Rate My Professor Megan Whatnall

Dr. Megan Whatnall is a Casual Academic and Postdoctoral Researcher affiliated with the School of Health Sciences in the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle in 2019 and her Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours Class I) in 2015 from the same institution. As an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), she has built a robust career in nutrition research. Her professional journey includes serving as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition from October 2019 to December 2021, Casual Research Assistant in the School of Health Sciences from March 2016 to December 2019, and in the School of Medicine and Public Health from June 2017 to April 2018. Currently, she is also an affiliate researcher in the Food @ Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Research Program. Whatnall's primary research interests lie in public health nutrition, with 80% of her work dedicated to this area and 20% to other nutrition and dietetics topics. She investigates eating behaviours to optimize cardiovascular health and chronic disease prevention, develops e-health interventions for young adults, explores addictive eating, dietary assessment, and links between nutrition and mental health.

Throughout her career, Dr. Whatnall has garnered significant recognition for her contributions. Notable awards include the Dr Dave Roberts Memorial Award in Food and Nutritional Science (2020, University of Newcastle), Early Career Researcher Innovation Award (2019, Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition), Best Student Poster Award at the Nutrition Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting (2019), 2017 Best Publication in the Nutrition and Dietetics Theme (Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition), School of Medicine and Public Health Community Impact Award (2021), and School of Health Sciences Staff Award - Health and Safety Excellence (2018). She has also received the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (2016). Her scholarly output is extensive, with key publications such as the chapter "Food addiction, dietary patterns and obesity" by Burrows T, Whatnall M, Pursey K (2024); "Diet quality and cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies" (2024); "Happy Little Vegemites™! An analysis of the contribution of yeast extract spreads and tomato-based sauces to nutrient intake adequacy in Australia" (2023); "Do sauces, condiments and seasonings contribute important amounts of nutrients to Australian dietary intakes?" (2023); "Ultra-processed food intakes associated with 'food addiction' in young adults" (2022); and "Food Addiction: a Deep Dive into 'Loss of Control' and 'Craving'" (2022). Additionally, she acted as Guest Editor for the special issue "E-health: A Novel Approach for Dietary Interventions" in Nutrients. These works underscore her impact on advancing nutrition science and intervention strategies for improved public health.