. Just honest, straight up advice and strategies that can make a meaningful difference to your lives. It's time to ENJOY good gut health!
Bec is the Education and Professional Services Manager, overseeing Dietitians Australia’s events, Centre for Advanced Learning courses, as well as the professional services of our Interest Groups and Engagement and Development Committees. Bec is passionate about creating evidence-based and life-long learning opportunities for dietitians. It’s a passion she applies to her own life, as she works to complete her Doctor of Philosophy in Dietetics. When she’s not studying or working, Bec enjoys cooking and sharing meals with her family, as well as looking after her various fur and feathered babies on her rural property outside Canberra.