Flinders Caring Futures Institute researchers were among 600 Dietitians to attend the National Dietitians Australia Conference in Adelaide from August 14 to 16, 2022. Delegates received a warm welcome by Kaurna elder Michael Kumatpi Marrutya O’Brien (Uncle Mickey) to the first in-person conference for the association since 2019.

Flinders Associate Professor of Implementation Science Annabelle Wilson chaired the Scientific and Social Program Committee, with Flinders Caring Futures Institute researchers Dr Alison Yaxley, Dr Louisa Matwiejczyk and HDR candidate Morgan Pankhurst also involved in planning an engaging and stimulating program aligned to the conference theme ‘Be Bold’, with sub themes of Nurture, Evolve and Emerge. Flinders’ nutrition and dietetic students also had the opportunity to contribute to the conference and experience research in action.

Research was presented by Flinders Caring Futures Institute researchers, other Flinders staff, HDR candidates and Bachelor of Dietetics Honours students. A diverse selection of cutting-edge nutrition and dietetics research was presented:

• Dr Jayne Barbour facilitated a workshop for emerging practitioners on motivational interviewing.
• Dr Louisa Matwiejczyk led a symposium on lived experience (Moving beyond hard evidence to advance nutrition practice, policy and research: using lived experience) with national and international presenters including Flinders University academics Professor John Coveney, A/Prof Annabelle Wilson and adjuncts A/Prof Kaye Mehta and Dr Sue Booth.
• Dr Georgia Middleton presented on her family meals research.
• Research Assistant Sam Morgillo, Research Manager Claire Gardner and HDR candidate Shabnam Kashef all presented on VegKIT.
• Dr Kacie Dickinson shared her research with interstate collaborators on the association between plant-based diet patterns and cardiometabolic health among Australian adults.
• Dr Alison Yaxley presented findings on behalf of HDR candidate, Chad Han, on barriers and enablers to diet and exercise in self-managed support programs for pre-frailty/frailty.
• HDR candidate, Mitali Mukherjee shared her systematic review results on the effect of anti-inflammatory diets on inflammation markers in adult human populations.
• Flinders alumni Julie Dundon, Director of Nutrition Professionals Australia also presented the annual Lecture in Honour profiling the career and impact on the profession of Dietetics of Flinders alumni and CSIRO senior research scientist, Dr Manny Noakes.

It was an enriching conference and it was great to see so many Flinders Alumni in attendance, many of whom also presented on a range of practice and research topics.