Dr Gina Trapp is a ARC DECRA Fellow at the UWA Centre for Child Health Research. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute where she is Head of Food and Nutrition Research. She has a PhD in Public Health from UWA and is a Registered Public Health Nutritionist recognised by the Nutrition Society of Australia.

At only 4 years post-PhD, Gina has 92 publications (over half of which are published in the top 10% of journals in their field), has delivered 116 conference/seminar presentations (35 as invited/keynote speaker) and has secured research funds totalling in excess of $6.91M (over $2M as CIA). She has been the recipient of 35 research awards and prizes and in recognition of her commitment and outstanding contribution to research, was recently awarded The University of Western Australia’s, ‘Vice Chancellor’s Award for Early Career Research Excellence’, the Telethon Kids Institute’s, ‘Early-Mid Career Research Contribution Award’, and the Australian Health Promotion Association’s, ‘Excellence in Health Promotion Practice’.

She was also formerly recognised by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science as ‘One of Western Australia’s Most Outstanding Young Scientists’, receiving the 2015, ‘Western Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award’ which recognises intellectual and scientific excellence.

Bridging the disciplines of nutrition, public health, geography and urban planning, Gina’s program of research is helping to understand how the environments within which children live, play and go to school influence the types of foods they eat; providing the key evidence necessary to underpin public health and urban planning policy and practice changes to create healthy food environments.

She currently leads four ARC, Cancer Council WA/Healthway, WA Department of Transport and WA Health Department-funded research projects focussing on understanding and measuring school, community, consumer and cultural food environments (including emerging food trends such as energy drink consumption in children) in collaboration with key stakeholders, health organisations, urban planners, local government and the community.