Biography
Dr Melanie Nichols is a Senior Research Fellow in GLOBE - the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University.
Melanie's research focuses on the prevention and epidemiology of obesity, heart disease and other non-communicable diseases, community-based approaches to promoting health and evaluation of large scale interventions and natural experiments. Key interests include early childhood prevention, community-based and complex systems interventions, promoting equity through prevention interventions, and improving use of existing data and systems to generate high quality evidence.
Melanie has worked extensively in evaluation of large scale community-based obesity prevention, beginning with the successful Sentinel Site for Obesity Prevention programs in the Barwon South-Western region of Victoria, which generated world-leading evidence into the effectiveness of whole of community-approaches to obesity prevention. More recently her work includes the collation and harmonisation of data from community-based obesity prevention initiatives globally, and the application of innovative epidemiological and machine learning methods, to generate generalisable insights into the factors that impact on effectiveness and equity of these programs.
Between 2011 and 2012 Melanie worked in the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at the University of Oxford, UK, leading the European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2012 project as part of the EuroHeart II project, funded by the European Commission. The project examined Europe-wide cardiovascular disease mortality, morbidity, treatment and risk factors, with special attention to inequalities and recent trends.
Melanie completed her PhD in Public Health at Deakin University in 2009. Her PhD thesis investigated issues around prevention of obesity in early childhood, including recent trends in prevalence, behaviours and environments to address the question of whether early childhood should be a priority period for obesity prevention activities. Prior to beginning her research career, Melanie qualified as a dietitian, and worked in the field of gastroenterological disorders. Melanie holds tertiary qualifications in nutrition and dietetics and health promotion.
Read more on Melanie's profileBiography summary
Dr Melanie Nichols is a Senior Research Fellow in GLOBE - the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University.
Melanie's research focuses on the prevention and epidemiology of obesity, heart disease and other non-communicable diseases, community-based approaches to promoting health and evaluation of large scale interventions and natural experiments. Key interests include early childhood prevention, community-based and complex systems interventions, promoting equity through prevention interventions, and improving use of existing data and systems to generate high quality evidence.
Research interests
Epidemiological modelling of non-communicable diseases
Community-based approaches to obesity prevention
Improved use of routine datasets for monitoring population health
Units taught
HSH744 - Epidemiology 1 (Masters of Public Health core unit)
Publications
No publications found
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
RESPOND: Reflexive Evidence and Systems interventions to Prevent Obesity and Non-Communicable Disease
Prof Steven Allender, Dr Claudia Strugnell, Prof Boyd Swinburn, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Anna Peeters, Dr Andrew Bell, Prof Marj Moodie, Prof Liliana Orellana
NHMRC - Partnership Project
- 2023: $311,209
- 2022: $311,201
- 2021: $297,552
- 2020: $305,461
- 2019: $247,775
- 2018: $85,145
PRECIS: PRecision Evidence for Childhood obesity prevention InterventionS
A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Kathryn Backholer, Prof Boyd Swinburn, Dr Victoria Brown, Dr Thin Nguyen, Prof Christina Economos
NHMRC - Ideas Grant
- 2024: $101,889
- 2023: $332,248
- 2022: $367,668
- 2021: $322,739
Systems Thinking with Active Implementation Research (STAIR) to prevent childhood obesity: an effectiveness-implementation trial
Prof Colin Bell, Dr Jill Whelan, Prof Steven Allender, Dr Luke Wolfenden, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Dr Victoria Brown, A/Prof Serene Yoong, Prof Liliana Orellana, A/Prof Kristy Bolton
NHMRC - Partnership Project
- 2024: $94,777
- 2023: $115,020
Other Public Sector Funding
(Phase 2) - Provision and Evaluation of the It's Your Move Program in the ACT. (Phase 1) - systems-based interventions to promote healthy weight in ACT secondary schools - program planning
A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Dr Lynne Millar, Prof Boyd Swinburn, Prof Steven Allender
Aust Capital Territory Department of Health ACT Government Health Information
- 2014: $106,146
- 2012: $118,000
- 2011: $5,537
RESPOND: Reflexive Evidence and Systems interventions to Prevent Obesity and Non-Communicable Disease
Prof Steven Allender, Dr Claudia Strugnell, Prof Boyd Swinburn, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Anna Peeters, Dr Andrew Bell, Prof Marj Moodie, Prof Liliana Orellana
VicHealth - Partnership
- 2020: $25,000
- 2019: $25,000
- 2018: $25,000
Systems Thinking with Active Implementation Research (STAIR) to prevent childhood obesity: an effectiveness-implementation trial
Prof Colin Bell, Dr Jill Whelan, Prof Steven Allender, Dr Luke Wolfenden, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Dr Victoria Brown, A/Prof Serene Yoong, Prof Liliana Orellana, A/Prof Kristy Bolton
VicHealth - NHMRC Partnership Project Grants
- 2024: $20,000
Industry and Other Funding
Developing a resource for evidence based healthy living programs
Prof Steven Allender, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Boyd Swinburn
Centre of Excellence in Intervention and Prevention Science Limited
- 2012: $80,000
HeartStats Project: The Heart Foundation/Deakin University Australian Heart Disease Statistics Project
Prof Steven Allender, A/Prof Melanie Nichols
NHF Health Professional Scholarship - National Heart Foundation of Australia, NHF Grant Cat 3 - Research - National Heart Foundation of Australia
- 2015: $160,694
- 2014: $169,230
- 2013: $144,932
RESPOND: Reflexive Evidence and Systems interventions to Prevent Obesity and Non-Communicable Disease
Prof Steven Allender, Dr Claudia Strugnell, Prof Boyd Swinburn, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Anna Peeters, Dr Andrew Bell, Prof Marj Moodie, Prof Liliana Orellana
Goulburn Valley Primary Care Partnership
- 2019: $22,500
- 2018: $22,500
Evaluation of the amended Victorian Achievement Program for schools - Pilot study of outcomes for teachers
Prof Anna Peeters, Prof Liliana Orellana, Prof Tony LaMontagne, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Dr Claudia Strugnell, Dr Victoria Brown, Mr Nic Crooks
Teachers Health Foundation
- 2020: $85,000
- 2019: $92,000
- 2018: $40,000
Preventing chronic diseases in rural populations for future generations: The role of rural health services in guiding community efforts to improve the food environment.
Dr Laura Alston, Prof Steven Allender, Prof Vincent Versace, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, A/Prof Kristy Bolton
Western Alliance
- 2023: $20,595
- 2020: $20,595
- 2019: $41,359
Translate a community-based and 'systems informed' childhood obesity intervention.
Dr Claudia Strugnell, Prof Steven Allender, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Anna Peeters, Prof Colin Bell, Prof Marj Moodie, Prof Liliana Orellana, Dr Josh Hayward, Mr Andrew Brown
Nexus Primary Health
- 2019: $70,000
- 2018: $70,000
A review of evidence on interventions to improve the availability and promotion of healthy food in rural communities.
Dr Laura Alston, Prof Kathryn Backholer, Prof Vincent Versace, Prof Steven Allender, A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Dr Jill Whelan, Dr Anna Wong Shee, Dr Erica Reeve
Australasian Medical Publishing Co Proprietary Ltd
- 2020: $10,000
Other Funding Sources
International Society Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention (ISCEP)
A/Prof Melanie Nichols, Prof Steven Allender
International Society of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention
- 2017: $15,000
- 2016: $15,000
- 2015: $62,000
Supervisions
Mary Lou Wetzel Chatterton
Thesis entitled: Cost-Effectiveness of Adjunctive Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder in Australia
Doctor of Philosophy (Health & Social Development), School of Health and Social Development
Jane Jacobs
Thesis entitled: Socio-economic and regional variation in childhood obesity prevalence and determinants
Doctor of Philosophy (Health & Social Development), School of Health and Social Development
Laura Veronica Alston
Thesis entitled: Policy priorities to reduce disparities in ischaemic heart disease among rural Australians
Doctor of Philosophy (Health & Social Development), School of Health and Social Development
Erin Jane Hoare
Thesis entitled: Obesogenic risk and depression: patterns and prevention among adolescents
Doctor of Philosophy (Health & Social Development), School of Health and Social Development
Jillian Tutuo Wate
Thesis entitled: Obesity, Dietary Choices, and Sociocultural Influences among Fijian Adolescents
Doctor of Philosophy (Health & Social Development), School of Health and Social Development