Dear ISBNPA Members,
We are reaching out to remind you of an important opportunity to shape the future of our organization. The voting period for the ISBNPA Executive Committee 2025 elections is now open, and your participation is crucial in selecting leaders who will guide us towards continued success.
This year, we have three member-at-large positions available, with terms running from June 2025 until June 2028. These roles are essential in driving our mission forward, and we are excited to present a diverse group of nominees who are eager to contribute their expertise and passion.
To learn more about the nominees standing for election, please see below. Additionally, you can familiarize yourself with the current composition of our Executive Committee by visiting Executive Committee – ISBNPA.
The ballots are open from November 8th until December 6th. Please remember that while you may receive several reminders to vote, your unique voting link will only allow you to cast your vote once.
Your voice matters greatly in determining the leadership that will steer ISBNPA through the coming years. We encourage all members to take part in this vital process and make their voices heard.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with ISBNPA.
Please note that the nominees in this document are listed in a randomly sorted order.
Shilpa Dogra
Faculty of Health Sciences (Kinesiology), Ontario Tech University, Ontario, Canada.
I am excited to be considered for the position of Member at Large on the ISBNPA Executive Committee. I have been a member since 2018, and have contributed in various roles. These are outlined below, along with opportunities for future contributions.
Aging Special Interest Group (SIG): I was the webinar coordinator for this SIG for 6 years. Although I recently stepped away from this role, I am spearheading the revival of the World Congress on Active Aging (WCAA) at ISBNPA, and hope to closely collaborate on this with the SIG members moving forward. We are currently in the process of organizing the WCAA as a pre-conference meeting in Auckland, New Zealand in 2025. A keynote speaker has been confirmed, and we are working towards finalizing a program. Our goal is to have a discussion at the end of the event to determine next steps. I plan on continuing to play a prominent role in this space.
Climate Action Committee: I have been an active member of this committee for a year. This committee truly feels like a working group, and I am committed to continuing to support the goals of this committee. I hope to serve as a strong voice for this committee on Executive, along with other members in dual roles. Specifically, moving forward I hope to contribute to conference related sessions that enable researchers to re-imagine their research programs by either integrating climate change considerations to their work, or actions to reduce the carbon footprint of their work. For example, Dare2Share sessions can be organized to support motivated attendees with reimaging and reshaping their research.
Conference Bid: Prior to the pandemic, I was working on a bid to host the conference in Canada. The order and environment changed, but I note that the conference is coming to the Americas in 2027, and hope to lead a bid for Canada. This will also align with offering the WCAA (biannual) pre-conference meeting.
Equity and Inclusion: I am committed to creating inclusive, safe spaces, and would like to support initiatives that enable ISBNPA to engage more meaningfully with researchers from low and low-middle income countries. There are opportunities related to mentorship, funding, and virtual sessions that can be used to accomplish this. I am also committed to inclusion in our research, and advancing methods and approaches to be more inclusive. In 2023, I organized a symposium on sex and gender-based analysis that was incredibly well received; in 2025 I hope to lead a symposium on recruitment approaches. Ideas generated from such symposiums can be brought to the Executive Committee to spearhead collaborative efforts with the socioeconomic inequities and Indigenous Wellbeing SIGs to support the creation of position stands, or other deliverables that would elevate the profile of ISBNPA.
I have a diverse research background, and as such, a growing network of colleagues at ISBNPA that I interact with. I hope to use this social capital to support ISBNPA with better serving its membership.
CV
Most Recent Publications from my Lab Group (* represents trainees)
- Dogra S, Adlakha D. Social Engagement is associated with Sedentary Time in Older Males but not Females Living in India: Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Survey. Working with Older People. 2024; DOI 10.1108/WWOP-05-2024-0021.
- *Klicnik I, *Andrawes R, *Bell L, *Manafo J, *Meens-Miller E, Sun W, Widener M, Dogra S. Social and Movement Behaviours in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Insights from Neighborhood Walking Interviews using the Active Aging and Living Environments Frameworks. Health and Place. 2024; 89:103339.
- *Meens Miller E, *O’Rourke N, Jeffrey M, Green-Johnson J, Dogra S. Novel Biomarkers in the Saliva of Healthy Young Males and Females in a Randomized Crossover Study on Sedentary Time:
An Exploratory Analysis. PLoS One; 2024: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308838
- *Klicnik I, *Putman A, Widener M, Rudoler D, Dogra S. Neighbourhood Walkability and Greenness Exhibit Different Associations with Social Participation in Older Males and Females: An Analysis of the CLSA. Canadian Journal on Aging. Accepted.
- *O’Rourke N, *Meens-Miller E, Jeffrey M,* Saleem L, Green-Johnson J, Dogra S. Short bouts of walking attenuates the response of IL-8 to prolonged sitting in healthy adults. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2023;123:1271–1281.
Most Cited Publications
- Dogra S, Stathokostas L. Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity are Independent Predictors of Successful Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Adults. Journal of Aging Research. 2012;190654. 344 citations.
- Copeland J, Ashe M, Biddle S, Brown W, Buman M, Chastin S, Gardiner P, Inoue S, Jeffries B, Oka
K, Owen N, Sardinha L, Skelton D, Sugiyama T, Dogra S. Sedentary Time in Older Adults: A Critical Review of Measurement, Associations with Health, and Interventions. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017; 51(21):1539. 255 citations.
- Dunstan D, Dogra S, Carter S, Owen N. Sit Less and Move More for Cardiovascular Health:
Emerging Insights and Opportunities. Nature Cardiology Reviews. 2021;18, 637–648. 221 citations.
- Dogra S, Kuk, JL, Baker J, Jamnik V. Exercise is associated with Improved Asthma Control in Adults. European Respiratory Journal. 2011;37(2):318-23. 193 citations.
- Dogra S, Ashe MC, Biddle SJ, Brown W, Buman M, Chastin S, Gardiner P, Inoue S, Jeffries B, Oka
K, Owen N, Sardinha L, Skelton D, Sugiyama T, Copeland J. Sedentary Time in Older Men and Women: An International Consensus Statement and Research Priorities. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017; 51(21):1526-1532. 146 citations.
Current Projects/Funding
- Dogra S (PI). Novel Insights into Sedentary Physiology. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Discovery Grant (2023-2028): $195,000.
- Dogra S (PI), Rudoler D (Co-I), Sun W (Co-I), Widener M (Co-I), Julie MacIsaac (knowledge partners), Sonya Hardman (knowledge partner). Environmental determinants of social isolation in older adults: using a social ecological approach to inform Age-Friendly Communities. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Insight Grant (2021-2025): $123,500
- Dogra S (PI), Bouchard D (Co-PI), Copeland JL (Co-PI), Dunstan D (Co-PI), Heyland D (Co-PI), Horton S (Co-I), Kapralos B (Co-I). Co-Creation and Feasibility Assessment of a Staircase Approach to Reduce Sedentary Time and Increase Physical Activity in Older Adults. Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Priority Announcement for Aging (2023-2024): $100,000. (a)
- Bouchard D (PI), Dogra S (Co-PI), Sibley K (Co-PI), Kehler S (Co-PI), et al. Understanding how to Attract, Adapt, IMplement and Sustain an evidence informed fall prevention exercise program in Community Settings: The AAIMS project. Canadian Institutes of Health Research Healthy Cities Implementation Science Teams Grant (2022): $2.99 million.
Inês Santos
Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
I am deeply motivated to continue as a Member-at-Large on the Executive Committee, leveraging my experience and skills to support and advance ISBNPA’s strategic goals and expand its global impact. I am driven by a commitment to ISBNPA’s mission of stimulating and promoting innovative and impactful research in behavioral nutrition and physical activity to improve human and planetary health and well-being worldwide. Being part of the Executive Committee in the coming years would allow me to actively help shape the society’s vision and initiatives, work collaboratively to strengthen ISBNPA’s role in the global research community, and further engage researchers, students, and practitioners worldwide to promote research that can make a lasting, positive impact.
I have presented at nine ISBNPA conferences (Ghent, San Diego, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Prague, XChange 2021, Uppsala, and Omaha), including five oral presentations and four poster presentations, and I have co-authored ten additional poster presentations. These experiences have not only connected me with a network of researchers but have also provided invaluable opportunities to explore and expand my expertise in emerging areas in our field.
Since 2017, I have served as a Communications Committee Assistant, focusing on enhancing our social media presence and maintaining the website to increase ISBNPA’s visibility and broaden its reach. These efforts have contributed to a steady growth in engagement, helping ISBNPA to build a more connected and informed community worldwide. Additionally, since 2019 I have been involved in the ISBNPA Executive Committee – firstly as Early Career Researcher (NESI subcommittee), helping to facilitate networking, promote mentoring, and support professional development for students and ECRs; and in the last years as Member-at-Large, assisting in the modernization and streamlining of ISBNPA’s strategic direction and plan, and actively participating in organizing annual meetings.
CV
Inês Santos is a Nutritionist, Specialist in Community Nutrition and Public Health, with a Master’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition (2011) and a PhD in Physical Activity and Health (2017). She is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, an integrated researcher at the Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB), and a collaborating researcher at the Research Center in Sports, Physical Education, Exercise and Health (CIDEFES), Lusófona University. She has developed expertise in the area of self-regulation of weight loss maintenance and energy balance-related behaviours (physical activity and eating habits/behaviours) and has been involved in the design and implementation of health behavior change interventions (with individuals with overweight/obesity). Additionally, her work has contributed to a better understanding of the epidemiology of weight loss attempts in adults across the world. She published 47 peer-reviewed articles, 3 in special issues, 2 book chapters, and contributed to several abstracts/presentations in scientific conferences – Scopus h-index of 13. She is ad hoc reviewer for several leading international journals in her field. She was involved in several nationally and internationally funded projects in the area of obesity, physical activity and eating behaviors (e.g., NoHoW: Evidence-based ICT Tools for Weight Loss Maintenance, European Commission:H2020-PHC-2014 SEP-210140063; Champ4Life: Lifestyle intervention program for former elite athletes, FCT SFRH/BPD/91301/2012). Alongside her research activities, she teaches 5 disciplines, and she supervises Master and PhD students. In 2017 she was awarded with the ‘Young Nutritionist Merit Award’ from the Portuguese Council of Nutritionists and in 2024 with the ‘Pedagogical Excellence Award’ from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon.
CV: https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/8E14-4B1D-9F4E
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1638-8551
Penelope (Penny) Love
Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Victoria, Australia
Dear Members of the ISBNPA,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic interest in serving as a Member-at-Large on the ISBNPA Executive Committee. As an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Senior Researcher at Deakin University, I am deeply committed to advancing the dissemination, implementation, and sustainment of evidence-informed early childhood nutrition interventions at scale. My research within the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) focuses on the identification of key leverage points within existing health and education service delivery systems to enhance the nutritional health of children. I believe my experience and dedication align well with the goals of ISBNPA, I would bring a strong commitment to advancing ISBNPA’s mission and a collaborative spirit to the Executive Committee.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to ISBNPA’s important work.
Key Contributions I Can Offer:
Research: I have led and contributed to numerous research projects, more recently hybrid effectiveness : implementation trials, exploring determinants of childhood nutrition at the organisational and systems level to inform the development of viable implementation strategies, recognizing the complex interplay between fidelity and adaptability. This approach supports the design and delivery of scalable and sustainable interventions in the long term.
Advocacy: I am committed to advocating for evidence-based policies that improve childhood nutrition at local, national, and international levels. My advocacy efforts include working with policymakers to support continuity of care for families with young children and the workforce that supports them such as early childhood education, primary school, allied health, health promotion and medical professionals. I have served on several influential committees and am currently serving on the NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines Expert Committee, contributing to the review and update of the Australian Dietary Guidelines aligned with latest evidence and best practices in nutrition.
Co-Design Approach: I strongly believe in the power of co-design, involving stakeholders such as children, parents, educators, and community leaders in all stages of intervention conception, design, implementation and evaluation. This collaborative approach acknowledges the importance of cultural relevance, user acceptability, and tailoring to the specific needs of the community, thereby enhancing effectiveness and sustainment.
Mentorship and Collaboration: I am passionate about mentoring early-career researchers and practitioners. I believe that fostering a supportive and collaborative environment is essential for advancing the field of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. I have supervised numerous postgraduate students and have been actively involved in professional development programs.
CV
Dr Penny Love – AdvAPD, RPHNutr
Senior Lecturer: Community & Public Health Nutrition
QUALIFICATIONS:
• PhD (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
• Post-Graduate Diploma: Hospital Dietetics (University of Pretoria, South Africa)
• Bachelor of Science (Honours): Dietetics (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Graduate Certificate of Higher Education (Learning & Teaching) (Deakin University, Australia)
APPOINTMENTS:
• NHMRC Australian Dietary Guidelines Expert Committee (September 2021-current)
• Massey University Dietetics External Advisory Group, New Zealand (2020-current)
FELLOWSHIPS:
• Deakin University, Faculty of Health Mid-Career Fellowship, 2022
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, EPOCH-CRE 2016-2020 (GNT1101675)
AWARDS:
• Deakin University, Faculty of Health Partnerships in Practice Award (2023) – Overall winner & Influencing Policy and Practice category – The INFANT Program
• Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, IPAN Director’s Stakeholder Engagement Award (2022) – Team Engagement category – The INFANT Program
• DA Outstanding Contribution Award (August 2019) – Outstanding contribution to the profession and Dietitians Association of Australia at the National level
PUBLICATIONS: Penny Love Profile | Deakin University
• H-Index 15; Field-weighted views impact 1.83; Field-weighted citation impact 0.91
• Publications (56) – Q1 journals (69%), Q2 journals (26.5%), Q3 journals (4.1%)
GRANTS/CONSULTANCY:
• CI – INFANT Scale-up NHMRC Partnership Project (2019-2024), leading the implementation component of the trail, which attracted an additional ~$1.5million from the Victorian Department of Health to support state-wide intervention implementation.
• CI – Let’s Grow Project, MRFF Maternal Health and Healthy Lifestyles Grant (2024-2027)
• CI – Nutrition Now project (Norwegian Research Council, 2021-2025; University of Adger, Norway)
• AI – NHMRC CRE for the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood (2022-2026)
• AI – NHMRC Partnership Project Systems Thinking with Active Implementation Research (STAIR) to prevent childhood obesity (2023-2028)
STUDENT SUPERVISION:
• Current – 7 PhDs (2 as principal supervisor)
• Completed – 4 PhDs (2 as principal supervisor); 4 Masters & 4 Honours
Marie Löf
Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
I was very excited to receive the nomination for a position as Member-at-large for ISBNPA. Please see below for a description of how I visualise that I could contribute to ISBNPA. I think I would be a good fit with my previous role as chair of the local organising committe for the annual ISBNPA meeting in Uppsala in 2023, my solid background in nutrition and extensive experience in intervention research. I also participate in several large international research studies and have large networks. Firstly, I had the fortune to be appointed chair of the local organising committee of the annual ISBNPA meeting in Uppsala in 2023. I really enjoyed all preparations and being part of the machinery that so efficiently organised the annual meeting. Also, with this role, it became even clearer that the annual meeting is so important for knowledge sharing, networking as well as for junior researchers to get experience in presenting and discussing research. Thus, if elected, I think one important role for me could be to contribute to upcoming annual conferences. I could share my experiences and lessons learnt from Uppsala. I also have several ideas for new activities for the scientific program that could be tested. Secondly, I am a researcher in digital health with a focus on digital interventions for obesity prevention and promotion of healthier nutrition and physical activity, with special emphasis for child and maternity health care. I am particularly interested on how such interventions can be inclusive to all, irrespectively of language, migration status or socioeconomic factors which is essential if they are to be delivered by health care. I see a development in this area where a lot of digital lifestyle interventions are being developed and evaluated but few are implemented. Another issue is that they are not accessible to all. I would like to increase the impact of this research, making evidence-based interventions more accessible and enabling faster translation into practice and I think ISBNPA can play an important role there. It could be done through existing or extended SIGs but also other joint activities that I would be happy to initiate. Finally, as a Professor, I also really enjoy supporting and mentoring junior researchers to navigate in the research world, fulfilling their dreams and maximise their own potential. Thus, I would be keen to take on tasks related to existing programs or activities for the next generation of researchers as well as developing new such activities.
CV
Date of birth
27th July 1971
ORCID: 0000-0002-2273-4430
Education
2009 Associate professor (Docent), nutritional physiology, Linköping University.
2004 PhD in nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Linköping.
1997 Master of science with a major in nutrition, University of Stockholm.
Current position
2022-02-01- Professor, nutrition, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Previous positions (selected)
2018-202201 Professor, nutritional physiology, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden
2011-2021 Senior research fellow/group leader, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet. Sweden, 100 % 2011-2018, 20 % 2018-2021
2007-2011 Assistant professor, 100 %, funded by Swedish Research Council Formas, Department of clinical and experimental medicine, University of Linkoping.
2004-2010 Post doc, Department of medical epidemiology and biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.100
% 2004-2007 and 20 % 2007-2010.
Supervision of PhD students and Postdocs
Supervisor in thirteen completed PhD theses; principal supervisor in five. Principal supervisor for two ongoing PhD projects and co-supervisor of six ongoing PhD projects. I have mentored twelve post-docs and is currently the mentor of five post docs.
Visiting fellowships
2019-2025 Honorary Professor in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health at Deakin University
Major grants as PI in the last five years (selected)
• Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare (Forte): A digital, co-designed and multilingual intervention to prevent gestational diabetes (Di-Prev): a randomised controlled trial, 4.9 million SEK, 2025-2027
• Swedish Research Council (VR): Towards inclusive and precision treatment of gestational diabetes and improved maternal and offspring health with a digital platform, 5.6 million SEK, 2025-2028
• The Kamprad Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Research and Charity, Promoting positive
mental health during pregnancy with a digital tool (HealthyMoms4MentalHealth-app): Effectiveness and implementation in maternity health care, 4.9 million SEK, 2023-2025.
• Forte: mHealth Multiple Lifestyle Behaviors- interventions through mobile phones delivered by health care to promote healthy lifestyle across the lifespan 29.8 million SEK, 2019-2024
Other selected merits
-Research group leader since 2011 (currently 25 members)
-Appointed coordinator of the research Center for Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-
-Co-coordinator of the eHealth core facility at Karolinska Institutet, 2022-
– 211 peer-reviewed articles (179 original articles, 18 reviews, 14 study protocols).
-Appointed member of ”the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, Committee for Nutrition and food sciences”, 2019- (Appointed vice chair from 1st January 2025)
-Appointed member of Recruitment Committee, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2026
-Chair of the local organizing committee for the annual ISBNPA meeting in Uppsala June 2023
-External reviewer of doctoral theses in e.g., University of Granada, Spain (2018), and Flinders University, Adelaide, Australien (2020), and positions (e.g., professor at the University of Agder, Norge 2023, and Senior Researcher Associate, University of Cambridge 2024).
-Leader of SUNRISE Sweden for the SUNRISE study (https://sunrise-study.com/, PI Prof Anthony Okely) where movement behaviours and health are assessed in preschool aged children (64 countries involved)
-Report Card leader for Sweden for the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance network with data compilation on physical activity in children and adolescents (>50 countries) (www.activehealthykids.org)
Eliana Cristina Veiga Carraça
Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário de Lisboa, Faculdade de Educação Física e Desporto, Portugal
Since I “know” myself as a person, I am truly passionate about the human body, how it works, thinks, and specially how it behaves. As a researcher, I have dedicated my life to the study of healthy lifestyles and how to effectively promote them. I have been particularly interested in exploring the exercise-eating cross-behaviour regulation and its underlying mechanisms. ISBNPA gathers the top researchers in the field of behavioural nutrition and physical activity, it is the “must-go-to” scientific society, plentiful of innovative research, daring ideas, networking. Since my first ISBNPA’s annual meeting (2007), I have been watching this society grow in a consistent way, always with good-hearted principles. I truly identify with its values and strategic priorities. I am a member of the DareToShare Committee and recently integrated the CPM SIG Communications’ Officer. I believe that is time to contribute even further to ISBNPA’s continuous growth. I have integrated the DareToShare Committee since its creation and recently became member of the Communication’s Officer of the CPM SIG. I have published a few articles with innovative research in IJBNPA and have presented new research in eight ISBNPA’s annual meetings.
CV
Eliana V. Carraça (ORCID: 0000-0002-5789-811X) is an Assistant Professor at Faculdade de Educação Física e Desporto, Universidade Lusófona, Lisboa, Portugal, and a senior researcher at CIDEFES. She is a clinical exercise physiologist, with a PhD in Exercise and Health. Her research revolves around the field of motivational, self-regulatory and behavioural predictors of physical activity, eating behaviour and weight management. She explores the mediating role of motivational dynamics (based on self-determination theory) and potential interactions with other psychological and non-psychological factors that might contribute to physical activity/exercise function as a gateway behaviour for healthy eating. Additionally, she has been involved in the design of health behaviour change interventions applying self-determination theory (in overweight/obese women, recreational runners, and now on breast cancer survivors). She has published 60 international peer-reviewed articles (h-index Scopus 23; 4625 citations). She is currently the principal investigator of PAC-WOMAN (PTDC/SAU-DES/2865/2020), a Portuguese project that is testing two physical activity behaviour change interventions for post-menopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors. She is also the co-responsible investigator in a survey-based research project on beliefs, motivations and practices related to health behaviours in cancer rehabilitation: Clinicians and patients’ perspectives. In the past, she has integrated the EASO (European Association for the Study of Obesity) Physical Activity Working Group, which drafted the first EASO recommendations for physical activity in adults with overweight or obesity, in collaboration with several leading researchers in the field of Obesity. She is also a member of the Dare2Share Committee of the ISBNPA and recently integrated the CPM SIG Communications Officer.
Carol Maher
University of South Australia, Australia
My commitment to ISBNPA stems from a deep belief in the power of our research community to drive positive change in behavioral nutrition and physical activity. During my current term as Member at Large (2022-2025), I’ve had the privilege of leading initiatives that strengthen our society’s foundation – from heading the membership committee that coordinates our vital ECR and MCR networks (NESI, CBN) and recognition programs (Awards and Pioneer programs), to co-leading ISBNPA’s Inclusive Cultures Initiative, which has dramatically expanded our representation across Africa through strategic ambassador programs.
As an established researcher with around 250 publications and $15M USD in research funding, I understand both the challenges and opportunities facing our field. This perspective, combined with my active role as a mentor in ISBNPA’s mentoring program, allows me to effectively support researchers at all career stages. In addition, I’ve been involved with ISBNPA e- & m-health Special Interest Group over nearly a decade (currently as a fellow, having previously serves as co-chair and chair roles), I’ve fostered international collaborations that have resulted in funded research visits, six collaborative publications, and a journal award.
My approach to Executive Committee service emphasizes active listening and engagement, always focusing on making ISBNPA more adaptive and responsive to member needs. Under my leadership, we’ve enhanced the society’s global reach while maintaining strong support for individual researchers through our conference activities and year-round engagement programs that celebrate member achievements.
Looking ahead, I see exciting opportunities for ISBNPA to lead in addressing critical challenges in our field. These include advancing research impact through stronger implementation pathways, embracing emerging technologies while ensuring equity, and supporting researchers in addressing complex global challenges like climate change and health disparities. If re-elected, I remain open to serving wherever ISBNPA needs me most, whether continuing my current initiatives or taking on new challenges.
I believe ISBNPA’s strength lies in its vibrant community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Through continued service on the Executive Committee, I aim to further strengthen this community, ensuring we provide the support, connections, and opportunities our members need to advance behavioral nutrition and physical activity research globally.
CV
PERSONAL DETAILS
Full name: Carol Ann Maher Title: Prof
Current position: Professor of Population and Digital Health
Organisation: University of South Australia
Email: [email protected]
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-0224
QUALIFICATIONS
2008 PhD. “”Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and quality of life in adolescents with cerebral palsy””. University of South Australia, Australia
2000 Bachelor of Physiotherapy with First Class Honours, University of South Australia
PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
MRFF Investigator Grant Emerging Leader 2 (2021-2025)
NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (2017-2020)
National Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2017)
Australian Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2011-2014)
International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Member of the Executive Committee (2022-present)
• Member of the e- & mHealth SIG (2016-present)
Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA)
• Director (2023-present)
• Deputy Director (2020-2023)
Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation
• Board of Directors (2021-present)
BMC Public Health
• Section Editor (2016-present)
Frontiers in Digital Health
• Chief Speciality Editor (2022-present)
PUBLICATIONS
Prof Maher has published >240 peer-reviewed publications since 2005. She has >18,000 career citations (Google Scholar, August 2024) and an h-index of 71.
Full list of publications can be found on ORCiD profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8676-0224
FUNDING
Prof Maher has been awarded >$26 million AUD in research funding as a chief investigator. This includes:
Research fellowships
• MRFF Emerging Leader 2 Investigator Grant (2021-2025). $1,118,593.
• NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (2017-2020). $425,048.
• National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship (2014-2017). $120,000.
• Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA; 2011-2014). $375,000.
AWARDS
Prof Maher has received >40 awards, including:
2024 Social Sciences and Humanities Leader Award for 2023 from Research.com
2020, 2021 & 2022 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher – awarded to 0.1% of world researchers
2021 UniSA Senior Researcher of the Year
2020 Fulbright Senior Scholar Award
2017 Women’s Excellence in Research Award – Healthy Development Adelaide
2013 South Australian Tall Poppy of the Year
SUPERVISION AND MENTORING
Prof Maher currently supervises seven postdoctoral research fellows, 6 PhD students, 1 MRes student and 2 Honours students, and mentors 15 ECRs. She has supervised 8 PhDs, 3 Masters, and >20 Honours students to completion.
ENGAGEMENT
Prof Maher co-wrote a 2023 WHO policy brief. She has undertaken over 100 media interviews about her research (BBC – Michael Mosely podcast, CNN, Time, Wall St Journal, Radio National, Triple J, 2GB, Today Show, Ch 7, 9 and 10 and ABC News 24, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age (front-page headline story 3/7/13), The Australian).
