Biography
I completed a BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Saskatchewan and a research-based MSc in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. My MSc research investigated the health benefits of flaxseed and sesame seed in post-menopausal women. I then undertook a dietetic internship at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, and qualified as a Registered Dietitian in 2003. I moved to the UK in 2004, working as a clinical dietitian in the NHS, and a research dietitian at the University of Bristol, where I was involved in a large RCT investigating an intensive diet and exercise intervention in people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in primary care. My clinical areas of interest include obesity, bariatric surgery, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In 2016, I completed an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship investigating the patient's perspective of obesity surgery, including the development of a core outcome set, and ways to improve follow-up care in the NHS. I used both qualitative and quantitative research methods to undertake my PhD research. Following post-doctoral work in the CONDUCT-II Hub, I am now undertaking a HEE/NIHR Clinical Lectureship where my research is focusing on investigating barriers to accessing specialist obesity care for people with severe and complex obesity. I also currently undertake clinical work within the obesity and bariatric surgery team at North Bristol NHS Trust.
