Medical DevicesHeart Disease Researcher Wins Scholarship
Accredited Practising Dietitian and PhD student Janice Sangster has been awarded the Dietitians
Association of Australia (DAA)/Unilever Australasia Postgraduate Research Scholarship for her
work on weight loss, physical activity and heart disease.
Janice will carry out a lifestyle program to encourage people with heart disease to be a healthy
weight and take part in regular physical activity. She hopes her research will help dietitians find
better ways to treat and manage cardiovascular disease, particularly in rural areas.
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, cardiovascular disease is the number one
killer in Australia, responsible for 34 per cent of all deaths1. And a healthy weight and keeping
active are key to optimal heart health.
"Having this scholarship is a life-line. I can now meet regularly with my research advisors in
Sydney and access training and conferences that will enhance my research. For me this means
conducting research in rural areas is no longer an isolating experience," said Ms Sangster.
Unilever Australasia Nutrition Manager, Megan Cobcroft said: "Unilever is pleased to support this
scholarship that aims to assist Accredited Practising Dietitians undertake practice-based research
in the areas of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease."
Janice is enrolled for her PhD at the University of NSW in Sydney, but lives and works in Wagga
Wagga in regional NSW. Unilever Australasia will generously provide Janice with $10,000 per
annum for the four years of the scholarship.
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3303.0 Causes of Death Australia 2007. Available
here.
The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA)