Gina Trapp

Background

About Gina Trapp

Dr Gina Trapp is a Professor of Food and Nutrition Environments within the Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute at Edith Cown University where she leads the Food Environments Team (26 research staff/students). She is also a Stan Perron People Fellow (ECU), Honorary Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute and a Registered Public Health Nutritionist recognised by the Nutrition Society of Australia. Gina was a former ARC DECRA Fellow and NHMRC ECR Fellow at the University of Western Australia.Bridging the disciplines of nutrition, public health, geography and urban planning, Gina’s program of research is helping to understand how the environments within which children live, play and go to school influence the types of foods they eat, their physical activity levels and weight status; providing the key evidence necessary to underpin public health and urban planning policy and practice changes to create healthy food and physical activity environments. She currently leads five ARC, NHMRC, Healthway and Cancer Council WA-funded research projects focusing on understanding and measuring school, community, consumer and cultural food environments (including emerging food trends such as energy drink consumption in children) in collaboration with key stakeholders, health organisations, urban planners, local government and the community.At only 8 years post-PhD (relative to opportunity), Gina has 130+ publications (over half of which are published in the top 10% of journals in their field), has delivered 150+ conference/seminar presentations (50 as invited/keynote speaker) and has secured research funds totaling in excess of $19.2M. She has been the recipient of 38 research awards and prizes and in recognition of her commitment and outstanding contribution to research, was recently awarded The University of Western Australia’s, ‘Vice Chancellor’s Award for Early Career Research Excellence’, the Telethon Kids Institute’s, ‘Illuminate Award', V.O.T.E. Annual Award for Excellence' and 'Early-Mid Career Research Contribution Award’, and the Australian Health Promotion Association’s, ‘Excellence in Health Promotion Practice’. She was also formerly recognised by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science as ‘One of Western Australia’s Most Outstanding Young Scientists’, receiving the 2015, ‘Western Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award’ which recognises intellectual and scientific excellence.