Academics and researchers in the Human Nutrition Group.
Academic staff
A/Prof Jessica Biesiekierski
Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski is Head of the Human Nutrition Group at The University of Melbourne and a current Australian National Health & Medical Research Council Emerging Leadership Fellow. Her research spans the broad field of human health, focusing on how diet impacts gut health to improve overall wellbeing. With a particular expertise in gastrointestinal function, food sensitivities, and gut-brain interaction disorders, Jessica leads dietary trials within the Human Nutrition Clinical Lab, collaborating with global, multidisciplinary teams including industry and clinical partners to advance treatments for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Jessica’s work, aligned with the Human Nutrition Research Group’s mission, ranges from investigating nutrient-specific effects to designing whole-diet interventions. Her team develops sustainable, evidence-based nutrition interventions tailored to local contexts, and aim to build capacity
jessica.biesiekierski@unimelb.edu.au +61390356070
Dr Chiara Murgia
Dr Chiara Murgia is a Senior Lecturer in Human Nutrition in the Faculty of Science of the University of Melbourne and a molecular nutritionist. Her research interest spans from personalised and precision nutrition that incorporates genetics and phenotypic elements as modifiers of nutritional requirements to the mechanistic investigation of macronutrients’ biochemistry in health and disease, with a special interest in the role of zinc and riboflavin in the integrity of epithelial cells and the onset of chronic disease. Chiara is also involved in the development of cell phone based technology to improve dietary assessment methods.
chiara.murgia@unimelb.edu.au +61383443055
Dr Robyn Larsen
Dr Larsen (PhD, 2008; RMIT University) is a nutritional biochemist currently employed as a lecturer in Human Nutrition within the School of Agriculture and Food. She is a registered nutritionist and has more than 12 years’ experience working across a broad range of nutrition-related health research. This includes the manipulation of dietary glycaemic index/load, macronutrient composition, energy intake and energy balance, weight management, antioxidant supplementation and sugar sweetened beverage consumption. She has worked primarily on investigator-initiated studies covering a diverse range of trial designs (short-term controlled feeding trials, meal studies, double-blind nutritional supplementation trials, and short- and long-term dietary intervention trials). Her work has focused on a broad range of health outcomes (weight loss, glycaemic control, blood pressure, endothelial function, insulin resistance and acne) in various populations (individuals with or at-risk of type 2
robyn.larsen@unimelb.edu.au +61390356635
Dr Fiona Kelly
Dr Fiona Kelly is a Dietitian and Associate Lecturer in Human Nutrition in the Faculty of Science at The University of Melbourne, with over 20 years of teaching experience. Her research has included a number of dietary interventions investigating differing fatty acid composition of diets with a focus on thrombotic risk factors, and the glycaemic response to foods in individuals.
kelly.f@unimelb.edu.au
Ms Julia Steenkamp
Julia Steenkamp is a Dietitian and Lecturer in Human Nutrition, teaching across a range of nutrition subjects. Her key research interest is how microbes in food and food systems impact pesticide residues and health.
julia.steenkamp@unimelb.edu.au
Shirley Poon
Shirley Poon is an Associate Lecturer in the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences within the Faculty of Science. She is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and brings extensive experience from hospital, community, and research settings, where she has worked as a clinical dietitian. Her expertise includes clinical nutrition and dietary assessments, coordinating clinical trials, and managing research datasets of various trial designs, including cluster-randomised controlled trials. Her current research focuses on developing ‘real’ food alternatives to ultra-processed, dietary weight loss therapies such as very-low-energy diets, with the goal of improving long-term health outcomes through sustainable and evidence-based nutrition interventions.
shirley.poon@unimelb.edu.au +61383440519Researchers
Dr Madeline West
Dr Madeline West is passionate about the interplay between nutrition, gut disorders, and eating disorders. Her PhD research focused on the dietetic management of people with eating disorders and gut disorders. Currently, Madeline is Trial Coordinator for the Exclude vs Expose RCT. This study investigates dietary and cognitive behavioural therapy approaches to treating irritable bowel syndrome.
madeline.west.1@unimelb.edu.au
Ms Jacqui Anderson
Jacqui Anderson is a Graduate Researcher in the Human Nutrition Group at the University of Melbourne. She is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with over 15 years clinical practice experience across a broad range of clinical areas. The most recent including adult cystic fibrosis and lung transplant, neurological disorders and functional gastroenterology units. Her research experience has included work with King’s College London as an Honorary Research Associate in the Diet and Gastroenterology group, and she was a member of the Australian and New Zealand Cystic Fibrosis Nutrition Guideline Authorship Group. Most recently Jacqui completed a Research Master of Applied Science at La Trobe University exploring probiotic use in cystic fibrosis. She is currently completing her PhD at The University of Melbourne exploring diet and behavioural therapies in irritable bowel syndrome. Her key research interest is understanding the role between diet, gastrointestinal microbiome, and gut symptoms
jacqui.anderson@student.unimelb.edu.auMs Lucie d'Udekem d'Acoz
Lucie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Graduate Researcher with the Human Nutrition Group at the University of Melbourne. She brings clinical experience across diverse settings, including mental health, community health, and acute/subacute medical care. Lucie is currently undertaking a PhD focused on the role of diet in the management of Functional Dyspepsia. Her research interests centre on the complex interplay between diet, gut function, and disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI).
ldudekem@student.unimelb.edu.au
Ms Adriana Mannino
Adriana Mannino is a Registered Nutritionist, Certified Project Manager, and Clinical Service Planner within the Department of Health, with over a decade of experience in public health, hospital, and community health services. Her research has explored the intersection of nutrition and health outcomes. She has previously investigated the impact of ultra-processed foods on dietary inflammation in multiple sclerosis, the relationship between maternal weight status and childhood obesity, and the role of enteral nutrition in patients with advanced upper GI cancers. Adriana’s PhD project focuses on exploring the barriers and success factors of integrated care in the treatment of disorders of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI) using a realist methodology.
adriana.mannino@student.unimelb.edu.au
Mr Naufal Nurdin
Naufal Muharam Nurdin is a medical doctor and a Graduate Researcher in the Human Nutrition Group at the University of Melbourne. He is passionate about tackling obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus through functional foods, devices, and apps. His previous work includes studies on glycaemic index, clinical trials of functional foods for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, as well as developing screening tools for nutrition-related conditions. His research interest is to explore the impact of Indonesian fermented soybean (tempeh) on glycaemic regulation and the gut microbiome.
naufal.nurdin@student.unimelb.edu.au
Mr Jack Ryan
Jack Ryan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Research Assistant at the University of Melbourne. His work focuses on improving nutritional intake and health outcomes in older adults living in retirement villages, with a particular emphasis on increasing egg consumption. Jack brings experience in clinical dietetics, sports nutrition, and research into muscle and bone health, and is passionate about translating evidence into practical dietary strategies.
jack.ryan.1@unimelb.edu.au
Ms Dani Noon
Dani Noon is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Research Assistant at the University of Melbourne, working on the Exclude vs Expose randomised controlled trial, which investigates dietary and cognitive behavioural therapy approaches to treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). She is also a PhD Candidate at Swinburne University of Technology, where her research explores a novel low-histamine diet to target gut pain in IBS. Dani brings experience in clinical dietetics, gut health, and dietary intervention research, and is passionate about translating research into practical, patient-focused nutrition care.
dani.noon@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Isabel Martinez
Isabel Martinez is a nutrition scientist and registered dietitian with over 11 years of experience in clinical research, regulatory affairs, and product development across industry, academia, and research settings. Her research encompasses nutrition and exercise metabolism with expertise in digestive physiology, exercise gastroenterology, and muscle protein metabolism. She is committed to bridging research and practice, developing evidence-based strategies and products to optimise health and performance.
isabel.martinez@unimelb.edu.au
Jimmy Lee
Jimmy is a PhD candidate and Accredited Practising Dietitian in the University of Melbourne Human Nutrition Group. His research focuses on the effects of the low FODMAP diet and exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on the gut–brain axis in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with particular interests in the mechanisms underlying treatment response and participant lived experiences. He has experience in dietary assessment, clinical trial coordination and research communication in gastrointestinal nutrition. Jimmy is passionate about translating scientific evidence into practical strategies that improve treatment choice, patient outcomes and quality of life.
Dr Linda Rezmann
Dr Linda Rezmann is a biomedical scientist and clinical researcher with over 15 years of experience in medical research, clinical trials and regulatory affairs. Her work has encompassed research coordination, healthcare initiatives, and regulatory compliance across hospital, academic, and industry environments, with a strong focus on improving patient outcomes and supporting scientific advancement.