
About Jessie

My Story
I’m a New Zealand born and trained dietitian who has worked in dietetics, public health nutrition, non-communicable disease prevention/ control and health marketing throughout Australia, the Pacific Islands, England and the Netherlands.
I am currently a Nutrition and NCD consultant based in Amsterdam.
Consultancy roles have included:
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Nutrition Consultant - WHO
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Nutrition Consultant - UNSCN
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Nutrition Communication Specialist- Amsterdam UMC
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Campaigns Nutritionist - Public Health England
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Research Assistant - Oxford University, World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre
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Non-Communicable Disease Advisor- Secretariat of the Pacific Community
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Wellness Dietitian- Fiji Ministry of Health
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Volunteer for International Development- Australian Red Cross
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Healthy Weight Project Officer- Heart Foundation Western Australia
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What I believe in
I believe in providing easy, fun, practical and evidence-based nutrition advice and promoting a human rights based approach to creating healthy food environments which guarantee the right to food, and the right to health for everyone.
Qualifications
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Masters in International Public Health (high distinction)
University of Sydney, 2018 -
Post Graduate course in Systematic Reviews
University of Oxford, 2016 -
Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics
University of Otago, 2010 -
Bachelor of Science Majoring in Nutrition and Psychology
University of Otago, 2008
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Specialties
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Nutrition & Health Communications
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Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control
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Pacific Nutrition
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Public Health
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Community Development & Engagement
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Systematic Reviews
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Pineapples
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Publications
PUBLIC
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Pacific Guidelines for Healthy Eating During Pregnancy- A guide for health professionals and educators, developed for SPC
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Eating for Mental Health- booklet which translates the conclusions of the MooDFOOD study into patient advice on healthy eating to prevent depression
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Pacific Diets- health promotion social media pages and website, developed for SPC
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Khana Kakana - A health promotion resource and cookbook for the Fiji Islands, developed for the Ministry of Health and Wellness Fiji Islands with funding support from the Australian Red Cross and DFAT
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Pasifika Plates - a health promotion resource and cookbook for the Pacific Islands, developed for SPC
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Vili's Healthy Island Adventure - A health promotion resource and children's book for the Pacific Islands, developed for SPC
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Live Healthy, Stay Healthy- a health resource for non-communicable disease prevention in the Pacific Islands developed for SPC
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Healthy Eating after Colorectal Cancer. patient resource distributed by Beat Bowel Cancer New Zealand
ACADEMIC
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J Pullar, K Wickramasinghe, Demaio AR, Roberts N, Perez-Blanco, K Noonan & N Townsend. (2019).The Impact of Maternal Nutrition on Offspring’s Risk of Non-Communicable Diseases in Adulthood: A Systematic Review. Journal of Global Health, 9(2): 020405.
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L Allen, J Pullar, K Wickramasinghe, J Williams, C Foster, N Roberts & N Townsend. (2017). Are WHO “best buys” for non-communicable diseases effective in low-income and lower-middle-income countries? A systematic review. The Lancet Global Health, 5, S17.
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Series of Case Studies on Pacific Health within: An Introduction to Population-Level Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (2017). Oxford University Press.
- Social Media: a new tool in prevention of NCDs
- Tonga Health Promotion Foundation: A multi-sector approach to tackling NCDs
- Double burden of malnutrition in Solomon Islands
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J Pullar, L Allen, N Townsend, J Williams , C Foster, N Roberts & K Wickramasinghe. (2016). Poverty and development interventions that address behavioural risk factors of non-communicable diseases in low and lower middle income countries: a systematic review. The Lancet, 388, S97.
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T Kessaram, J McKenzie, N Girin, O Merilles, J Pullar, A Roth & D Hoy. (2015). Overweight, obesity, physical activity and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in adolescents of Pacific islands: results from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. BMC obesity, 2(1), 34.
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J Pullar. (2013). Cash Calories: Putting Moderation into Practise in a Fijian Setting. Journal of Nutrition & Dietetics, 70 (S2), 7.
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J Pullar, A Chisholm & C Jackson. (2012). Dietary information for colorectal cancer survivors: an unmet need. The New Zealand Medical Journal (Online), 125(1356), 27.
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