Gina Trapp

Dr Gina Trapp is a NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow and Deputy Head of the Health Promotion and Education Research Team. She also holds a Research Fellow Adjunct position at the School of Population & Global Health at The University of Western Australia. She has a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Psychology) with First Class Honours, a PhD in Public Health from The University of Western Australia and is a Registered Public Health Nutritionist recognised by the Nutrition Society of Australia. 

Bridging the disciplines of nutrition, public health, geography and urban planning, Gina’s innovative program of research is helping to understand how the environments within which children live, play and go to school influence the types of foods they eat. Her findings are providing the key evidence needed to underpin public health and urban planning policy and planning changes to create healthy food environments. She currently leads three NHMRC, Healthway and WA Health Department-funded research projects focussing on understanding and measuring school, community, consumer and cultural food environments (including emerging food trends which pose a public health risk, such as energy drink consumption in children) in collaboration with key stakeholders, health organisations, urban planners, local government and the community.

At only 4 years post-PhD, Gina has 85 publications (over half of which are published in the top 10% of journals in their field), has delivered 107 conference/seminar presentations (35 as invited/keynote speaker) and has secured research funds totalling in excess of $5.7M. She has been the recipient of 33 research awards and prizes and in recognition of her commitment and outstanding contribution to research, was recently awarded The University of Western Australia’s, ‘Vice Chancellor’s Award for Early Career Research Excellence’, the Telethon Kids Institute’s, ‘Early-Mid Career Research Contribution Award’, and the Australian Health Promotion Association’s, ‘Excellence in Health Promotion Practice’.

She was also formerly recognised by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science as ‘One of Western Australia’s Most Outstanding Young Scientists’, receiving the 2015, ‘Western Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award’ which recognises intellectual and scientific excellence.