Sinead Boylan

I started my career journey with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Ulster and a PhD in nutritional epidemiology from the University of Leeds. Since then, I have worked as a nutritional epidemiologist, studying dietary patterns and health outcomes across the globe including the UK, Siberia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Brunei Darussalam, Australia and Tanzania. Some of my findings from these studies have influenced policy in these countries. For example, the findings of my PhD were translated into guidelines for pregnant women at a national level in UK and findings from Brunei led to increasing the length of maternity leave due to a positive relationship with breastfeeding prevalence.

I wanted to do more policy-relevant research and so I started to conduct reviews and evaluations to support programs and policies implemented by the NSW Ministry of Health. This experience along with my co-ordination and lecturing on population health and development as part of the Masters of Public Health, ignited my interest in trans-disciplinary research. My passion for this type of research at the intersection of food systems, health and the environment is reflected in my current roles at The University of Sydney: Executive Officer for the Climate Change, Human Health and Social Impacts Node at The University of Sydney; supporting The University of Sydney Planetary Health Platform; and helping drive forward the Food and Nutrition Systems program of research at The University of Sydney.

My research aims to identify concrete strategies to promote a healthy and sustainable diet. I strive for equitable, healthy food access for all. I am also interested in arts-based knowledge translation to share information on strategies that work.