Roshan Rigby is a PhD candidate, researcher and teacher at Griffith University. She is studying how dietitians use behaviour change theories in practice so they can provide better tailored interventions and improve outcomes for clients.
More than two-thirds of Australian adults, and one-third of children, are overweight or obese. Understanding how behaviour change works in practice is crucial to guiding improved health outcomes for Australians.
Roshan has been interested in health and fitness for as long as she can remember. She grew up playing touch football and represented Queensland in the sport when she was a high school student on the Gold Coast, her home town.
She went on to complete a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Griffith and is continuing with the University as a PhD candidate. She is using her own passion to help other people through research.
“I think it is in my nature to help other people, and I doing that through food is something that I think is really important,” she said.
“I like research and the power it has to inform better outcomes for patients. I hope it will make an impact on whole range of people, patients and dieticians.”
A collaborative approach to the obesity crisis is vital, and Griffith University fosters an interdisciplinary, team-based approach to health and learning. It’s one of the reasons Roshan feels so comfortable and happy at Griffith.
Roshan has an autonomous role within the research sphere, but also works closely alongside her supervisors and other researchers. It’s one of the strengths of the University, Roshan says, that it puts such a focus on teamwork and support.
“Griffith fosters interdisciplinary learning and teaching ethos, which is what you will expect in a ‘real life’ setting, and I always feel supported by my supervisors. The focus is always on patient-centred care, which is delivers the best outcomes for patients.”