Talitha Best

Talitha Best is a Professor and Deputy Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee at CQUniversity's School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences. She founded the NeuroHealth Lab within the Institute for Future Farming Systems, specializing in clinical psychology, nutritional psychiatry, and behavioral neuroscience. Her research examines diet-brain interactions, therapeutic interventions, and food systems' impact on mental health, with over $7.5M in competitive research funding.

Education:

• University of Adelaide
• Flinders University
• University of South Australia

Research Focus: Integrates clinical practice with interdisciplinary studies in nutrition-psychiatry, compassion science, and preventative health. Key areas include:

• Dietary interventions for cognitive/mental health
• Therapeutic approaches for chronic conditions (e.g., lipoedema)
• Agricultural development for brain-healthy food systems
• Cross-cultural mental health innovations

Publication Trends (2022-2025): Recent articles emphasize nutritional psychiatry, mental health in chronic illnesses, cross-cultural psychology, and public health interventions. Dominant methodologies include randomized trials, large-scale surveys, and meta-analyses across 15+ countries.

Awards:

• Dean’s Outstanding Research Award (2017)
• Women's Leadership Australia Scholarship (2017)
• ICC International Award for Public Health Science (2015)

Supervision & Grants: Currently leads 7+ PhD projects on mental health, chronic conditions, and transcultural psychology. Secured major funding for brain health, agricultural innovation, and public health initiatives. Heads the NeuroHealth Lab fostering industry-academia collaborations.