Tina Cao

Dr. Tina Cao is a Lecturer in Dietetics and Human Nutrition within the School of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at La Trobe University. She holds an Honorary position at Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and collaborates with researchers from Monash University and Northern Health. Her academic journey includes previous Research Fellow positions at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and the University of Melbourne.

Dr. Cao's educational background spans medical training (MBBS from Jiangsu University, China), public health (MMedSc from Karolinska Institute, Sweden), and epidemiology (PhD from University of Adelaide, Australia). Her diverse academic preparation has positioned her at the intersection of clinical medicine, public health, and nutritional science.

Her research interests focus on cardiometabolic disease prevention through nutrition and lifestyle interventions at the population level. Dr. Cao investigates the complex relationships between dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cardiometabolic outcomes, with particular attention to disadvantaged and culturally diverse populations in Australia. Her work bridges nutritional epidemiology with implementation science, developing evidence-based interventions that address health inequities. Dr. Cao frequently utilizes large-scale datasets like the China Health and Nutrition Survey and the AusDiab study in her research.

Dr. Cao's publication record demonstrates consistent productivity with nearly 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and a national report, accumulating over 830 citations since 2019. Her recent work shows increasing focus on health literacy integration into chronic care models, particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse populations with type 2 diabetes. She has made significant contributions to understanding unmet needs in diabetes self-management and the role of digital health solutions during the pandemic.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Membership in the Australian Diabetes Society (since 2024)
• Membership on the La Trobe Academic Board (since 2024)
• Membership in The Nutrition Society of Australia (since 2016)

As an educator, Dr. Cao supervises honors and master's students and teaches research-focused subjects including HEA 201 (Integrating Evidence into Practice), DTN 304 (Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills), and DTN 306/312 (Nutrition Research projects). She actively collaborates with Professor Brian Oldenburg at Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Associate Professor Rebecca Jessup at Northern Health, focusing on culturally diverse populations' health needs. Dr. Cao is committed to translating research findings into practical applications that address health inequities, particularly in the Australian context where cultural diversity presents unique challenges for chronic disease management.

Dr. Cao maintains an active research agenda with multiple ongoing projects examining cardiometabolic health in diverse populations, digital health interventions, and implementation strategies for chronic disease management. Her work bridges academic research with practical healthcare solutions, demonstrating her commitment to improving population health outcomes through evidence-based practice.