EDIT Initiatives

Dr Natalie Lister is Co-lead of the EDIT Initiatives research group. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, Australia. Natalie has a background as a clinical dietitian and her research is practice-led, investigating interventions that will prevent and manage obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular risk and mental health concerns in children and adolescents. Her current research investigates the safety and efficacy of behavioural interventions for obesity.

Dr Hiba Jebeile is Co-lead of the EDIT Initiatives research group. She is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the University of Sydney, Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School and an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Her research investigates the association between obesity treatment and mental health with a focus on eating disorders and depression. She is exploring how to screen and monitor for change in eating disorders risk during obesity treatment interventions and the feasibility of mental health screening within adolescent weight management services.

Ruth Tredinnick is the Research Administration Officer of the EDIT Collaboration. She has 10 years administration experience in Higher Education, within Engineering and IT, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise Learning. Ruth provides administrative support to the EDIT Study Team and triallists.

Isabelle Jardine is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and a Project Officer for the EDIT Collaboration at the University of Sydney. She holds a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) from the University of Wollongong. Isabelle is passionate about mental health, with particular focus on eating disorders in weight-related therapies. Her work is driven by a commitment to advancing knowledge in this field, which she also brings to her role as a private practice dietitian.

Sasha Lorien is a Project Officer for the EDIT Collaboration at the University of Sydney. She has completed a Bachelor of Science (Physiology), Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours), and Master of Public Health. She has experience in the implementation and evaluation of chronic disease prevention programs, including child and adolescent health promotion services and research trials.

Professor Louise Baur holds the Chair of Child and Adolescent Health at the University of Sydney and is a senior paediatrician in Weight Management Services at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. She is Past-President of the World Obesity Federation (2022-2024) and is President of the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences (2023-2026). She has long-standing research and practice interests in the clinical treatment of children and adolescents with obesity and insulin resistance, and in the prevention of obesity, especially in early childhood.

Sarah Garnett is an A/Professor, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney. She has extensive expertise in obesity research including designing, implementing and leading multi-disciplinary and multi-site epidemiological studies and clinical trials. She is the past Chair of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Human Research Ethics Committee.

Eve (she/her) is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. She completed a Bachelor of Science (majoring in psychology) and Master of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Sydney. Eve has experience in delivering behavioural weight management interventions for adolescents, she is particularly interested in understanding and improving the identification of eating disorders in people with higher weight.

Hannah (she/her) is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. Prior to her Master of Nutrition and Dietetics, she completed a Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of New South Wales, and a Bachelor of Business at Bond University. Hannah had worked clinically in private practice in weight management, eating disorders and cardiovascular health, as well as in outpatient heart failure. Her PhD focusses on understanding the prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating in obesity treatment settings.

Rabia Khalid is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. Her background as a primary healthcare dietitian and researcher in chronic kidney disease has fuelled her interest in supporting people with obesity and disordered eating. Her PhD research explores treatment features that are both effective and aligned with the preferences of people seeking weight management support.

Cathy Kwok is a clinical psychologist and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. She has worked clinically in a variety of settings, including clinical research trials, an inpatient eating disorder service, outpatient mental health, and private practice. Cathy is passionate about broader mental health and wellbeing in children and adolescents. Her PhD work aims to develop a core outcome set for prioritisation of psychosocial health outcomes in interventions for adolescents living with obesity.

Selena Courtness is a Behavioural Scientist and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney under the lead supervision of Dr Natalie Lister. Drawing on academic training with degrees in Social Science and Psychology, along with experience as a parent, her research integrates personal and scholarly insights into the complex intersection of family support, eating disorders and obesity. Selena is committed to advancing treatment, prevention, and improving quality of life for individuals affected by obesity and eating disorders.