Featured Speakers

Dr Evan Atlantis, Senior Research Fellow, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University

Dr Evan Atlantis is Senior Research Fellow at Western Sydney University, and Affiliate Senior Lecturer at The University of Adelaide. He is a research leader with over 12 years’ experience in mental health, chronic physical health conditions, and health promotion research based on large observational studies, randomised controlled trials, and systematic reviews. With over 50 publications in quality peer-reviewed journals (35 as first author including two monographs), he is ranked 36 among Australia’s top experts in depression (Expertscape.com, Jan 2017). Evan has been one of several Chief/Investigator recipients of NHMRC and NSW Government grant funding, totalling more than $4.1 million.

Professor Andrew P Hills DipT BEd PhD FASMF AEP, Professor of Sports and Exercise Science, University of Tasmania

Andrew is a prominent educator, exercise physiologist and international expert on physical activity and obesity. Until 2011, he was Professor of Energy Metabolism at QUT then Professor of Allied Health Research, Mater Research Institute – UQ. In 2016, he returned to the University of Tasmania as Director – Research Development, Faculty of Health. He has completed numerous projects with the World Health Organisation (WHO), International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He was the first non-medical President of the Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS). In addition to his broader contributions to the field of physical activity and health plus exercise and obesity, Andrew has a passion for work with mothers and young children. This includes the challenge of improving the health status of young women prior to conception and during pregnancy for better maternal and child health outcomes.

Doctor Evelyn Smith, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Western Sydney University

Dr Evelyn Smith is a Senior Lecturer in clinical psychology at the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Western Sydney University. She heads the new Eating Disorders and Obesity psychology research Clinic (EDOC) located in Penrith Campus. She works primarily with adults with eating disorders and obesity and has published widely in this area. She is currently the Chief Investigator of a randomised controlled trial funded by Ramaciotti Australia to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive remediation therapy for obesity, and Chief Investigator of a UWS Women’s Research Fellowship to investigate the efficacy of schema therapy for eating disorders. She is Associate Editor of the journal Clinical Obesity.

Dr Blair Bowden MBBS, FRACS, General Surgeon specialising in bariatric and general laparoscopic surgery

Associate Professor Kevin Brooks, Macquarie University

Dr Kim Hurst, Psychologist at Queensland Health

Professor Timothy Gill, University of Sydney, Professor of Public Health Nutrition & Research

A/Prof Matt Sabin, Director of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity;
The Royal Children’s Hospital

The Conference Program Committee would like to thank our 2016 Keynote Speakers

Professor Clare Collins, Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle Associate Professor Tim Crowe, Lecturer in Nutrition, Deakin University Associate Professor Andrew Holmes, School of Life and Environmental Science, and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney Professor Russell Keast, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University Professor Anna Peeters, School of Health and Social Development Deakin University Professor Tracey Wade, Dean, School of Psychology, Flinders University Associate Professor Warren Ward, Eating Disorder Service, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital; Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Queensland.