Associate Professor Rebecca Byrne is an ARC DECRA Fellow (2023-2025) and Accredited Practising Dietitian who aims to support parents of young children and educators in the early childhood education and care setting to create calm and enjoyable mealtimes.

Rebecca practised as a clinical dietitian in hospital and domiciliary settings before completing her PhD. After two years as a postdoctoral research fellow within CRE-EPOCH, an NHMRC funded Centre for Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Rebecca was appointed as a lecturer within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences.

Her research focuses on what and how young children are fed. She has a focus on improving the measurement of dietary intake and other health behaviours in early childhood, and the promotion of responsive feeding practices which support children’s autonomy, development of healthy food preferences and optimal growth. Rebecca works with researchers across the disciplines of nutrition, physical activity, nursing, psychology and education and has successful partnerships with organisations such as Playgroup QLD, Children’s Health Queensland and C&K. She is a founding member of Australia’s National Nutrition Network: Early Childhood Education and Care.