I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow whose research spans food science, nutrition and public health, with a central focus on how health information reaches, and influences, the public. My doctoral research, "Superfood or Superficial," combined laboratory characterisation of bioactive compounds in plant foods with large-scale qualitative and quantitative investigation of how experts and the public perceive health claims encountered online, and how accurate health information can be communicated in forms people will genuinely engage with. I continue this work through research into nutrition literacy and the presentation of health information, with a focus on translation into government and community health programs.

A significant strand of my research is conducted in partnership with First Nations Elders and Red Centre Enterprises, a First Nations-owned South Australian business, identifying and characterising native plants traditionally used for nutrition and wellbeing. This work extends from compound analysis through to food product development, creating teas, fruit leathers, native bread and other products informed by traditional knowledge, and evaluating them through sensory trials. I also conduct pedagogical research on Work Integrated Learning in the health sciences, and supervise students from Honours to PhD level.

Science communication is a genuine passion of mine. I believe research only matters if it reaches people, and I share mine everywhere from sold-out Adelaide Fringe performances to public lectures, children's science programs in regional South Australia, and the communications team of the National Science Week SA committee. This work has been recognised with a 7NEWS Young Achiever Award for STEM and as a National Science Week Unsung Hero of Science Communication.