Katherine Kent

Dr Katherine Kent is a lecturer in Public Health in the School of Health Sciences at Western Sydney University, having completed a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Wollongong and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tasmania. Katherine is also a current adjust researcher at the University of Tasmania.

Katherine investigates dietary patterns and food insecurity in rural and regional Australian populations. Of particular note, Katherine is a lead investigator on the food systems research arm of The Tasmania Project, which has documented the impact of COVID-19 and rising costs of living on diet and the prevalence of food insecurity in Australia. This research informed policies and supported program funding for a range of community-based solutions to food insecurity in Tasmania. Additionally, Katherine's research investigates dietary strategies to prevent and manage cognitive decline, with a particular focus on flavonoid-rich fruits. In one of the largest trials of its kind, Katherine demonstrated that regular consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice improved measures of memory and cognition in older adults with dementia.