Research in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
The Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences is home to research leaders in food, nutrition, dietetics, sport and exercise science, and sport management.
Our innovative and impactful research is helping to improve health, wellbeing, participation and performance across communities and the lifespan.
Research areas
We pride ourselves on our multidisciplinary approach to research, with expertise and collaborations across a range of research areas:
Our discipline uses food to promote health, manage nutrition-related health conditions and optimise performance. Our researchers specialise in metabolic health, dietary supplementation, novel functional foods, gastro-intestinal health, disease prevention and management, and sport and performance nutrition.
We work with leading industry and clinical partners to examine the impact of diet and nutrition health, wellbeing and performance of individuals and communities. We specialise in metabolic health, cancer, dietary supplementation, novel functional foods, gastrointestinal health, digital health, nutritional epidemiology, public health nutrition and precision, sport and occupational performance nutrition. We also undertake research on the profession including the scholarship of learning and teaching, employability and the development of future ready professionals.
Find out more about our discipline. Read our Research Capability Statement.
Our research optimises human performance and health, helping our communities, athletes and organisations to reach their potential. Our researchers collaborate with industry partners and engage end-users to maximise the impact of our findings. Our contribution is multidisciplinary and relevant across sport, physical activity, health, recreation, performance environments and demanding occupations such as defence.
Our research areas include exercise physiology, physical activity and health, sport performance data and technology, female athlete health and performance, training prescription and evaluation, injury prevention and recovery, skilled performance and decision-making, movement biomechanics, sport coaching, sport analytics, and performance in demanding occupations and environments.
Find out more about our discipline. Read our Research Capability Statement.
Graduate research
As a graduate researcher in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, you will join a supportive research environment. You’ll undertake a Higher Degree by Research under expert supervision, with opportunities to work on projects that improve health, wellbeing and performance.
You could contribute to research across communities, clinical settings, sporting environments and industry. Research opportunities may span sport and performance nutrition, metabolic health, functional foods, the microbiome, exercise prescription, injury prevention and recovery, human performance, sport technology and analytics, skilled performance, coaching, sleep, monitoring and recovery.
Many of our graduate researchers work closely with industry, clinical and community partners, including health services, sporting organisations, professional bodies and technology companies. These collaborations help ensure our research is applied, impactful and responsive to real-world needs.
To learn more about graduate research opportunities in the Department of Community and Clinical Health, or to discuss potential supervision and research areas, please contact the Director of Graduate Research in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, Dr Alicja Malicka.
Allied Health, Human Services and Sport research groups
Our staff play key roles in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport’s research groups.
This research group is committed to advancing knowledge in sport and nutrition science, with a focus on human performance. The group has impact in sport, physically demanding occupations, and health and wellbeing across the lifespan. It translates research findings into practice through close collaboration with industry, including national and international sporting organisations, sports technology companies, the Defence sector, professional bodies and clinical partners.
EMBEDDED ALLIED HEALTH RESEARCH NETWORK
La Trobe University has six embedded Allied Health academics who hold dual appointments with the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport and a health service.
These health services and their embedded academics include:
Alfred Health (Victoria): Associate Professor Julia Gilmartin-Thomas
Eastern Health (Victoria): Professor Nicholas Taylor and Professor Katherine Harding
Northern Health (Victoria): Associate Professor Adam Semciw
Melbourne Health (Victoria): Associate Professor Casey Peiris
These academics promote, support and undertake research that is co-produced by their health service and La Trobe University academics and students.
If you are interested in exploring opportunities for co-producing research with the above health services and would like to collaborate with clinicians and researchers at these sites, please contact the above staff via email.