Rachel Duckham

Dr. Rachel Duckham is an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University's Faculty of Health and School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Loughborough University, a Master of Science from the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Science from Columbia University. Her interdisciplinary work bridges clinical sciences, nutrition, exercise physiology, and public health, with a geographic focus on Samoan populations.

Her research examines pediatric growth patterns, geriatric interventions, and metabolic health determinants. Recent studies emphasize:

• Longitudinal analysis of obesity and bone health in Samoan children
• Dual-task exercise protocols for cognitive aging
• Cultural adaptations of public health tools
• Gene-environment interactions in body composition

Publication trends (2023-2025) reveal strong emphasis on:

• Life-course epidemiology in Pacific Islander communities
• Validation of anthropometric methods across age groups
• Digital health innovations for chronic disease management

She employs diverse methodologies including RCTs, cohort studies, and cross-cultural validations.

Grants & Advising:
Secured $185,000 in funding including:

• NHF Victoria: Jump Rope for Heart Program Evaluation ($180,000)
• Capstone Editing: PROUD Study on pediatric bone/gut health ($5,000)

Supervised doctoral candidates on early-life nutrition (Esma Fazlic) and exercise neurobiology (Jamie Tait).