Faces of Science - Nutritionist

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Nutritionist

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Sydney.

In which area or areas of science do you work?	When did you first become interested in this career?	What education and training do you have to have for your job?	What are the tasks that you do in a typical day?
What skills do you use in your job?	What is the most exciting aspect of your job?	What do you enjoy most about your job?	What has been a highlight of your career?
Has your career given you an opportunity for travelling? If so, where?	What do you like least about your job?	What are some of the advantages of working in this field?	What are some of the disadvantages of working in this field?
How has your work contributed to science?	How has your work benefited society?	Where do you see yourself in five years time?	Find out more about vertebrate palaeontology and Stephen's work

In which area or areas of science do you work?

Nutrition

When did you first become interested in this career?

When I was a teenager, I was very interested in the subject of nutrition, but in my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd end up a Professor.

What education and training do you have to have for your job?

I did BSc (Food Technology), PhD. This took about 7 years. When I undertook a PhD, academia was a natural career choice. I moved through the ranks of lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, eventually to full professor.

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What are the tasks that you do in a typical day?

Email, reading new scientific papers, analysing data, writing papers, preparing presentations, lecturing, one on one conversations with colleagues and students.

What skills do you use in your job?

Critical thinking, scientific thinking, research skills (study design), statistics, human communication.

What is the most exciting aspect of your job?

Presenting papers at large international conferences

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What do you enjoy most about your job?

Almost total autonomy. Within limits I do as I please, when I please. I love to read the nutrition literature. I like the contact with students.

What has been a highlight of your career?

Winning a Clunies Ross Science and Technology Award.

Has your career given you an opportunity for travelling? If so, where?

Loads of travel all around the globe.

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What do you enjoy least about your job?

The constant pressure. The list of things on my 'to do' list is never ending.

What are some of the advantages to working in this field?

Intellectual stimulation, opportunity to indulge my passion for nutrition

What are some of the disadvantages to working in this field?

The lack of money available for research means that disappointment and rejection are common

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What are some alternative jobs that you would be qualified for?

Public Health Nutritionist in a government or non-government organisation.

How has your work contributed to science?

Some would say that I've simply contributed to debate and confusion about diet but I hope that one day the glycemic index of foods will be uniformly accepted as a useful tool for a whole host of reasons, from controlled diabetes to improving mental and physical performance.

How has your work benefited society?

At the very least, I think that I've persuaded some people to eat a healthy diet and made them less prone to disease

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I'll be 60 years old and wondering if it's time to retire or not. I think I'll be bored.

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Find out more about human nutrition

If you wish to ask Prof Brand-Miller for additional information, you can email UniServe Science and we will contact Prof Brand-Miller for you. Make sure you include Prof Brand-Miller's name and occupation in the Subject line.

You can find out more about the nutrition and Prof Brand-Miller's work from

Her profile - at The University of Sydney
Glycemic Index and GI Database web site at the University of Sydney
Jennie Brand-Miller: GI Jennie - from The Guardian, United Kingdom
Interview: Professor Jennie Brand-Miller - from Sunday Sunrise, Channel 7

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Last Update: Monday, 16-Nov-2009 14:10:26 EST
URL: http://science.uniserve.edu.au//faces/jenniebm/jennie.html