Ms Anita Stefoska-Needham
Associate Professor
PhD. University of Wollongong, Australia, 2016.
Thesis: 鈥淚nvestigating the potential of whole grain sorghum as an ingredient in foods to assist in the prevention of chronic disease鈥.
MSc. (Nutrition and Dietetics) University of Wollongong, Australia, 1999.
Thesis: 鈥淓fficacy of Oral Nutritional Supplements in Hospital Inpatients鈥.
BSc. (Biology and Nutrition) University of Wollongong, Australia, 1996.
Medicine & Health
School of Health Sciences
I am a PhD-qualified Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian (AdvAPD) with over 25 years of experience spanning academia, clinical dietetics, and industry. At 黑料网大事记, I am the Associate Professor Interdisciplinary Education听for the School of Health Sciences, where I lead the design and delivery of HLTH3001 and HLTH5000, integrating innovative teaching practices with a strong focus on career development and interprofessional collaboration. My teaching philosophy centers on fostering critically reflective learning environments that empower students and prepare them for the dynamic landscape of health professions.
Beyond academia, my extensive contributions to allied health sectors and industry have shaped my broad knowledge of different health professions and the contemporary health workforce. I have been involved in the design and launch of allied health services, such as the early intervention eating disorder service for Headspace Illawarra and nutrition/exercise physiology services in residential aged care facilities. As a consultant to Research Development Centres and private equity firms, I have led industry-focused projects translating research into practice and commercial opportunities. My leadership roles within professional organisations, such as the Nutrition Society of Australia and Dietitians Australia, further exemplify my dedication to advocating for and shaping the future of health professions.
In my previous appointment as the Academic Program Director Nutrition Science at the University of Wollongong, I was recognised for my design-led thinking approaches and ability to build impactful multidisciplinary teams, fostering equity, inclusivity, and collaborative decision-making towards mutual goals. My professional journey is underpinned by reflective practice, lifelong learning, and a deep commitment to mentoring students, new graduates, and colleagues, while also continually seeking mentorship for my own growth.
E-mail
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
听SUCCESSFUL GRANTS听
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UOW MIHS Start-Up Grant, 2024 |
Stefoska-Needham, A. (CI) Employing a Delphi process to establish consensus on scope-of-practice in nutrition science in Australia |
$20,000 |
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UOW Health Innovations Grant, 2024 |
Stefoska-Needham, A. (CI) International Partnership Building in Europe. |
$3,000 |
|
UOW Global Challenges, 2024. |
Kiridena, S (CI), , Bandaranayake, N, Zhou, S, Stefoska-Needham, A, , Brennan-Horley, C, Pickles, S. Developing circular economy-aligned scalable supply chains for local agri-food systems 听 |
$10,000 |
|
UOW RITA grant, 2022. |
Lambert, K (CI), Charlton, K, Bowles, Jiang, Hassan, Stanford ,J, Stefoska-Needham, A. Exploring the impact of plant-based eating for people with kidney disease: saving the planet and improving human health? |
$42,834 |
|
UOW SMAH Advancement Grant, 2020. |
Stefoska-Needham, A (CI), Charlton K. SYMBIOTiC Study 鈥 SYMptom, microBIOme and dieT in Chronic Kidney Disease |
$16,000 |
|
UOW HIRC Grant, 2020. |
Stefoska-Needham, A. (CI) SYMBIOTiC Study 鈥 SYMptom, microBIOme and dieT in Chronic Kidney Disease |
$10,000 |
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听SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, COMMENDATIONS
听Scholarships -
- Australian Postgraduate Industry-Sponsored Award (Sanitarium Health), 2012-2016;
- King and Amy O鈥橫alley Scholarship, 2014-2016.
听Awards -
- Health Impacts Research Cluster, UOW 鈥 EMCR Publication Prize, 2020;
- Young Researcher Award (Best Scientific Poster) at the Dietary Fiber Conference, Paris, 2015;
- GRDC travel grant to support attendance at AACCI Conference, Rhode Island, 2014;
- AACCI student award to support attendance at AACCI Conference, Rhode Island, 2014;
- GRDC travel grant to support attendance at ICC Conference, Freemantle, 2013.
听Commendations - Examiner commendation for excellent thesis, UOW, 2016.
My research activities are clustered around five distinct areas:
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Food for Human Health: Investigating the effects and adoption of different foods in daily diets, notably sorghum and wholegrain consumption.
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Best Practice in Clinical Dietetics: Generating evidence to support guidance across various clinical areas (colorectal surgery, eating disorders, osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease, gut microbiome, and more) and exploring gamification for healthy lifestyle behaviours.
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Student and Graduate Experiences: Focusing on curriculum, course design, career readiness, employment opportunities for nutrition science students, workforce issues for male dietitians, and eating disorder training and education for dietitians.
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Service/Systems Design: Including renal services in the Illawarra region, digital nutrition education resources for people living with Multiple Sclerosis and their healthcare practitioners, and nutrition/food provision services for vulnerable Australians.
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Food Systems-Related Research: Understanding the current state of urban agriculture in Australia.
These projects have employed a breadth of study designs and methods of analysis, from clinical dietary trials and systematic reviews to surveys, qualitative studies, design-thinking, persona development,听reflexive thematic analysis and social network analysis, and have involved supervision of over 60 Honours, Masters, and PhD students.
My Research Supervision
Primary Supervision
2025 UOW Honours and Masters dietetics students - all 6 due for completion in November 2025.听
Co-Supervision - PhD Students听
S. Allogmanny, Supporting nutrition care in clinical practice: Co-development of evidence-based digital educational resources for multiple sclerosis.
S. Pickles, Developing a sustainable, healthy and equitable food system in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region of NSW.
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