Professor Crawford is an Alfred Deakin Professor and holds a Personal Chair. He is Head of the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and the Director of the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN). Professor Crawford’s research is concerned with obesity prevention.
Professor Crawford’s research is concerned with understanding the behavioural, social and environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity; epidemiology of overweight and obesity; and development and evaluation of obesity prevention strategies for children and adults.
Much of his research is concerned with children and their families, and with examining socio-economic differences in nutrition and physical activity. Professor Crawford’s research includes large scale population studies and intervention projects.
Awards and prizes
• 2009 Appointed as an Alfred Deakin Professor in recognition of sustained, high level contributions to research at Deakin University.
• 2007 Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education citation for outstanding contributions to student learning: ‘For longstanding commitment to independent and relevant learning through the effective training and mentoring of Higher Degree by Research students in nutrition and physical activity’.
• 2006 Victorian Department of Human Services Award for Innovation in Public Health Research, for the ‘VicLanes’ neighbourhood and health project (Kavanagh, Turrell, Crawford, Jolley).
• 2006 Department for Victorian Communities, Applied Research in Sport and Recreation Science Award for the ‘Switch-Play’ project (Salmon, Hume, Ball, Booth, Crawford).
Memberships
• International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Nutrition Society of Australia
• Australasian Epidemiological Association
Service to the University, discipline or community
Professor Crawford is involved in a wide range of Departmental, Faculty and University committees:
• Deputy Dean, Faculty of Health, Deakin University.
• Faculty Board (Health)
• Faculty Executive Group (Health)
• Executive Committee of the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN)
• 2007-2009 Deputy Chair and Acting Chair (2009), University Research and Research Training Committee, Deakin University.
Other professional activities
• 2011 President, International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
• 2010-2011 President-Elect, International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
• 2009-2011 Co-Chair, Local Organising Committee, 2011 International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference, Melbourne.
• 2007-2009 Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (IJBNPA).
• 2008-2009 Scientific Program Committee, 2009 Heart Foundation National Conference.
• 2008 Obesity Working Group, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing Preventative Health Taskforce.
• 2008 Advisory Group, Cancer Prevention Research Centre, University of Queensland.
• 2007 National Heart Foundation, Panel of Experts.
• 2006-2007 Co-Director, Australian Childhood and Adolescent Research Network (ACAORN).
• 2006-2011 Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Performance Evaluation Committee.
Conferences
Invited presentations
• Crawford D. (2011). Global Obesity Prevention Round Table. Invited Round Table Participant, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Abu Dhabi.
• Crawford D. (2010). ‘How important is the neighbourhood access and availability of foods in influencing intakes?’ (Invited presentation). Nutrition Society of Australia, Annual Scientific Meeting, Perth, Australia.
• Crawford D. (2010). ‘Environmental influences on obesity risk behaviours’ (Invited Plenary Speaker). Transdisciplinary Research on the Energetics and Cancer Meeting, supported by the NIH, Minneapolis, USA.
• Crawford D. (2010). ‘How important is the neighbourhood food environment in influencing fruit and vegetable intakes?’ EGEA Conference on Social and Health Benefits of a Balanced Diet, supported by the European Commission and the French Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Brussels.
• Crawford D. (2009). ‘Industry sponsoring of nutrition and physical activity research’ (Invited Keynote Debate). International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Lisbon, Portugal.
• Crawford D. (2007). ‘The influence of home and neighbourhood environments on physical activity in children and adolescents’. Satellite Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity - Promoting and sustaining physical activity: the interplay between environmental influences, motivational processes and physical activity, Bergen, Norway.
• Crawford D. (2004). ‘What do we know about the causes of the obesity epidemic?’ International Dairy Federation, World Dairy Summit, Melbourne.
• Crawford D. (2004). ‘Behavioural and environmental causes of the epidemic of childhood obesity’ (Invited Keynote Speaker). Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity, 13th Annual Scientific Meeting, Brisbane.
• Crawford D. (2004). ‘Slim chance in a fat world? Understanding contextual influences on obesity’ (Invited Keynote Lecture). International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Washington DC.
• Crawford D. (2004). ‘Facts and fallacies regarding the obesity epidemic.’ Nestle Australia Nutrition Seminar Series, Melbourne.
