our presenters

MSc, PG Dip Diet (Dist.), BCApSc, BPhEd, ASD, NZRD

Rachel Scrivin is the director of Megabite, this amazing Online Nutrition Education website with courses for
Dietitians and Nutritionists seeking current evidence-based nutrition research for continuing professional development, as well as for athletes and the general public to improve their nutrition knowledge. Rachel has over 20 years of experience in Clinical
Dietetics (NZ, UK and UAE), Private Practice and Government. She is a regular Sports
Nutrition presenter for Sports Medicine conferences in the Middle East/ Gulf region. 

OAM, PhD, FACSM, APD

Dr Louise Burke has 35 years of experience as a Sports Dietitian, including the last 27 years as the Head of Sports Nutrition at the AIS. Louise has been awarded the Medal of Order of Australia for services to Sports Nutrition, she is also a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Louise has written a number of textbooks on Sports Nutrition, and has nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications. She has a Chair in Sports Nutrition for the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research at the Australian Catholic University.

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PhD Human Nutrition

Patrick Owen is an experienced Dietitian who has worked in both private practice and academia. His objective is to encourage and advocate and evidence-based evolutionary approach to health and wellness. He is a well known media personality through his nutrition writing for Askmen.com the world's largest online men's magazine, video host of Thrive and regular contributor to articles and videos in various media other channels. Patrick has written many academic publications and contributions to books.

PhD, BSc, Grad Dip Nutr & Diet, Adv APD

Dr. Kim Faulkner-Hogg Kim is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian working in private practice and at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit, Sydney, Australia. She holds a PhD degree in coeliac disease and the gluten free diet. Kim has more than 20 years of experience treating coeliac disease and food intolerances, was a past consultant dietitian to Coeliac Australia, and helped define the initial FSANZ low gluten and gluten free food standards. Her interest is in the minutia of the gluten free diet. Kim is passionate that dietitians, doctors and people with coeliac disease understand their risks, in order to enhance their emotional well-being on a gluten free diet.

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PhD, RD

Dr. Bhuvaneshwari Shankar holds a PhD specializing in Critical Care Nutrition, with over 36 years clinical dietetic experience. She is a nutrition examiner for various Universities, a member of the Board of Studies (Nutrition) at Madras University and she is an expert committee member on the Nutrition Board for the Government of India. She has received two Lifetime Achievement Awards from the JBAS College, and Apollo Hospitals, Chennai for her services in Nutrition. In addition to her incredible lifetime of clinical work for Apollo Hospitals, she has multiple publications in many international journals and is a sought after speaker at many International nutrition conferences.

PhD, MHSc, BSc (Med) Hons. Nutr&Diet, NZRD

Dr Caryn Zinn is a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand where her research work  focuses on the application of the whole food, carbohydrate-restricted, higher healthy fat (LCHF) dietary approach on both metabolic health and sports performance. Alongside academia, Caryn has 20 years of clinical practice experience. She manages a holistic nutrition clinic where she, applies the whole-food approach to address a wide range of clients’ health needs and goals.

PhD, MSc, Dip Nutr & Diet, BSc, APD, AdvSD

Gary is an advanced accredited sports dietitian who has been working in elite sport since 1996. Gary currently coordinates a Master’s Degree in Sports Nutrition at the University of the Sunshine Coast and he also consults to professional teams, elite & recreational athletes. Gary is particularly passionate about factors influencing muscle protein metabolism and muscle hypertrophy/atrophy, nutritional recovery strategies, ergogenic aids and the influence of body composition on sports performance. Gary is an  ISAK level 3 instructor and Australian New Zealand Bone Mineral Society (ANZBMS) clinical densitometry technician.

PhD, MSc, PG Dip Diet, BSc, NZRD, AdvSD

Dr Kirsty Fairbairn has been Consultant Sports Dietitian for the Manly Sea Eagles NRL Squad, the Highlanders Super Rugby Squad and Head of Sports Nutrition at the Singapore Sports Institute. She continues to work with Singapore’s Olympic Gold Medallist swimmer Joseph Schooling. Alongside her sports nutrition career, Kirsty has also worked as a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Otago.

MSc (cand.), BSc (Nutr.Hons), BSc (ExSS), APD, ASD, AEP

Gabrielle has a private practice called 'Changing Shape' based in Sydney and her passion is helping people lose weight, and manage chronic disease by regaining their health through proper nutrition and exercise. Her areas of specialty include adult and childhood obesity and metabolic disease management, eating disorders, sports nutrition, body image and health promotion. She is the author of the health and wellness book 'The Perfect Juice'. 

BHlthSc, Nutr&Diet (Hons), APD, AccSD

Renee is a committed foodie and exercise enthusiast, turning her two passions, nutrition and movement into her career. Renee has extensive clinical dietetic experience as well as sports nutrition experience gained from working predominately with endurance athletes in her private practice. In addition she is currently consulting with elite triathletes at Queensland Academy of Sport.  Nothing gives her greater pleasure than sharing her nutrition knowledge and skills to the variety of  people she meets and seeing them achieve their health and performance goals.

PhD (candidate), MHSc, PG Dip Diet, NZRD

Varsha is a senior clinical (ICU/Surgical) dietitian / and clinical supervisor at Auckland City Hospital, and a lecturer/ co-supervisor for Medical/ Dietetics Masters Students at University of Auckland and Massey University. She is a PhD research fellow with the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Auckland. She has been a researcher with  at the School of Medicine since 2012 and as a co-supervisor, co-investigator/ project co-ordinator. Varsha is the clinical practice committee Chair for Australasian Society of Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition (AuSPEN) and the convener of ICU special Interest group in NZ.

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Aidan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and and Accredited Sports Dietitian working in private practice, specialising in weight management and sports nutrition. He has gained a wide variety of experiences from working in different settings such as gyms, medical centres, sporting teams, allied health clinics, nursing homes and home visits. He has worked one on one with clients on a daily basis, which has allowed him to develop and individualise practical strategies to help clients reach their goals.

PhD (candidate), AdvPD

Fiona is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and long-term pracademic, combining PhD research, academic teaching in nutrition and dietetics and providing professional development workshops and training for health professionals through her business, Health, Not Diets. Her academic research areas are dietetic private practice benchmarking, inter-professional learning and the integration of weight neutral lifestyle approaches (including Health at Every Size® and the Non-Diet Approach) into the practice of health professionals, particularly dietitians. She has authored two Non-Diet Approach guidebooks for health professionals.

APD, BSc (Adv), MNutrDiet

Stefanie Valakas is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who works in a specialist niche of women's health and fertility nutrition helping couples boost their chances of conceiving.

APD, AdvSD, BNutr&Diet, Dip(SpNutr)

Alicia runs her own company, Compeat Nutrition. Her sports Nutrition expertise is focused upon daily training adaptations and endurance event performance. She has recently started working with the the Newcastle United Jets Football Squad (A-League). Previously, she worked at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra (2013-2015), where she was the consultant Dietitian to the Australian Para-triathlon team, Brumbies Rugby, FFA Development Squad (Joeys) and the Australian Indoor Volleyball Squad. 

APD, AccSD, MPH, BNutr&Diet

Chloe McLeod runs ‘The FODMAP Challenge’, which is an online program to help individuals manage their triggers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Chloe is based in Sydney and sees clients privately, consults to businesses and regularly provides expert comment, interviews and articles to a number of media outlets. She is also a Sports Dietitian’s Australia Board Member. 

NZRD, PG Dip Diet, BSc

Kath has over 10 years’ experience in elite sport. She is currently a Senior Performance Nutritionist at High Performance Sport New Zealand and is the lead nutrition provider for NZ Women's Hockey and NZ Paralympics. Kath was appointed Preparation & Recovery Manager for the NZ Paralympic team for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Kath also enjoys the governance side of nutrition and dietetics and was the President of Dietitians NZ for two years.    

MNutr&Diet, BAppSc, AccSD, APD, ESSA

Angie works extensively in the arena of competitive natural body sculpting and sports nutrition prescription for plant-based athletes. In the last 12 years of professional practice, she has complimented a multitude of sports at many levels with nutrition prescriptions.  Her drive has become about increasing awareness of the undisputed benefits of plant-based whole food, and how to create delicious meals that also support optimal longevity and a healthier planet. 

PG Dip Diet, BCApSc, AccSD, APD, NZRD

Rachel has extensive experience working with athletes from grassroots/emerging youth to elite professionals. She has worked full time with a professional sports team for 2 seasons and prior to that with some of the highest internationally and nationally rated rugby union, netball and soccer players. She has worked with professional,pre-elite and academy groups. 

MNutr&Diet, BSc(Hons Ex Phys), BA, APD, AccSD

As a food lover, nutritionist and eating coach, Joanna is passionately devoted to holistic nourishment. With a background in exercise physiology, she is able to balance appropriate eating with exercise that suits everyone. Joanna  has  dispelled  myths  and  provided  nutrition  information  to  a diverse range of organisations from corporate groups including Telstra, NAB, Hall & Willcox and Cotton On Group, to elite sporting clubs such as Melbourne Football Club (AFL), Melbourne Storm (NRL) and Tennis Australia. 

MSc, BSc (Nutr.&Diet), COP (Adv.Sp.Nutr)

Emily worked as a Dietitian for many years before she stumbled into adventure racing which ultimately led her to NZ for the Coast to Coast World MultiSport Championships in 2004. She then started Em’s Power Cookies, a business driven by her long-time passion for delicious energy food. Emily won three Coast to Coast titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Emily is a sought after public speaker and is a Buller District Councillor.

PhD (candidate), MDiet, BSc, NZRD

Dave is currently completing his PhD investigating "The Effects of Acute and Chronic Ketogenic Diets on Immunity, Symptomology and Performance in Endurance Athletes" with the Auckland University of Technology. Dave is the Performance Dietitian for the Blues Super Rugby Team and Auckland Rugby Union and he also has a private practice contracting to local and nationwide businesses and corporations, to provide face to face consults, menu development, educational seminars and workshops.

MNutr&Diet, BAppSc, AdvSD, APD

Sally has worked with Olympians, World Champions, and National scholarship athletes from Diving, Rowing, Tennis Australia, Triathlon, Cycling and Athletics Queensland. Sally is an athlete herself, she started with competitive rowing and progressed to endurance running and triathlon. Sally is the director/owner of Apple to Zucchini, a private practice specialising in Sports Nutrition, and is also a Level 1 Rowing Coach.

PG Dip Diet, BCApSc, NZRD

Anna has 17 years’ experience in all life-stage nutrition (infants through to older adults), and is passionate about helping people to understand that healthy eating and better health can be easy. Anna has a special interest in paediatric allergies and gastrointestinal disorders, and sees patients in a range of ages from infants to older adults with a wide range of nutritional needs, including those with complex medical issues.

MNutr&Diet, BSc, AccSD, APD

Georgia has been involved in many areas of nutrition in private practice and industry including infant nutrition, women’s health, food quality and safety, mental health and fitness. Georgia has been a guest speaker for Multiple Sclerosis Australia and has also completed and presented her research in childhood allergies. She has a special interest in sports nutrition, food allergies & intolerance's, and GI/esophageal conditions such as Diverticular disease, GORD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

MDiet, BHSc (Hons), BExSci, AccSD, APD

As an Exercise Scientist, Andrew appreciates the physiological complexities of conditioning and recovery and always strives to implement scientific principles in his practice. On a daily basis, Andrew gives real-world advice to a range of individuals who are seeking improved performance through diet. Over the years, Andrew has worked with national representatives from a range of sports (softball, athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, swimming and rowing). He now consults with the Brisbane Bullets NBL side and has also worked with the Gold Coast Suns (Australian Football League) and Cricket Australia.

MSc, BAppSc (Hons)

Hannah Gentle has spent two years in Rome, Italy working as a Research Fellow for Bioversity International on the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition (BFN) Project. She is the founding director of Myfoodformula and the Nutritionist for Kinematics Health and Performance clinics in Melbourne, Australia. Hannah has a passion for nutrition education and informing people about biodiverse foods, and plans to build school curricula on the topic to educate NZ and Australian students about how to eat more nutritious, sustainable diets.

BCApSc, BCom, PGDipDiet, NZRD

In 2008 Angela established her private practice and nutrition consultancy business, ABC Nutrition. ABC Nutrition offers a range of services including nutrition consultations (both privately and with ACC clients in the community), seminars, menu audits and providing nutrition support to various businesses and organisations, with the aim of making good nutrition easy and uncomplicated. In addition to managing ABC Nutrition, Angela has worked with the Heart Foundation (2015 - 2017), where she used her skills to help shape the Foundation's nutrition messaging.  

MDiet, BHSc, APD, AccSD

A nationally recognised preferred provider in Australian rowing since 2014, she has an expertise in helping lightweight rowers to make weight safely and easily. In addition to her private practice work, she is a guest lecturer in sports nutrition at QUT and is contracted to clubs and schools to implement nutrition programs.

PG Dip Diet, BSc, BPhEd,NZRD

Jennifer is New Zealand Dietitian, who has a private practice specialising in Paediatrics and Gastroenterology. Jennifer sees children and adults with a wide variety of nutritional concerns, such as allergy, faltering growth, tube feeding, coeliac disease and IBS. She is member of the Paediatric society of New Zealand’s clinical reference group on Paediatric tube feeding and is part of the working party for producing a national guideline for tube feeding children in New Zealand. She was author for the tube feeding guidelines for Barts and the London Trust in the UK and is an author for the ‘Feeding Children with Neurodisabilities’ chapter in the BDA Clinical Paediatric Dietetics handbook.

BHSc, APD, Grad. Cert. Paediatric Nutrition

Peta is the National Manager of Fuel Your Life, Managing Director of Ingrained Nutrition (Central NSW), and Senior Dietitian at Sunshine Coast Dietetics. She has worked in a variety of roles over the years in the community as well as in genetic testing (nutrigenomics). She established Ingrained Nutrition in Wagga Wagga and now have clinics spanning regional NSW to the south coast. She specialises in the management of complex food intolerance's, allergies and GI conditions.

MNut&Diet, BA, DipSc, DipEd, APD, AccSD

Nicole is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian. She specialises in gut health, good digestion and food intolerances, and is one of a few Dietitians in Australia with qualifications in dietetics and psychology. Nicole is known as ‘The Gut Health Dietitian’ and runs a network of private practice clinics in Sydney for ‘The Good Nutrition Company’, which she founded in 2012. Nicole also operates a corporate nutrition service for Employee Assistance Programmes and Wellness Provider, Benestar, is a guest lecturer for The University of Sydney and media spokesperson for The Dietitian’s Association of Australia. Prior to becoming a dietitian, Nicole worked in senior management for Merck, Sharp & Dohme pharmaceuticals for 10 years.

MDiet, BSc, PG Cert. PH, Poupou Hia Te Reo, NZRD 

Ko Tararua te Maunga, Ko Ohau te Awa, Ko Tainui te Waka, Ko Ngati Raukawa te iwi, Ko Brittani Beavis Toku ingoa. Brittani Beavis is a Maori dietitian based in Dunedin. Despite only graduating in 2017, she has started her own private practice called “Kai Whai Painga” which means the holistic nourishment of food. Her private practice aims to help low-income whanau (family), Maori and Pacific Islands people access dietetic care. She is passionate about hauora Maori (Maori health), and Public health dietetics. Her private practice enables people to create a healthy lasting relationship with food and see food as rongoa (medicine) for their tinana (body), their hinengaro (mind), and their wairua (spirit).

BSc, RD

Bridget has over 18 years’ experience as a Clinical Dietitian and has worked with people of all ages from neonates to the elderly. Her areas of expertise include paediatric nutrition, eating disorders and nutritional therapy for people with features of the metabolic syndrome. She has worked overseas specialising as a Paediatric Dietitian through world-renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London Hospital. She has also worked at the Sydney Children’s Hospital. She is currently working in private practice. She has co-authored the book "Raising Superheroes" along with Professor Tim Noakes and Jonno Proudfoot. This book serves as a guide for families on how to feed their children whole foods that are minimally processed and low in sugar.

MSc, RD

Farah Hillou is a RD with the College of Dietitians of Ontario, Canada, and the Commission of Dietetic Registration, USA.  Farah has been involved in academia for the past seven years and she has also worked in corporate health and wellness, where she continues to provide nutrition consultancy to several entities including companies and media. She also serves as a member in the Nutrition Task Force, Abu Dhabi Department of Health. Farah’s strong interest in integrating genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors in addressing physiological imbalances and root causes of chronic disease has led her to seek Certification as an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Practitioner (USA).

MDiet, APD

Joel Feren is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist with a background in the biomedical sciences. Joel undertook his Masters in Dietetics following his undergraduate degree in Behavioural Neuroscience and Honours in Exercise Physiology. Joel is currently working in aged care where he manages the dietetic services of a number of residential care facilities across Melbourne. He also consults to the food industry and in private practice, helping clients to achieve improved health with good nutrition. Joel is a professional member of the Dietitians Association of Australia and Sports Dietitians of Australia. He has a passion for the role of diet in the prevention and management of chronic disease.

BSc, APD

Sharon Trueman is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with over 24 years experience working as a Dietitian. She started at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Clinic in 1998 and has been working as part of a specialised team of doctors and health professionals, in the area of food allergy and food intolerance. She also runs two very busy private practices in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

BNut&Diet, APD, AdvSD,

Steph is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Advanced Sports Dietitian and member of the Monash nutrition and exercise clinic team. Steph completed her bachelor of nutrition and dietetics at Flinders University in South Australia, and has over a decade of experience working with athletes from recreational to Olympians in private practice, professional teams and at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI). Steph has recently come on board at Monash University where she is combining her consulting in the clinic with research into gastrointestinal issues in endurance athletes. Steph is director of Nutrition Strategies a private practice dietetic consulting business in Adelaide and Melbourne. 

MNut&Diet, BMedSci, APD

Katherine Baqleh is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and nutritionist and founder of Health Victory Nutrition Experts, a private practice and nutrition consultancy located in a number of clinics across Sydney. Katherine conducts private consultations, menu reviews, and seminars and conferences in a number of community (such as schools, rehabilitation centres, mothers groups, aged care centres) and corporate settings. She is also actively involved with the media and has both contributed to and been cited in numerous print, radio and online platforms. Her main passion lies with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, women's health, corporate and community health and weight management.

RD, MSc (candidate)

Tamzyn Murphy is a registered dietitian, researcher, speaker and writer with a special interest and experience in low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diets. Tamzyn’s early work experience as a dietitian in the community sparked her passion for debunking the myths surrounding diet in the quest to find a nutritional therapy that can prevent and reverse the rising epidemics of obesity and related diseases.  Tamzyn is currently working in clinical practice, and as a researcher and nutrition writer for The Noakes Foundation (non-profit LCHF nutrition organisation) and Nutrition Network (health professionals LCHF training platform).