Leanne Brown

Associate Professor Leanne Brown is the Acting Director of the University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health (Nutrition and Dietetics) in Tamworth. She holds a PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics and has over 30 years of experience in rural health education and research. Her work focuses on rural health workforce challenges, service delivery models, and chronic disease interventions. She is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles.

Education: PhD (University of Newcastle), Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Dietetics), Graduate Certificates in Paediatric Nutrition, Sports Nutrition, and Rural Health. She has contributed to undergraduate programs like Sports Dietetics and Nutrition 1.

Research interests include interprofessional learning, knowledge translation frameworks, and rural health policy. Her work emphasizes translating evidence into practical solutions for rural communities. She has supervised 7 doctoral students and over 30 Honours students, with a focus on fostering rural career intentions through immersive placement programs.

Awards include the 2022 Rural Engagement Award, 2016 Special Leadership Excellence Award, and multiple teaching citations. She leads initiatives like the Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcomes Tracking Study, analyzing workforce destinations to inform rural placement strategies.

Her projects include co-design frameworks for rural food access, telehealth nutrition interventions, and Aboriginal well-being programs. She collaborates with institutions like the Australian Rural Health Network and serves on editorial boards for nutrition journals.