Research Centres and Groups
Adult Lifestyle Incentives for Vitality and Energy (ALIVE)
ALIVE is a cross-disciplinary collaboration among our University community that supports health professionals to assist their clients with weight management through lifestyle changes; it is affiliated with the PRC for Physical Activity and Nutrition (PAN) and The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). A survey completed by the ALIVE team showed that health professionals believe it is within their scope to practice to provide healthy lifestyle advice for weight management, and they are more likely to do this if they had received training in providing evidence-based weight management advice. Therefore, opportunites exist to engage the allied health workforce in provision of lifestyle advice to at risk patients as a strategy to counter the obesity epidemic. ALIVE is currently evaluating the feasibility, development and implementation of a training package that assists regional health professionals from multiple disciplines in providing healthy lifestyle advice to patients who are overweight or obese.
Academic Staff
Dr Suzanne Snodgrass, Dr Maya Guest, Associate Professor Ashley Kable, Dr Carole James, Samantha Ashby, Professor Ronald Plotnikoff and Professor Clare Collins
Australian Centre for Evidence Based Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEBaND)
ACEBaND participates in the University of Newcastle evidence-based synthesis group; which is an affiliated centre of the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). It is the only centre with an exclusive focus on nutrition internationally. ACEBAND conducts systematic reviews of topical nutrition and dietetic issues and facilitates the translation of the best available evidence into nutrition practice. A key aim is to develop Best Practice Information Sheets that target aspects of nursing that are likely to benefit from access to evidence-based nutrition strategies. Through ACEBAND, students gain access to a support structure that facilitates development of a peer-reviewed protocol to critically appraise nutrition issues and are supported through JBI to publish the findings broadly.
Newcastle University Evidence-Based Nutrition and Dietetics (NUEBaND)
NUEBaND is a collaboration that is designed to build the capacity and hence research capacity of the academic and conjoint staff of the University of Newcastle. In Nutrition and Dietetics this is done through collaboration amongst our University community and outreach to the professional practising community, unifying and moving forward.
Mission Statement
To be recognised as a centre of excellence in evidence based nutrition and dietetics research.
Values
- Contributing to evidenced-based research, mentoring junior colleagues and creating a learning environment for Research Higher Degree (RHD) students
- Mutual support and team work
- Collaboration with our partners.
Research Areas
We have 4 key priority research areas:
- Research capacity building for nutrition and dietetics
- Food Frequency Questions (FFQ) and related data from The Australian Longitudinal Study for Womens Health (ALSWH)
- Undertaking systematic reviews to contribute to the evidence base
- Obesity in women and children.
Our Partners
- Academic staff (Professor Clare Collins, Dr Lesley MacDonald-Wicks, Dr Tracy Burrows, Dr Amanda Patterson, Associate Professor Surinder Baines, Dr Melinda Neve and Dr Alexis Hure). Conjoint staff and RHD students.
- Nutrition and dietetics practising community
- Priority Research Centres aligned with NUEBaND: