Nutrition & Dietetics
The Alfred 7th International Nutrition in the Critically Ill Symposium
26-27 February 2027 | Melbourne
We are delighted to announce that our biennial event The Alfred 7th International Nutrition in the Critically Ill Symposium has returned to Melbourne.
Across two days we welcome clinicians, researchers and educators from across Australia and New Zealand for this event dedicated to advancing nutrition care for critically ill patients. This meeting provides a unique opportunity to hear the latest evidence, explore emerging technologies, share practical solutions and connect with colleagues who are passionate about improving patient outcomes.
The program is tailored to all clinicians who have an interest in clinical nutrition. We look forward to welcoming you in Melbourne!
Professor Sandra Peake | BM BS, BSc(Hons), PhD, FCICM
Professor Peake is a Senior Clinician in the Department of Intensive Care Medicine at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, Professor in the School of Medicine at Adelaide University and Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the ANZICS CTG Executive Committee. She was Chair of the Management Committee for the NHMRC-funded, ANZICS CTG-endorsed Australasian Resuscitation In Sepsis Evaluation (ARISE) multi-centre trial of early resuscitation in sepsis and co-Chair of the Management Committee for the NHMRC-funded, CTG-endorsed multi-centre TARGET trial. She is currently Chief Investigator of the NHMRC-funded, CTG-endorsed multi-centre ARISE-Fluids Trial. All three randomised controlled trials have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Associate Professor Lee-anne Chapple | BMedSci, MNutrDiet, PhD
ICU Nutrition Research Program Lead and Senior Critical Care Dietitian, Royal Adelaide Hospital | Associate Professor, Adelaide University.
Associate Professor Lee-anne Chapple is the Senior Intensive Care Dietitian at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and leads the highly successful ICU Nutrition Research Program within ICU Research through Adelaide University, Australia. Her multidisciplinary team conducts research on nutrition physiology during critical illness, post-ICU nutrition, and early recovery. A/Prof Chapple has collaborated on more than 118 research publications, received more than $12 million dollars in research funding, and is ranked in the top 1% worldwide on ExpertScape in the fields “Enteral Nutrition” and “Nutritional Support”.
Dr Matthew Summers | BSc, MDiet, PhD
Clinical and Research Dietitian
Matthew Summers is a Research Dietitian within the Intensive Care Unit Research Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Clinical Dietitian with the Metabolic and Bariatric Clinic at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia. He completed a Bachelor of Science (2007) and a Master of Dietetics (2014) at the University of South Australia and successfully completed his PhD in July 2026 at Adelaide University. The focus of Matthew’s doctoral research was to evaluate higher enteral protein delivery and protein metabolism in adult critically ill patients, with a strong interest in functional recovery following critical illness. Throughout his doctoral research, Matthew conducted a large scale randomised controlled trial (TARGET Protein), alongside technically complex studies using stable amino acid isotope methodology to measure muscle protein synthesis and ultrasonography to evaluate muscle mass following protein interventions in critically ill patients.
Dr Jacinta Winderlich | BNutDietet, MClinRes, PhD
Adjunct Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow - Department of Paediatrics, Monash University | Senior Clinical Paediatric Dietitian and Allied Health Research Lead - Monash Children's Hospital
Jacinta is a senior clinical paediatric dietitian and Allied Health Research Lead at Monash Children’s Hospital, holding various clinical roles for almost 20 years, and now specialised in PICU and Nephrology. Jacinta is also a research fellow in the Department of Paediatrics Monash University, following completion of her PhD focused on PICU nutrition with the ANZIC-RC. Leadership roles include EMCR Co-Lead for Monash Partners Child Health Theme, Paediatric Allied Health Lead for the September 2026 PICU World Congress in Melbourne, and CIRCAN Allied Health Executive Board Member. Jacinta is passionate about encouraging fellow clinicians to get involved in research, and collaborative studies which seek to answer questions that arise in daily practice when working with children and families.
Professor Frank MP van Haren | MD, PhD, EDIC, FCICM, PGDipEcho
ICU, St George Hospital, Sydney | Professor, College of Science and Medicine, Australian National University | Professor (Conjoint), University of New South Wales Medicine and Health | Honorary Professorial Fellow, Critical Care Division, The George Institute for Global Health
Professor van Haren is a Senior Intensive Care Physician and past ICU Director at the St George Hospital in Sydney, as well as the Medical Lead for the home parenteral nutrition team. His academic appointments are Professor at the Australian National University, Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales and honorary Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. He is an established international leader in clinical and translational research in intensive care and nutrition. He has published more than 200 articles and book chapters and given more than 160 invited presentations at international conferences. He also has significant experience in policy development for and providing advice to governments, both in developed and in developing countries.
Dr Adrienne Young | AdvAPD
Senior Research Fellow (UQ) and Dietetics Research Coordinator (RBWH);
Dr Adrienne Young is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Senior Research Fellow whose work is driven by a simple goal: helping people receive better nutrition care when they need it most. Based at The University of Queensland and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, she leads research that improves outcomes for older adults through evidence-based, practical approaches to care. Her interests span malnutrition, frailty, implementation science, and consumer partnership, with a strong focus on turning research into real-world improvements. Adrienne is widely recognised for her contributions to dietetics, research translation, and health service improvement.
Dr Jorja Collins | BNutDiet(Hons), GradCertHlthProfEd, PhD, AdvAPD, CF
Senior Lecturer in Nutrition at Monash University
Dr Jorja Collins is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and academic at Monash University recognised for her leadership in environmentally sustainable hospital foodservice. The extensive food waste she witnessed during her time working as a hospital foodservice dietitian sparked her commitment to transforming healthcare food systems through her teaching and research. Her team's research explores, advocates for and implements solutions to food waste, local food procurement, plant based menus and sustainable foodservice broadly.
Dr Kate Lambell
Head of Nutrition & Dietetics, Bayside Health (Peninsula)
Dr Kate Lambell is Head of Nutrition and Dietetics at Bayside Health (Peninsula Care Group) in Victoria, Australia. Kate is passionate about undertaking clinically applicable research that translates directly into improved patient care, with a particular focus on muscle health, malnutrition, and body composition assessment in hospitalised patients. She is committed to building research capacity within the dietetics profession through mentorship, leadership, and collaboration, and currently supervises four PhD students, supporting the next generation of clinical dietitian researchers.
Dr Oana Tatucu | BNut(Hons), PhD, APD
Research Fellow, Monash University
Oana is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Research Fellow at Monash University’s Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre (ANZIC-RC), where she leads the Metabolism research stream within the Nutrition Program. Since completing her PhD in 2019, she has secured over $1.6M in grant funding and published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers. Her research expertise centres on indirect calorimetry in critical illness and nutritional management for ECMO patients.
Melissa Carmody
Senior Surgical and Critical Care Dietitian
Melissa Carmody is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Senior Clinical Dietitian with over 15 years of specialised experience across Australia and the United Kingdom. She currently works in surgical and critical care at St George Hospital, delivering advanced nutrition support to complex, critically ill and surgical patients. Melissa has held specialist roles in critical care, gastroenterology, hepatopancreatic‑biliary disease, and oncology, including at major tertiary and trauma centres in the UK. She has strong expertise in evidence‑based nutrition support, service development, policy and protocol design, clinical audit, and education. Melissa is an active contributor to multidisciplinary teams and has received multiple awards and nominations recognising excellence in quality improvement and patient‑centred care.
Symposium Day One | |
|---|---|
8:00-8:30 | Official Opening |
8:30-10:00 | Session 1: Is protein the enemy? |
10:00-10:20 | Morning Tea & Trade Exhibition |
10:20-12:20 | Session 2: Paediatrics |
12:15-13:00 | Lunch & Sponsor Workshop |
13:00-15:00 | Session 3: The Multidisciplinary Case Series: Different Perspective, Shared Decisions |
15:00-17:00 | Session 4: A National Focus on Critical Illness |
17:30 onwards | Networking Event: Drinks & Canapes |
Symposium Day Two | |
|---|---|
9:00-10:30 | Session 1: Building sustainable food systems |
10:30-10:50 | Morning Tea & Trade Exhibition |
10:50-12:20 | Session 2: Rapid fire local spotlight |
12:20-12:50 | Lunch & Trade Exhibition |
12:50-15:00 | Session 3: Malnutrition in ICU |
15:00-16:45 | Session 4: Recovery from Critical Illness |
16:45-17:00 | Closing Remarks |
We are delighted to invite expressions of interest to present at The Alfred 7th International Nutrition in the Critically Ill Symposium:
- The Multidisciplinary Case Series: Different Perspectives, Shared Decisions
New for 2027, The Multidisciplinary Case Series has been designed to showcase real-world patient cases that demonstrate the power of collaborative, multidisciplinary care in critical illness.
We are seeking teams from hospitals across Australia and New Zealand to present an interesting, challenging or innovative patient case that highlights how different disciplines worked together to navigate complex clinical decisions and optimise patient outcomes.
- The Local Spotlight, a dedicated session showcasing the work of novice researchers, PhD candidates, Early and Mid-Career Researchers (EMCRs), and clinician researchers.
One of the strengths of our critical care nutrition community is the outstanding work being undertaken across Australia and New Zealand. This session has been designed to provide emerging researchers with an opportunity to present their work, receive feedback from leaders in the field, and build their professional profile within the critical care nutrition community.
We welcome submissions describing completed research, work in progress, quality improvement initiatives, implementation projects or innovative models of care relevant to nutrition in critical illness.
Registration
Registration Type | AUD |
|---|---|
Full Registration - Early Bird | $690 - closes October 31st |
Full Registration - Standard | $820 |
Symposium Networking Night | $25 |
Thank you to our Major Partner:
We acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional custodians and pay our respects to their culture and their Elders past, present and emerging. We welcome all cultures, nationalities and religions. Being inclusive and providing equitable healthcare is our commitment.