Professor Ball holds a Personal Chair and is a Senior Research Fellow in the area of physical activity, nutrition and obesity in the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN) within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Professor Ball is an active researcher and is currently the recipient of a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Senior Research Fellowship. Her research focuses specifically on understanding and promoting healthy eating and physical activity and preventing obesity, particularly in high-risk target groups such as young women and people who are socio-economically disadvantaged.
Has supervised 4 past PhD students and 2 Masters by Research students to completion
Professor Ball’s research is focused on understanding the individual, social and environmental influences on eating and physical activity behaviours and obesity risk; and on intervening to promote healthier eating and activity behaviours and preventing obesity. Her research has focused particularly on high-risk target groups such as young women and people who are socio-economically disadvantaged.
Awards and prizes
Three national competitive research fellowships:
2008-2012: $595,000, National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellowship.
2004-2008: $426,250. NHMRC/NHF Partnership Career Development Award.
2001-2004: $221,515 National Health and Medical Research Council: Public Health Postdoctoral
Research Fellowship.
2010: Winner, 2010 Deakin University Researcher of the Year Award
The 2010 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Research; and
The 2010 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence.
2009: Inducted as an Inaugural Fellow, International Society for Behavioural
Nutrition and Physical Activity. One of only 5 inaugural Fellows (and the first female fellow). Recognition of substantial contribution to the Society.
2008-9: Overall Winner, Victorian Young Tall Poppy of the Year Award
This prize, awarded by the Australian Institute of Science & Policy, recognizes outstanding achievement in any field of science, as well as defined excellence in community engagement.
2006: Applied Research in Sport and Recreation Science Award. Switch-Play, Deakin University. Sport and Recreation Awards, Department for Victorian Communities, 12th October 2006.
2003: Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research: Early Career Researcher
2002: NHMRC Travelling Award to visit Cambridge University, UK as a visiting scientist
Memberships
International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (Past-President and Fellow)
International Society for Behavioral Medicine
The Nutrition Society (UK)
Nutrition Society Australia
Public Health Association of Australia
Elected Member, Executive Committee, Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group, Public Health Association of Australia
Associate Member, Australian Institute of Policy and Science
Australasian Epidemiology Association
Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity
Australasian Society for Behavioural Health & Medicine
Service to the University, discipline or community
Examples of Service to the Discipline
Professor Ball was elected President of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2006-7. She also serves/has served on the following committees:
• National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowships Committee
• Executive Committee, Public Health Association of Australia, Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group
• National Heart Foundation of Australia Research Grants Interview Committee and Fellowships Committee
• Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity, Public Health Sub-committee
Journal Editorial Boards
2011- Associate Editor, Public Health Nutrition.
2005- Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Behavioral
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Examples of Service to the Community
Professor Ball serves/has contributed to numerous community groups/committees, including:
• Australian Government Preventative Health Taskforce Obesity Working Group
• National Heart Foundation of Australia Physical Activity Committee
• National Heart Foundation of Australia Obesity Working Group
• Advisory Board, Prevention Magazine
Examples of Service to the University
Professor Ball has been involved in several University, Faculty and School committees including:
• Academic Board
• Faculty Board
• Faculty Academic Promotions Committee
• School Research Degree Coordinator
• School Research Committee
• School Early Career Researcher's Mentor
• Faculty Research and Graduate Studies Committee
• President, Deakin and Community Childcare Centre
Professor Ball is a member of the Executive Committee of the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN).
Conferences
Ball K, Inglis V, Thornton L, Timperio A, Crawford D. 2011. ‘Price-related drivers of socioeconomic inequalities in diet’ (Oral symposium). 11th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Melbourne.
Ball K. & van Lenthe R. 2011. ‘Effectively writing scientific publications’ (Workshop for Students/Early Career Researchers). 11th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Melbourne.
Ball K, Abbott G, Cleland V, Timperio A, Brug J, King AC, Jeffery R & Crawford D. 2010. ‘Socioeconomic disadvantage and obesity: Who is ‘resilient’?’ (Oral presentation). 10th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Minnesota, USA.
Ball K, Timperio A, & Crawford D. 2009. ‘Neighbourhood socioeconomic inequalities in food access and affordability in Melbourne, Australia: Affluent neighbourhoods are not always better off!’ (Oral symposium presentation). 9th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Lisbon, Portugal. Also Convenor and Chair of the Symposium, entitled ‘Advances in understanding neighbourhood food environments and socioeconomic inequalities in diet.’
Ball K. 2009. ‘Socioeconomic disadvantage, resilience and obesity: Results from the READI study’ (Invited symposium convenor and speaker). Australian & New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Melbourne.
Ball K. 2007. ‘People, places and disparities in physical activity participation: Why some are more equal than others’ (Invited keynote presentation). National Physical Activity Conference, Adelaide.
Ball K. 2006. ‘Psychosocial consequences of obesity’ (Invited symposium presentation). 10th International Congress on Obesity, Sydney.
Ball K. 2006. ‘A multilevel investigation of built environmental correlates of women’s physical activity’ (Invited oral symposium presentation). 5th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Boston, USA.
Ball K. 2005. ‘Get out and play: Opportunities and challenges in understanding and promoting physical activity among children’ (Invited keynote presentation). Childhoods 2005 conference, Oslo, Norway.
Ball K. 2005. ‘Socioeconomic differences in diet and physical activity: The role of individual mediators’ (Invited oral symposium presentation). Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
