Researcher

Dr Emma Beckett is a food and nutrition scientist, science communicator, educator and Registered Nutritionist. She holds a PhD in food science and human nutrition, and has multiple tertiary qualifications spanning nutrition, biomedical sciences, epidemiology and science management. Her work sits at the intersection of food and nutrition science, public health, and communication. She is particularly interested in how nutrition science is interpreted, communicated, and applied in real-world contexts, with a particular focus on translating complex evidence into accessible, practical guidance for diverse audiences.

Dr Beckett has experience across academia, food industry, media and public engagement. She has contributed to research, policy, and evidence-informed education in various settings, including roles with NHRMC and Australian Academy of Science expert committees, an internship at the NIH (USA).

In addition to her academic work, Dr Beckett is an experienced media commentator, writer, and speaker, regularly engaging with the public on issues relating to nutrition science, food myths, diet culture, and health equity. In 2024 she released her first book You Are More Than What You Eat, and in 2025 she hosted Cooked for Science Friction on ABC Radio National. Her work emphasises nuance, inclusivity, and critical thinking in nutrition, aiming to support informed decision-making rather than prescriptive or moralised approaches to food and health.

Personal website

Select publications

• Beckett EL, Fayet-Moore F, Cassettari T, Starck C, Wright J, Blumfield M. Health effects of drinking 100% juice: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. Nutr Rev. 2025 Feb 1;83(2):e722-e735. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae036. PMID: 38679915

• Clark K, Biesiekierski JR, Farrer OD, Stefoska-Needham A, Beckett EL, et al. Nutrition employability and graduate readiness: The Australian Working in Nutrition study. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2024 Jun;37(3):685-694. doi: 10.1111/jhn.13295. Epub 2024 Mar 6. PMID: 38446559.

• Truby H, Allman-Farinelli M, Beck EJ, Beckett EL, et al. National Committee for Nutrition and its working groups. Advancing the decadal plan for the science of nutrition: Progressing a framework for implementation. Nutr Diet. 2024 Apr;81(2):133-148. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12876. PMID: 38665098.

• Joubert BR, den Dekker HT, Felix JF, Bohlin J, Ligthart S, Beckett E, et al. Maternal plasma folate impacts differential DNA methylation in an epigenome-wide meta-analysis of newborns. Nat Commun. 2016 Feb 10;7:10577. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10577. PMID: 26861414

• Bucher, T., Malcolm, J., Mukhopadhyay, S. P., Vuong, Q., & Beckett, E. Consumer acceptance of edible coatings on apples: The role of food technology neophobia and information about purpose. Food Quality and Preference, 2023. 112, 105024. Doi: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2023.105024

Awards

• 2025 - David Woodward Nutrition Communication Award, Nutrition Society of Australia.

• 2019 - Beryl Nashar Early Career Research Achiever, UON Alumni Awards.

• 2017 - NSW Young Tall Poppy, Australian Institute for Policy and Science.

• 2016 - Australian Academy of Science & Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship to attend the HOPE Nobel Laureates Meeting.

• 2015 - Science and Industry Endowment Fund - Australian Academy of Science Fellowship to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureates Meetings, Lindau, Germany.

• 2014 - Adam J Berry Memorial Award (Australian Academy of Science and the NIH Trust).

Appointments and Affiliations

• 2020-present: Registered Nutritionist (Nutrition Society of Australia)

• 2014-present: Member Nutrition Society of Australia; Member Australian Institute for Food Science & Technology

• 2022-present: Australian Academy of Science National Committee for Nutrition

• 2022-present: NHMRC NRVs Expert Working Group for Iodine

• 2020-2024: NHRMC Research Quality Steering Committee

Editorial roles

• 2019-present: Associate Editor Nutrients (MDPI journal).

• 2017-2021: Co-editor Newsletter, The Australian Academy of Science EMCR Forum.

• 2019-2021: Co-editor Newsletter, The Nutrition Society of Australia.

Public engagement

• The Conversation

• BBC Science Focus

• ABC

• Cooked for Science Friction on Radio National and ABC Listen