Heather Donald

Heather Donald is a Lecturer in Dietetics and Nutrition at Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh), part of the DNBS Division. She holds a BSc in Dietetics from QMU (1999) and an MSc in Paediatrics from the University of Birmingham (2003). Her career includes clinical roles as a Dietitian in NHS hospitals (Northern General Hospital, Sheffield; Dundee Royal Infirmary) focusing on Paediatric specialties like Special Care Baby Units, Renal care, and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. She transitioned to academia in 2009 as a Clinical Lecturer at Robert Gordon University (RGU), becoming a full-time lecturer there in 2016. She also served as a visiting lecturer for the University of Malta’s Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics (2017–2020) and remains an Accreditation Assessor for the British Dietetic Association (BDA). Her research emphasizes maternal/infant nutrition, public health strategies to prevent noncommunicable diseases, and nutritional epidemiology.

Her clinical experience includes roles in community nutrition (Sure Start initiatives), childhood obesity management, and general dietetic clinics. Professional affiliations include Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and membership in the BDA. Recent roles include lecturing on the BSc Nutrition and MSc Dietetics programs at QMU since 2022.