Dr Lenka Malek
Lecturer
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
College of Science
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr Lenka Malek is a qualified dietitian who was awarded a PhD in Medicine from the University of Adelaide in 2015. In 2023, she commenced her role as a Lecturer in the School of Agriculture, Food & Wine. Prior to this she was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Global Food and Resources (part of the School of Economics and Public Policy) (2014-2022).
As an education specialist, Lenka teaches into the Food and Nutrition Science program and is part of the Haide College teaching team. She teaches and assists with the development and delivery of several undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Public Health Nutrition III, Nutrition II, Nutrition I, Food Quality and Regulation, Food Product Development III, Nutrition Metabolism, Research Methods and Data Analysis.
Lenka enjoys exposing others to the curious world of food choices and drivers of dietary behaviour through her role as lecturer and supervisor of higher degree research students. Her qualitative and quantitative research expertise covers a wide range of domain areas including but not limited to: changing protein consumption patterns, alternative protein products, lab-grown meat, food preferences, food recalls and food safety perceptions, food insecurity, environmental impact, sustainability, COVID-related dietary changes, dietary supplement use, food fortification, adherence to dietary recommendations, dietary intake during pregnancy, infant formula purchase and preparation decisions, and health care provider practices. She conducts focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and online consumer surveys and uses a range of techniques (e.g., discrete choice experiments and eye-tracking) to elicit consumer preferences and generate usable consumer insights.
Her multidisciplinary research aims to produce consumer behaviour insights which can be used to inform development of and improvements in food and health policy. For example, Lenka has conducted several projects for Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, the results of which have helped to inform changes to labelling standards for infant formula products.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Lecturer | The University of Adelaide |
| 2014 - 2023 | Research Fellow | University of Adelaide |
| 2012 - 2012 | Lecturer, tutor and practical demonstrator (casual) | University of Adelaide |
| 2011 - 2014 | Research Assistant (casual) | Women's & Children's Health Research Institute |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Award | Women's Research Excellence Award | The University of Adelaide | Australia | $5,000 |
| 2015 | Recognition | Deans Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Czech | Can read, write, speak and understand spoken |
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 - 2015 | University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD |
| 2007 - 2010 | Flinders University | Australia | Bachelor of Nutrition & Dietetics (Hons) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Nguyen, T. T. T., Hetherington, J. B., O'Connor, P. J., & Malek, L. (2025). Sustainable food consumption: Sustainability-conscious consumers do not reduce food waste but nutrition-conscious consumers do. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 219, 108296-1-108296-17. Scopus8 WoS8 |
| 2024 | Tulysewski, G., Hendrie, G. A., Baird, D. L., Umberger, W., & Malek, L. (2024). Factors Influencing Consumption of Animal-Based Dairy and Plant-Based Milk Alternatives in Australia. Sustainability, 16(16), 7168. |
| 2023 | Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2023). Protein source matters: Understanding consumer segments with distinct preferences for alternative proteins. Future Foods, 7, 1-15. Scopus36 WoS31 |
| 2023 | Nguyen, T. T. T., Malek, L., Umberger, W. J., & O'Connor, P. J. (2023). Food waste 'Warriors', 'Strugglers' and 'Slackers': Segmenting households based on food waste generation and sorting behaviours. Food Quality and Preference, 112, 105000-1-105000-20. Scopus14 WoS13 |
| 2023 | Nguyen, T. T. T., Malek, L., Umberger, W. J., & O'Connor, P. J. (2023). Motivations behind daily preventative household food waste behaviours: The role of gain, hedonic, normative, and competing goals. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 43, 278-296. Scopus25 WoS23 |
| 2022 | Nguyen, T. T. T., Malek, L., Umberger, W. J., & O'Connor, P. J. (2022). Household food waste disposal behaviour is driven by perceived personal benefits, recycling habits and ability to compost. Journal of Cleaner Production, 379(1), 134636-1-134636-10. Scopus43 WoS29 |
| 2022 | de Oliveira Padilha, L. G., Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2022). Consumers’ attitudes towards lab-grown meat, conventionally raised meat and plant-based protein alternatives. Food Quality and Preference, 99, 10 pages. Scopus72 WoS63 |
| 2022 | Malek, L., Umberger, W. J., Zhou, S. -J., Huynh, E., & Makrides, M. (2022). Testing the Impact of Familiarity with Health Benefits Information on Dietary Supplement Choice in Pregnancy: An Online Choice Experiment. Nutrients, 14(9), 1-17. Europe PMC1 |
| 2021 | Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2021). Distinguishing meat reducers from unrestricted omnivores, vegetarians and vegans: A comprehensive comparison of Australian consumers. Food Quality and Preference, 88, 12 pages. Scopus89 WoS79 |
| 2021 | Garcez de Oliveira Padilha, L., Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2021). Sustainable meat: Looking through the eyes of Australian consumers. Sustainability, 13(10), 1-24. Scopus20 WoS16 |
| 2021 | Garcez de Oliveira Padilha, L., Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2021). Food choice drivers of potential lab-grown meat consumers in Australia. British Food Journal, 123(9), 3014-3031. Scopus19 WoS17 |
| 2021 | Malek, L., & Umberger, W. J. (2021). How flexible are flexitarians? Examining diversity in dietary patterns, motivations and future intentions. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 3, 100038. Scopus55 WoS49 |
| 2020 | Malek, L., Duffy, G., Fowler, H., & Katzer, L. (2020). Use and understanding of labelling information when preparing infant formula: Evidence from interviews and eye tracking. FOOD POLICY, 93, 11 pages. Scopus7 WoS6 |
| 2019 | Malek, L., Umberger, W., & Goddard, E. (2019). Is anti-consumption driving meat consumption changes in Australia?. British Food Journal, 121(1), 123-138. Scopus51 WoS48 |
| 2019 | Malek, L., Fowler, H., Duffy, G., & Katzer, L. (2019). Informed choice or guessing game? Understanding caregivers' perceptions and use of infant formula labelling. Public Health Nutrition, 22(2), 273-286. Scopus15 WoS15 Europe PMC12 |
| 2019 | Malek, L., Umberger, W. J., & Goddard, E. (2019). Committed vs. uncommitted meat eaters: Understanding willingness to change protein consumption. Appetite, 138, 115-126. Scopus132 WoS124 Europe PMC59 |
| 2019 | Malek, L., Umberger, W. J., Zhou, S. J., Makrides, M., & Huynh, E. (2019). Understanding Preferences for Dietary Supplements and Fortified Food during Pregnancy: A Discrete Choice Experiment. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 25(5), 500-526. Scopus3 WoS3 |
| 2018 | Malek, L., Umberger, W., Makrides, M., Collins, C., & Zhou, S. (2018). Understanding motivations for dietary supplementation during pregnancy: A focus group study. Midwifery, 57, 59-68. Scopus21 WoS16 Europe PMC13 |
| 2017 | Malek, L., Umberger, W., Makrides, M., & Zhou, S. J. (2017). Predicting healthy eating intention and adherence to dietary recommendations during pregnancy in Australia using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Appetite, 116, 431-441. Scopus51 WoS41 Europe PMC35 |
| 2017 | Malek, L., Umberger, W., & Rolfe, J. (2017). Segmentation of Australian meat consumers based on attitudes regarding farm animal welfare and the environmental impact of meat production. Animal Production Science, 58(3), 424-434. Scopus28 WoS23 |
| 2017 | Guess, K., Malek, L., Anderson, A., Makrides, M., & Zhou, S. (2017). Knowledge and practices regarding iodine supplementation: a national survey of healthcare providers. Women and Birth, 30(1), e56-e60. Scopus16 WoS15 Europe PMC15 |
| 2016 | Malek, L., Umberger, W., Makrides, M., & Zhou, S. (2016). Adherence to the Australian dietary guidelines during pregnancy: evidence from a national study. Public Health Nutrition, 19(7), 1155-1163. Scopus74 WoS68 Europe PMC60 |
| 2016 | Martin, J. C., Zhou, S. J., Flynn, A. C., Malek, L., Greco, R., & Moran, L. (2016). The Assessment of Diet Quality and Its Effects on Health Outcomes Pre-pregnancy and during Pregnancy. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 34(2), 83-92. Scopus27 WoS27 Europe PMC27 |
| 2016 | Malek, L., Umberger, W., Makrides, M., & Zhou, S. (2016). Poor adherence to folic acid and iodine supplement recommendations in preconception and pregnancy: a cross-sectional analysis. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 40(5), 424-429. Scopus38 WoS35 Europe PMC26 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Malek, L., Netting, M., & Makrides, M. (2022). 2.8 Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation. In World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics (Vol. 124, pp. 189-196). S. Karger AG. DOI Scopus1 Europe PMC1 |
| 2015 | Malek, L., & Makrides, M. (2015). Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation. In B. Koletzko, J. Bhatia, Z. Bhutta, P. Cooper, M. Makrides, R. Uauy, & W. Wang (Eds.), Pediatric Nutrition in Practice (Vol. 113, 2nd edition ed., pp. 127-133). Basel, Switzerland: Karger. DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Yargop, R., Malek, L., Nelle, S., & Umberger, W. (2017). A study of drivers for industry growth and innovation in the South Australian food and agribusiness sector. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Corner Merivale And Glenelg Streets, South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland. |
| 2014 | Malek, L., Zhou, S. J., Makrides, M., Flynn, T., & Umberger, W. (2014). A discrete choice experiment to understand factors influencing women’s dietary decisions during pregnancy. Poster session presented at the meeting of Social Networks, Social Media and the Economics of Food. Montreal, Canada. |
| 2014 | Malek, L., Zhou, S. J., Makrides, M., & Umberger, W. (2014). A novel study to understand psychosocial factors influencing healthy eating intention during pregnancy. Poster session presented at the meeting of Social Networks, Social Media and the Economics of Food. Montreal, Canada. |
| 2014 | Oral Abstracts (2014). Poster session presented at the meeting of Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. Wiley. DOI |
| 2013 | Malek, L., Zhou, S. J., Makrides, M., Flynn, T., & Umberger, W. (2013). Understanding consumer preferences for nutritional supplements during pregnancy: A choice experiment study. Poster session presented at the meeting of 9th World Congress of the International Health Economics Association (iHEA). Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Malek, L. (2015). Exploring the nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women in Australia. (PhD Thesis, The University of Adelaide). |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Edwards, V. (2015). Pregnant women not following dietary guidelines: study. The Australian. |
| 2015 | McBeth, T. (2015). Back to basics in pregnancy. Bupa- The Blue Room. |
| 2015 | Corderoy, A. (2015). Pregnant women think they are eating healthily, but study shows almost none are. The Sydney Morning Herald. |
| 2015 | AAP. (2015). Pregnant women not eating enough vegies: study. Essential Baby. |
| 2015 | Madigan, N. (2015). Pregnant women failing to follow dietary guidelines. newbornbaby.com.au. |
| 2015 | Food Safety. (2015). So pregnant women are not eating as well as most believe.. Food Safety Australia. |
| 2015 | AAP. (2015). Expecting mothers shun vegies: study. SBS. |
| 2015 | Azzi, M. (2015). Australian women aren't eating enough vegetables, meat or grains during pregnancy but they THINK they are. Daily Mail Australia. |
| 2013 | AAP. (2013). Expectant mums relying on supplements. 9news. |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Co-Supervisor | The State of Front-Of-Pack Environmental Sustainability Promotion on Australian Supermarket Food Products and Consumer Perceptions in Relation to Cost and Health | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Miss Grace Louise Tulysewski |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 - 2023 | Principal Supervisor | Understanding the Attitudinal and Behavioural Determinants of Household Food Waste in Australia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Trang Thi Thu Nguyen |
| 2020 - 2024 | Co-Supervisor | Understanding Consumers’ Organic Food Purchasing Behaviour in Laos and Australia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Chitpasong Kousonsavath |
| 2017 - 2021 | Co-Supervisor | Consumer perceptions and intentions towards sustainable meat consumption and lab-grown meat in Australia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Livia Garcez de Oliveira Padilha |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 - ongoing | Member | Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society | Australia |
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