Achievements
- Since 2007 the School has had a capacity-building professor in the area of nutrition and dietetics.
- The School’s Energy Metabolism Group has expertise in the prevention, treatment and management of obesity and exercise prescription for weight management.
- Leadership in a 5-year NHMRC Injury Partnership grant and ARC Linkage funding which led to the development of novel markers and assessment of exposure to the physical environment and risk of musculoskeletal injury. Injury research also focuses on the effects of neurological disease in clinical populations and the elderly (eg. Parkinson’s Disease).
- Establishment of a purpose-built Human Appetite Research Unit for the measurement of hunger profiles, food intake and food preferences.
- A strong cardio-respiratory group evaluates remote monitoring systems and their application to cardiac rehabilitation and occupational health.
- Members of staff hold prestigious positions such as Co-director of the ATN Centre for Metabolic Fitness, and President of the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society.
- Staff from the School are part of the Early Prevention of Obesity in Children (EPOCH) Collaboration formed in 2009. The objective of the EPOCH Collaboration is to determine if early intervention for childhood obesity impacts on body mass index (BMI) scores at age 18-24 months.
- QUT’s NOURISH research program is one of the first and largest trials world-wide to evaluate an obesity prevention intervention starting in the first 12 months of life. The program has secured over $2 million in funding since 2005. It aims to educate parents and encourage proactive feeding practices to prevent childhood obesity.
- School research staff have been awarded a collaborative grant (with Monash University, University of Queensland and Dietitians Association of Australia from the Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2011-2013) to develop a national assessment framework to assess professional competency in nutrition and dietetics. The study is called, ‘Professional competence standards, learning outcomes and assessment: designing a valid strategy for nutrition and dietetics’.
