Robyn Karen Gina Karen Johnston Lombardi Trapp Forde RJ KL GT KF BSc, Post Grad Dip, PhD BHSc (Hons), PhD BHSc(Hons1A), RPHNutr, PhD BHlthSc (Hons 1A) Senior Research Officer Research Fellow ARC DECRA Fellow & Head of Food and Nutrition Research ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Projects

Pregnancy and early infancy are increased risk periods for severe adverse effects of respiratory infections. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (respectfully referred to as First Nations) women and children in Australia bear a disproportionately higher burden of respiratory diseases compared to non-Indigenous women and infants. Influenza vaccines and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccines are recommended and free in every Australian pregnancy to combat these infections. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• May 2023

School toilets have been identified by sexuality and gender diverse (SGD) students as the least safe spaces in educational institutions. They are sites of verbal, physical and sexual victimisation. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• August 2022

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. RSV seasonality was disrupted by COVID-19-associated nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). We review RSV seasonality, molecular epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and community awareness to inform future prevention strategies.  ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• December 2023

Energy drinks (EDs) are not recommended for minors' consumption due to a myriad of health risks, but marketing initiatives persist. This study explored the promotion of EDs on TikTok, a platform frequented by children and adolescents. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• December 2022

Children with comorbidities are at greater risk of severe influenza outcomes compared with healthy children. In Australia, influenza vaccination was funded for those with comorbidities from 2010 and all children aged <5 years from 2018. Influenza vaccine coverage remains inadequate in children with and without comorbidities. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• March 2022

Australian families increasingly rely on eating foods from outside the home, which in-creases intake of energy‐dense nutrient‐poor foods. ‘Kids’ Menus’ are designed to appeal to families and typically lack healthy options. However, the nutritional quality of Kids’ Menus from cafes and full‐service restaurants (as opposed to fast‐food outlets) has not been investigated in Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of Kids’ Menus in restaurants and cafés in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• June 2022

To investigate the association between energy drink (ED) use and sleep-related disturbances in a population-based sample of young adults from the Raine Study. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• April 2021

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex can be fatal in susceptible individuals. Understanding the interactions between host and pathogen is one way to obtain leads to develop better drugs and for vaccine development. In recent years multiple omics-based approaches have assisted researchers to gain a more global picture of this interaction in leishmaniasis. Here we review results from studies using three omics-based approaches to study VL caused by L. donovani in India. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2020
• November 2020

Our study tested the relative validity of a smart phone app for uses as an epidemiological dietary assessment tool, compared with a standard assessment method. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2018
• January 2018

During the COVID-19 pandemic, breastfeeding women have experienced restricted access to support, placing them at increased risk of mental health concerns and limited breastfeeding assistance. This study investigated the effect of the pandemic on feeding choices and maternal wellbeing amongst breastfeeding mothers living in Australian and New Zealand. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey that examined feeding methods, maternal mental wellbeing, worries, challenges, and positive experiences during the pandemic. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• May 2021

Our goal was to identify genetic risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2021
• May 2021