Professor Caryl Nowson and Dr Sarah McNaughton win NSA awards

Deakin University’s Professor Caryl Nowson and Dr Sarah McNaughton have been awarded prestigious prizes by the Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA).

Professor Nowson, who holds the Chair in Nutrition and Ageing in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, was awarded the NSA Medal and Dr McNaughton received the NSA Research Award.

“It was very exciting to witness Caryl and Sarah being recognised by their peers for their research excellence,” said Professor David Crawford, head of the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences.

“These awards from the peak scientific body in nutrition in the country underscore the quality of the nutrition research currently being undertaken at Deakin.”

Professor Nowson, an award winning teacher as well as a researcher, said the excitement of being nominated for the award was as great as winning it.
 
“I had some inkling I was in the running for the medal,” Professor Nowson said.
 
“My colleagues here at Deakin had come to me and asked me if I would be happy to be nominated.
 
“I was more than happy, I was flattered that they would think that I was worthy of nomination.
 
“So the biggest feeling for me is the fact the people I work with here at Deakin would take the trouble, and it is a lot of trouble, of putting me forward.
 
“I guess I was also pleased to see how thrilled they were for me when I did win.
 
“We have a great spirit of collegiality in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and it is really wonderful to be part of it.
 
“I came to Deakin 11 years ago from Melbourne University, never expecting to stay that long, but I really value the environment here where nutrition research and teaching is regarded so highly.”

Professor Nowson’s research – which will be featured in the March edition of the newsletter - centres on nutrition related to hypertension and bone health.

One of her research interests focuses on vitamin D and dietary calcium in Australia and she is currently investigating ways to improve the nutritional status in elderly people through diet and exercise.

Dr McNaughton featured prominently in Deakin Research news last year when she won a National Heart Foundation of Australia Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for her program, Dietary patterns and diet quality in population health: developing the evidence-base for public health nutrition.

“It’s nice to receive this sort of recognition for my research, basically since my PhD, but specifically for the last four years,” Dr McNaughton said.
 
“The team in the Centre of Physical Activity and Nutrition Research is excellent to work with,” Dr McNaughton said. “There is a lot of support for early career researchers from some great mentors.”

Founded in 1975, the NSA is a group of qualified, practising scientists and educators from diverse disciplines who are brought together by a common interest in the research and application of nutrition.  

Members include nutritionists and dieticians, medical practitioners and nurses, agricultural scientists and veterinarians, food scientists, teachers and students. 

The NSA Medal is awarded to Australian nutrition scientists with an outstanding track record in the field of animal or human nutrition with the work carried out predominantly in Australia.

The Research Award is intended to encourage excellence in any area of nutrition consistent with the aims of the NSA and to provide assistance in the development of researchers in the early years of their careers.

For previous Deakin Research stories on the work of Dr Sarah McNaughton:
www.gsdm.com.au/newsletters/deakin/may09/1.html
www.gsdm.com.au/newsletters/deakin/May08/lollypop.html

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