Professor Kerin O'Dea |
||
| Position: | Director: Sansom Institute |
|
| Division/Portfolio: | Division of Health Sciences | |
| School/Unit: | Division Office Research HSC | |
| Group: | SIHR Operations | |
| Campus: | City East Campus | |
| Office: | P4-27 | |
| Telephone: | +61 8 830 22648 | |
| Fax: | +61 8 830 22794 | |
| Email: | Kerin_dot_O'Dea_at_unisa_dot_edu_dot_au | |
| URL for Business Card: | http://people.unisa.edu.au/Kerin.O'Dea | |
Professor O'Dea leads the Sansom Institute for Health Research in the next phase of its growth into a dynamic multidisciplinary health research institute which will span the full spectrum of research, from basic molecular science and physiology, clinical and health sservices/ health systems research and population health.
Prior to joining UniSA she held a number of senior academic and research leadership positions. From 2006-2009, she was a Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital. Prior to this (2000-2005), Kerin was Director, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin NT. From 1998 – May 2000, she was Prof and Head of the Centre for Population Health and Nutrition, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
She has been an active part of numerous national committees over many years advising government on health and medical research, Indigenous health, nutrition, and diabetes.
Kerin has recently been appointed a Council member of NHMRC and inaugural Chair of the new Prevention and Community Health Committee. She received the Order of Australia in 2004 for "service in the areas of medical and nutrition research, to the development of public health policy, and to the community, particularly Indigenous Australians through research into chronic disease and prevention methods". She also holds the following honorary positions:
Teaching interests
- Nutrition and Dietetics (undergraduate and post graduate).
- Population Health
Professional associations
Life member and Fellow, Nutrition Society of Australia, 2001
INTERNATIONAL
AUSTRALIAN
Professional activities
MAJOR CURRENT
NATIONAL
LOCAL
Qualifications
PhD (University of Melbourne)
BSc (University of Melbourne)
Research interests
- She has been regularly called upon to advise government bodies on health and medical research, indigenous health, nutrition and diabetes.
- Her current research examines diet and lifestyle in the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases (obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), with a focus on elucidating the causal pathways and identifying critical intervention points.
-
She has a particular interest in the therapeutic potential of traditional diets – especially Aboriginal hunter-gatherer and Mediterranean diets – and is committed to a research approach that spans the spectrum from the basic biomedical to the population, and includes quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
-
CURRENT GRANTS
Health outcomes monitoring and evaluation: learning about activity, nutrition, diet and social factors - HOMELANDS
NHMRC Program Grant # 320860 (2005-2009, $7.071m)
K O’Dea, W Hoy, K Rowley, J Best, Z Wang.
The Health 2020 Cohort Study (Health 2020)
NHMRC Enabling Grant #396414 (2006-2010, $1.5m)
G Giles, K O’Dea, J Hopper, R Sutherland, D English, L Flicker, M Southey
Clinical Science in Diabetes
NHMRC Centre for Clinical Research Excellence #454461 (2006-2010, $2m)
J Best, K O’Dea, H Taylor, T Kay, A Jenkins, D Young
Research publications
Expertise for Media Contact
I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:
Discipline: health sciences
- Aboriginal health
- Diabetes,
- Heart disease
- Nutrition
- Preventative health
Change | Staff home page help