Hattie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a passion for medical nutrition therapy. She marvels in how slight changes in dietary habits and food choices can have big impacts on the health outcomes of individuals with nutrition-related diseases or conditions. Hattie teaches medical nutrition therapy, nutrition communication and nutrition and dietetic skills to dietetic students. She is passionate about developing students’ ability to apply their knowledge and evolve their dietetic skills through innovative teaching and learning methods such as simulation and online serious games. Her clinical research interest lies in the field of malnutrition (both over and under-nutrition) and how it relates to health outcomes of individuals, as well as the role of lifestyle behaviour in the management of chronic disease. Her scholarly research interest lies in learning approaches that fosters dietetic skills development.
Current research projects include:
- Clinical reasoning skills and self-confidence in the nutrition care process of dietetic students
- Renal function, cardiovascular health and the Mediterranean diet in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients
- Adherence to low sodium diet of CKD patients
- Malnutrition risk of Australian adults with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Health literacy, nutrition knowledge and wellbeing in caregivers of patients with CKD
Current research grants
| Project Name | Diet and Chronic Kidney disease |
|---|---|
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Investigator/s |
Dr H Wright, Dr E Swanepoel, Dr N Gray, Ms H Kickbusch |
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Funding body |
SCHHS Wishlist Research grant, AS $5825 |
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Year(s) of operation |
November 2018 – November 2020 |
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Focus statement |
As principal investigator, I work with Dr Nicholas Gray, Nephrologist at SCUH on this project. Funding is managed through USC. |
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Project Name |
Game-based learning: an authentic approach to enhance clinical reasoning skills in student dietitians |
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Investigator/s |
Dr H Wright, U Terton, K Starks, T Ashford, J Tweedie, G Smyth |
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Funding body |
C-SALT Enhancement grant USC, AS$ 19 955 |
|
Year(s) of operation |
15 Feb 2016 – 13 August 2018 |
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Focus statement |
An online simulation was developed for dietetic students to orientate them to the hospital setting as well as improve clinical reasoning skills in the nutrition care process. |
Research areas
- Malnutrition (under and over-nutrition) and health-related outcomes in chronic disease prevention
- Innovative teaching and learning approaches to improve dietetic student skill development
Teaching areas
- Medical Nutrition Therapy
- Sport Nutrition, guest lecturer
- Nutrition and Dietetic skills
Dr Hattie Wright's specialist areas of knowledge include sport nutrition and exercise for health, focusing on energy status and how it relates to bone health and reproductive function among active individuals, as well as the role of lifestyle risk factors on body composition and physical ability in the elderly.