Dr Libby Swanepoel is a Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, and Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Nutrition. Libby’s research sees her working across food systems for global development. Her primary interests include food security, community capacity building and gender development with a particular focus on women and families. Libby currently has projects across the Indo-Pacific region, including Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands. Libby is a skilled qualitative researcher with expertise in socio-economic evaluation.
Libby coordinates and teaches several courses in both the Bachelor of Nutrition and the Bachelor of Dietetics. She is passionate about inspiring students to take an upstream approach to their future practice, and seeks to enhance the student learning experience through the use of technology, curriculum design and the integration of innovative teaching techniques and blended learning strategies.
Awards
- Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) John Dillon Fellow 2018
- Runner-up USC Research Showcase Minute-To-Win-It Competition 2018
Potential research projects for HDR and Honours students
- Food security and global development
- Determinants of health and dietary practices
- Maternal, infant and childhood nutrition
- Capacity building to enhance food supply and food choice of populations
Research grants
|
Project name |
Investigators |
Funding body |
Years of operation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Improving nutrition through women’s and men’s engagement in the seaweed food chain in Kiribati and Samoa |
Dr L Swanepoel, N Paul, S Larson, B Pamphilon |
ACIAR $250,000 |
2020-2021 |
|
Empowering women in Kiribati through seaweed utilisation |
Dr E Swanepoel and A/Prof Nick Paul |
USC Faculty Early Career Research Grant, $4000 |
2018-2019 |
|
Diet and chronic kidney disease |
Dr HH Wright, Dr E Swanepoel, Dr N Gray, Ms H Kickbusch |
SCHHS Wishlist Research grant, $5825 |
November 2018 – November 2020 |
Research areas
- Food security and gender development in the Asia-Pacific Region
- Capacity building in public health nutrition practice
- Determinants of health and dietary practices
- Nutrition during pregnancy, infancy and childhood
- Qualitative methodologies in research
Teaching areas
- Public Health Nutrition & Advanced Public Health Nutrition
- Project Management for Nutrition Practice
- Complementary Approaches to Food and Nutrition
- Qualitative Research
Program coordinator
Libby's specialist areas of knowledge include medical nutrition therapy, food in society, nutrition management of individuals, nutrition and dietetic practice management