Our team

Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Deakin University

Rachel trained as a dietitian. Her PhD explored obesity prevention within primary care. She is now a Senior Lecturer in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Her research primarily focuses on early life nutrition and developing obesity prevention interventions for families with young children. Rachel is the lead investigator the INFANT evaluation.

Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Deakin University

Karen co-led the development of INFANT with Professor Kylie Hesketh.  Karen trained as a dietitian and health educator and has PhD in behavioural epidemiology.  She is now a Professor of Population Nutrition.  Her work focuses on improving health during pregnancy and early life.  Karen is responsible for the overall INFANT project leadership.

Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Deakin University

Kylie co-led the development of INFANT. She has training in psychology, paediatric public health and behavioural epidemiology. She leads a program of research that focuses on physical activity, sedentary behaviours and obesity prevention in children and youth, with a focus on the early childhood period. Kylie is one of the leaders of the INFANT effectiveness trial.

University of Sydney

Elizabeth co-led the development of My Baby Now. She has academic qualifications in nursing, public health and epidemiology. Her research focuses on obesity prevention and management with an emphasis on the role of nurses and the primary health care setting. Elizabeth is one of the leaders of the INFANT effectiveness trial.

Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Deakin University

Marj is a health economist, her work focuses on economic evaluation and priority setting, primarily in the field of obesity. She has conducted the economic evaluation of several large community-based obesity prevention projects in Australia and the Pacific. Marj is responsible for the health economics component of the INFANT project.

Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition Deakin University

Harriet is an Implementation Scientist; her research focuses on the implementation and scale-up of physical activity and sedentary behaviour interventions at a population level. Harriet is one of the leaders of the INFANT implementation evaluation.

RMIT University

Kok-Leong specialises in data analytics research and has served in over 50 Program Committees of international conferences related to analytics. Kok-Leong is responsible for the My Baby Now app maintenance and analytics.

Deakin University

Liliana is a biostatistician; her areas of interest include oncology, palliative care, nutrition and eating disorders in children and adolescents. She also teaches statistics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Orellana will lead the INFANT statistical analysis.

Deakin University

Penny trained as an accredited practising dietitian and Senior Lecturer in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Her research focuses on the translation, implementation and sustainability of early childhood prevention. Penny is one of the leaders of the INFANT implementation evaluation.

Institute for Health Transformation
Deakin University

Jennifer is a public health nutritionist and researcher at the Global Obesity Centre (GLOBE). She is also an advocate for Aboriginal health equality. Her research involves exploring policy agenda-setting in Aboriginal health, with a focus on nutrition as a policy priority. Jennifer leads the research with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO).