Naomi Hull

Naomi Hull is a Research Assistant at the Department of Health Economics Wellbeing and Society within the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) at Australian National University (ANU), working under Assoc Prof Julie Smith since 2018. She is currently a PhD Candidate at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney, focusing on advancing global food security for infants and young children. Her work includes coordinating the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTI), a project founded at ANU in 2017 that has completed two national assessments (2018, 2023) of Australia’s infant feeding policies.

• Education: Master of Public Health (MPH) from University of Queensland

Naomi's research addresses critical intersections between policy, nutrition, and social determinants of health for infants and young children (IYC). She investigates how commercial interests and climate change impact first-food security, and advocates for systemic reforms in global and Australian infant feeding frameworks. Her recent publications highlight pandemic-era breastfeeding challenges and stakeholder-driven policy analysis for national breastfeeding strategies.

Her work evaluates the political prioritization of IYC food security, dietary dependency on commercial supply chains, and strategies to amplify maternal voices in policymaking. Current projects include the Breastfeeding Economics and Environment collaboration, aiming to bridge gaps between public health and economic policies.

The World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative team, which Naomi coordinates, has significantly influenced Australia’s public health discourse by mapping policy progress and gaps. Her role integrates advocacy, research, and multi-institutional collaboration, emphasizing equitable and sustainable solutions for breastfeeding families.