Accredited Practising Dietitian and PhD student Janice Sangster has been awarded the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA)/Unilever Australasia Postgraduate Research Scholarship for her work on weight loss, physical activity and heart disease.

Janice will carry out a lifestyle program to encourage people with heart disease to be a healthy weight and take part in regular physical activity. She hopes her research will help dietitians find better ways to treat and manage cardiovascular disease, particularly in rural areas.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in Australia, responsible for 34 per cent of all deaths1. And a healthy weight and keeping active are key to optimal heart health.

'Having this scholarship is a life-line. I can now meet regularly with my research advisors in Sydney and access training and conferences that will enhance my research. For me this means conducting research in rural areas is no longer an isolating experience,' said Ms Sangster.

Unilever Australasia Nutrition Manager, Megan Cobcroft said: 'Unilever is pleased to support this scholarship that aims to assist Accredited Practising Dietitians undertake practice-based research in the areas of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.'

Janice is enrolled for her PhD at the University of NSW in Sydney, but lives and works in Wagga Wagga in regional NSW. Unilever Australasia will generously provide Janice with $10,000 per annum for the four years of the scholarship.

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3303.0 Causes of Death Australia 2007. Available here.

Source
The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA)