Shaye Ludlow is a Senior Clinical Dietitian from John Hunter Hospital in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD). She graduated from the Queensland University of Technology in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Health Science (Nutrition and Dietetics). Shaye has over 20 years’ experience in acute care, working across disciplines including gastroenterology, hepatology, eating disorders, nephrology, respiratory, and supportive care. Shaye is an early career researcher and affiliate of the Hunter Medical Research Institute, with a current focus on innovations surrounding nutrition and supportive care for people with advanced liver disease.
Katherine Farragher is a Dietitian currently working in both clinical and research areas of dietetics and population health with Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) in NSW Australia. She graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2023 with a bachelor's in Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons – Class I). Since graduating, Katherine has worked within acute clinical and community aged care settings and is a member of Dietitians Australia. She has worked with Hunter New England Population Health in a variety of roles since 2020, including Public Health Dietitian, Project Officer, and Computer-Assisted Telephone interviewer. While being new to research, Katherine is dedicated to further developing her experience and knowledge and is passionate about contributing to the evidence base to better improve clinical care practices and health outcomes for those receiving dietetic care.
Kelly Squires is a Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle and an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. Kelly has a strong clinical background, having worked in acute and non-acute settings for over 15 years. She also has a passion for student education. Kelly predominately works with dietetic students in years three and four of the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honors) program. She has a keen interest in preparing students for placement, mainly focusing on supporting their learning as they transition into their final year of the program, which is predominately placement-based. This led to her PhD, where she explored placement-based simulation to understand how best to support student learning for professional practice.
Dr. Susan Heaney is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Team Lead at the University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health. Susan was awarded her PhD for research focusing on nutrition risk in athletes, in particular the validation of a screening instrument and assessment of nutrition knowledge in athletes in 2012, while also working clinically as a dietitian. She is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and has expertise in renal dietetics after working in renal supportive care before moving into a full-time academic role. Her research focuses on rural health and clinical dietetics, and she also has a focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Jessica Orman is a Senior Dietitian with the Supportive Care for Chronic Disease Department in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD). She graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2007 with a bachelor's in Nutrition and Dietetics, and in 2014 with a postgraduate certificate of Business Administration. Jessica is currently enrolled in a master's program for Palliative Care at Flinders University. Jessica has worked extensively across HNELHD since 2008 in a range of acute, community, and outpatient roles. Since 2019, Jessica has further developed her clinical skills in aged care, and within supportive, palliative, and end-of-life care. Jessica is new to research; however, is dedicated to contributing to the evidence base and advocating for the role of nutrition and dietetics in managing advanced chronic health conditions.
Sarah Pullen is a Health Service Manager with Supportive Care for Chronic Disease in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) of NSW Australia. She graduated from the University of Sydney, NSW Australia in 2005 with a bachelor's in Nursing and Bachelor of Arts (Aboriginal Studies and Anthropology). Sarah completed her Master of Nursing program (Advanced Practice) in 2013 at the University of Newcastle, NSW Australia. She is a Senior Registered Nurse with over twenty years’ experience in both acute and community-based health services, with special interests in advanced chronic disease, health education, and palliative care. Sarah is an early career researcher, working in clinical trials and translational research since 2019, and was awarded the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards Quality Initiative Award in Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety in 2022. She currently manages a district-wide supportive care for chronic disease eight-member interdisciplinary team that provides comprehensive care for patients and their caregivers living with advanced chronic disease in the last two years of life.
Dr Wynne is a Clinical Endocrinologist at John Hunter Hospital and holds a Conjoint Associate Professor appointment at University of Newcastle. She is the current Chair (Practitioner) of the Hunter Medical Research Institute ‘Equity in Health and Wellbeing’ program and the Program Convenor of the Joint Medical Program (University of Newcastle/University of New England). She completed her PhD as a Wellcome Trust Fellow and postdoctoral research as a NIHR Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London. She has research interests in chronic disease and metabolic health, antenatal endocrinology, and transgender medicine. She has published over 60 original articles in peer-reviewed international journals, one co-authored book, and eight book chapters, and has received over AUD 6 million in competitive research grants in her career to date. Her project implementing supportive care in chronic disease was awarded the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards Quality Initiative Award in Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety.
