Collaborating to promote health and wellbeing in the First 2000 Days: strategies and co-benefits to strengthen connections across the early years sector

Promoting healthy habits in childhood requires a collaborative effort from families, early years services, and supportive policies. Despite the potential synergies, the early years sectors remain siloed. EPOCH-Connect invites early and mid-career researchers to a presentation and interactive discussion on enhancing collaboration across the early years sector. The event will offer insights into strategies for engaging with early childhood education, social care, mental and oral health sectors. Please note, the presentation part of the event will be recorded.

EPOCH-Connect
Is a place for research students and EMCRs from diverse disciplines to collaborate on activities to improve child health in the early years.

It has a specific focus on building capacities for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge translation to enhance impact in research, policy, and practice in promoting health and wellbeing in children aged 0-5 years.

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PRESENTER BIOS:

Dr Lauren Carpenter is a research fellow at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Lauren has extensive experience in public health research, using mixed-methods to explore social and environmental influences on community wellbeing.

Dr Anne-Marie Maxwell is a Research Manager at Tresillian, Australia's largest not-for-profit early parenting service, and an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University. She has over twenty years experience working with children and families in diverse contexts. Anne-Marie's research is enriched by her background in early childhood education and her passion for nurturing parent-child relationships.

Ana Renda is a PhD candidate in the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on exploring the dissemination and implementation of healthy eating and physical activity evidence-based policies and practices in Early Childhood Education and Care settings. She is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Health Promotion Officer in NSW Health, Australian Padel athlete, and mum of two.

Dr Mandy O'Connor is a Developmental Psychologist and Research Fellow at Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Health and Social Care Unit (HSCU).

Dr Melanie Lum is an early career researcher and Associate Research Fellow with Deakin University. She has expertise undertaking randomised controlled trials, large scale cross-sectional studies and high-quality systematic reviews focusing on improving the healthy eating and physical activity behaviours of children attending early childhood education and care. Dr Lum has collaborated with number of stakeholders, including Health Promotion staff, Aboriginal Health staff, State Program Managers, Local Health Districts, childcare staff, government organisations (e.g. Victorian Department of Health) and non-government organisations (e.g. Cancer Council Victoria) to co-design, co-deliver and co-disseminate public health research efforts.

Nina Imad is a Lecturer in the Master of Dietetics at Swinburne University, an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, and a PhD Candidate at Deakin University. With experience teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Swinburne and La Trobe Universities, Nina has also contributed to clinical settings as a practicing dietitian. Her PhD work focuses on improving implementation and sustainment of physical activity and nutrition interventions in early childhood education and care settings to ensure long-term impact and improved health outcomes for children.