Laureate Professor Clare Collins

Laureate Professor Clare Collins
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2017 Project Grant
HMRI Award for Research Excellence
2017 HMRI Award for Research Excellence
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What are your research interests?

My research interests focus on developing, validating, implementing and evaluating nutrition and healthy lifestyle programs for individuals and families. The goal is to help people make changes to their dietary patterns and decrease their risk of weight-related chronic disease, across all population groups – children, women in pregnancy, young adults and parents. I have a special interest in the use of eHealth and information technologies within my research.

Why did you get into research?

When I graduated from university as an Accredited Practising Dietitian, I was pretty sure I'd never need to do research. But it turned out that the best way to evaluate the significance of my role in the paediatric cystic fibrosis team at John Hunter Children's Hospital was to evaluate it in a clinical research project. Little did I know that this would lead me to life as a researcher and research mentor and leader of the largest group of dietitian researchers in the world.

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

If I could have my way then everyone would have their own personal dietitian. As that is not likely to happen I will settle for using technology to novel and engaging ways, to connect people with expert nutrition advice, support and motivation. 

Healthy dietary patterns are your best insurance against developing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and specific diet-related cancers. By focusing on smart technologies to connect people with expert nutrition advice when they need it, I will lead my research team into the future to develop eating solutions that help people eat better, feel better and perform better. It will be a world where every person can have their own personal e-dietitian and get the sound nutrition advice and support they needed where and when they need it.

Brief Profile

Clare Collins is Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. She has received three prestigious NHMRC Research Fellowships and is currently Director of Hunter Medical Research Institute, Food and Nutrition Program.

Laureate Professor Collins has made major contributions to our knowledge on the impact of improving diet quality and food patterns on health and wellbeing outcomes. Her research in precision and personalised nutrition is driving a paradigm shift in technologies that improve delivery of medical nutrition therapy to under-served groups based on life-stage, socio-economic status or geographic location, for whom the chronic disease burden is 40-50% higher. This is generating new knowledge on cost-effective models of care that are available online or can be embedded in health settings .

Her passion was fuelled growing up as one of nine children and being in the first generation of her family to have the opportunity complete year 12 and go to university. She learnt from an early age the meaning of hard work, the importance of grasping opportunities when they arose and the importance of share the fruits of those opportunities.

Laureate Professor Collins is a Fellow of four prestigious bodies, the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, the Nutrition Society of Australia, Dietitians Australia, and the Royal Society of NSW. As the most successful research dietitian globally, her team includes dietitians, nutritionists, biochemists, computer scientists, biomedical engineers and software developers.  They collaborate with government and non-government organisations, industry and researchers from other universities in Australia and around the world.

She has been awarded over $29 million dollars in research grants, published over 450 manuscripts and supervised 35 PhD and Master candidates to completion so far.

Laureate Professor Collins is a great believer in sharing her knowledge through translation of nutrition science to benefit the public. Her team have developed technology tools for dietary assessment, including the Australian Eating Surveythe Healthy Eating Quiz , accessed by over 500,000 people around the world, and the online program No Money No Time, supported by nib foundation. She is a highly sort after nutrition media commentator, having conducted thousands of media interviews for radio, print and TV. These include ABC, BBC, and as regular guest of Dr Karl on TripleJ Science Hour and Shirtloads of Science. She has authored over 100 articles for The Conversation with over 13million readers internationally. She co-created the EdX Massive Open Online Course, The Science of Weight Loss - Dispelling Diet Myths, completed by over 65,000 people across 180 countries.

Specialised/Technical Skills

  • Nutrition, dietetics
  • Dietary methods
  • Nutrition assessment
  • Validation studies
  • Dietary interventions
  • Nutrition education
  • Public health nutrition
  • eHealth
  • uHealth
  • Clinical nutrition
  • Systematic reviews

Affiliations

2017

SHED-IT Recharge: Development and evaluation of a gender-tailored program designed to improve men's physical and mental health
Project Grant
Description:

Phase I of this study will investigate feasibility and efficacy of a self-help, gender-tailored weight loss program for male workers with or without the provision of additional program components targeting stress and mental health  (SHED-IT only vs. SHED-IT plus SHED-IT: Recharge).

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Nutrition and Dietetics Research
Project Grant
Researchers:

Prof Clare Collins, Dr Lee Ashton

Description:

This project will undertake preliminary work to inform future grants and development of a personalised web-platform that supports pregnant women to optimise their dietary intakes. If a woman’s diet is compromised in pregnancy, evidence from the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis indicates the foetus is programmed for a greater lifetime risk of chronic disease. Currently pregnant women are not routinely given advice on how to eat optimally as a way to give infants the best start to life. It is left to chance or the woman seeking information herself. This is a missed opportunity. 

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Award for Research Excellence - Clare Collins
HMRI Award for Research Excellence
Feasibility and acceptability of a personalised healthy diet versus a ketogenic diet in reducing migraine frequency and severity
Project Grant
Researchers:

Prof Clare Collins, Neil Spratt, Rebecca Williams, Megan Rollo

Description:

Migraine is common with 1 in 5 Australian women and 1 in 10 men regularly experiencing migraine at same stage in their lifetime. Migraines can start in childhood or adolescence but have a peak prevalence around the age of 35 to 45 years. It can be severely debilitating, often requiring time off school and work, and adversely impacting on daily activities and quality of life.

Currently, despite individuals commonly reporting dietary triggers for migraine (e.g. cheese, chocolate, alcohol or other specific foods), no dietary advice is given to those with migraine as part of usual treatment. Our review of research evidence suggests specific nutritional approaches could help manage headaches and indicates this warrants careful evaluation in a randomised controlled trial. 

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Emlyn and Jennie Thomas Postgraduate Medical Research Scholarship
Scholarship
Researchers:

2016

Nutrition Connect: providing an online platform to link rural families to health professional advice and support for healthy eating, especially for obese children
Project Grant
Description:

This project will focus on providing telehealth nutrition intervention for rural parents who are concerned about their child’s weight or eating habits.

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Nutrition’s role in chronic pain management
Scholarship
Researchers:
eHealth research project measuring the impact of web-based feedback on dietary intake in improving eating patterns and health
Project Grant
Description:

This grant will support our eHealth research project measuring the impact of web-based feedback on dietary intake in improving eating patterns and health.

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Evaluation of a type 2 diabetes risk reduction program for women with recent gestational diabetes
Project Grant
Description:

Pregnancy is like a stress test, revealing a woman's long term risk to developing Type II Diabetes. Post delivery is the ideal time to address lifestyle risk factors but many women with gestational diabetes report a lack of support at this crucial time.

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2015

eHealth research project measuring the impact of web-based feedback on dietary intake in improving eating patterns and health
Project Grant
Description:

$10K to support our eHealth research project measuring the impact of web-based feedback on dietary intake in improving eating patterns and health. We have a trial approved through ethics, but no $$ to test the impact on dietary intake, hence this will fund this pilot study.
 

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Nutrition’s role in chronic pain management
Scholarship
Researchers:
Description:

$10K for a PhD top-up  for Katherine Brain who is doing her PhD on Nutrition and Pain and has just converted to full time after securing a basis scholarship (CIs are myself, Dr Megan Rollo and Dr Tracy Burrows)
 

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Emlyn and Jennie Thomas Medical Research Postgraduate Scholarship
Scholarship
Researchers:

Ms Lisa Spencer, Professor Clare Collins, Dr Megan Rollo, Dr Melinda Hutchesson

Description:

The aim of my PhD is to investigate effective and innovative approaches to managing weight during pregnancy and following childbirth.

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2014

The HEY MAN pilot study: using eHealth to Enhance Your Mental health, Physical Activity and Nutrition in young men.
Project Grant
Description:

Consistent evidence confirms that excessive stress can adversely affect physical and mental health.

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Investigation of factors affecting the success of family based dietary interventions for parents experiencing CVD events
Scholarship
Description:

Children whose parents suffer a heart attack or stroke prematurely are at a particularly high risk, inheriting a predisposition to heart disease as well as their parent’s eating habits and lifestyle behaviours.

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Development and evaluation of an eHealth weight loss intervention for young overweight women
Scholarship
Researchers:

Kristine Pezdirc, Professor Clare Collins and Dr Melinda Neve

Description:

Young women are vulnerable to weight gain, which places them at risk of weight related co-morbidities, such as depression, infertility and Type 2 Diabetes. 

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2013

Using focus groups to understand young adult males motivators and barriers to participating in a Healthy Lifestyle Program
Project Grant
Researchers:

Professor Clare Collins, Melinda Hutchinson, Megan Rollo, Philip Morgan 

Back to Basics
Project Grant
Researchers:
Long-term follow up of the PULSE Type 2 Diabetes prevention program for men
Project Grant
Description:

Type 2 Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease in Australia.

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Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire to detect changes in diet-related cardiovascular disease risk
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Description:

Diet and Cardiovascular disease risk

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Translation of the Healthy Dads Healthy Kids program in local communities: Transitioning for sustainability
Project Grant
Description:

Transition of HDHK program from researcher-run model to a community-run model over 12 months.

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Investigation of factors affecting the success of family based dietary interventions for parents experiencing CVD events
Scholarship
Description:

Children whose parents suffer a heart attack or stroke prematurely are at a particularly high risk, inheriting a predisposition to heart disease as well as their parent’s eating habits and lifestyle behaviours.
 

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Development and evaluation of an eHealth weight loss intervention for young overweight women
Scholarship
Researchers:

Kristine Pezdirc,Professor Clare Collins, Dr Melinda Neve 

Description:

Young women are vulnerable to weight gain, which places them at risk of weight related co-morbidities, such as depression, infertility and Type 2 Diabetes. 

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The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids community program: Promoting family health through sustainable school and community partnerships
Project Grant
Description:

In 2008-09, a rigorous, randomised controlled trial of the Healthy Dad, Healthy Kids (HDHK) program was conducted at the University of Newcastle.

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2012

Evaluation of a workplace-based weight-loss program for men: The POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating like a Rabbit) trial at Tomago
Project Grant
The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids community program: Promoting family health through sustainable school and community partnerships
Project Grant
Investigation of factors affecting the success of family based dietary interventions for parents experiencing CVD events
Scholarship
Development and evaluation of an eHealth weight loss intervention for young overweight women
Scholarship
Researchers:

 Kristine Pezdirc, Professor Clare Collins and Dr Melinda Neve

2011

Engaging men to maintain weight loss using innovative and cost-effective interventions: The SHED-IT weight loss maintenance pilot study
Project Grant
DNA methylation in a cohort study of nutrition during pregnancy and childhood
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Feasibility and efficacy of a diet and exercise prevention program for men at high risk of Type 2 Diabetes - Lions District 2013 N3 Diabetes Foundation Diabetes Project Grant
Project Grant
Feasibility of targeting parents with heart disease to improve the heart health of their children
Project Grant
Evaluation of a workplace-based weight-loss program for men: The POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating like a Rabbit) trial at Tomago
Project Grant

2010

Adult lifestyle incentives for vitality and energy (ALIVE): Supporting health professionals to assist clients with weight management through lifestyle changes
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Suzanne Snodgrass, Professor Clare Collins, Carole James, Ashley Kable, Maya Guest, Samantha Ashby, Ron Plotnikof, Pat McElduff

How do high protein and/or high fat meals affect postprandial glycaemic control in children and adolescents using intensive insulin therapy?
Project Grant
Researchers:

Professor Clare Collins, Carmel Smart, Bruce King, Patrick McElduff 

Evaluation of a workplace-based weight-loss program for men: The POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating like a Rabbit) trial at Tomago
Project Grant
Healthy Dads Healthy Kids for Indigenous populations
Project Grant
Researchers:

2009

The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids community program: Promoting family health through sustainable school and community partnerships
Project Grant
Researchers:
Evaluation of a workplace-based weight-loss program for men: The POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating like a Rabbit) trial at Tomago
Project Grant
Validation of energy intake and expenditure in young children using Food Frequency Questionnaires, doubly-labelled water and accelerometers
Project Grant
Researchers:
Development of the SHED-IT weight loss programs for men
Project Grant
Does the HIKCUPS weight management program for overweight children work in the parents' workplace or in after school care settings - PhD topup scholarship
Scholarship
The Contribution of Nutrition to Achieving Healthy Pregnancy outcomes for mothers and babies - PhD Scholarship Yr 1/ PhD topup Y2 and Yr 3
Scholarship
Researchers:

Associate Professor Clare Collins, Michelle Blumfield
 

2008

The "Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids" Project" Feasibility and Benefits of a Father-Focused Child Obesity Prevention Intervention.
Project Grant
Researchers:
In children with type 1 Diabetes on intensive insulin therapy, can improving carbohydrate knowledge and targeted nutrition education strategies improve diabetes management?
Project Grant

2006

Validating tools to assess children's' food intake to develop healthy eating programs
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Clare Collins, Dr J Warren
 

2003

Diet, Nutrition and lifestyle factors in the development and treatment of overweight and obesity in children
Project Grant
Researchers:
High Versus Low Dos nutrition to reduce malnutrition prevalence and length of stay in fractured neck of femur patients
Project Grant

2002

Acting on overweight and obesity in Hunter children
Project Grant
The role of nutrition in improving outcomes for people with fractures
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2000

Nutritional status of children undergoing chemotherapy; a cross sectional review
Project Grant