She has a varied professional background and a career that spans health management, education and public health policy. She is Melbourne-born and trained but spent seven years working in London, where she led an international health promotion training scheme for public health professionals and held the post of course director for the nutrition and dietetics program at London Metropolitan University. She holds a bachelor degree in Health Promotion and postgraduate degrees in Nutrition and Dietetics, Gastronomy (the study of food and culture), and Education. She has just submitted her PhD thesis after conducting a research program investigating the nature, consequences and management of taste problems experienced by people receiving chemotherapy.