Who we are

The Infant and Toddler Foods Research Alliance brings together researchers and health professionals with an interest in infant and toddler food regulation, development, and intervention to better support dietary and feeding outcomes for infants and young children.

Executive Committee

Co-Chair
Dr Catharine Fleming
Lecturer Public Health

Dr Catharine Fleming is a Lecturer in Public Health in the School Health Science, Western Sydney University and is a Co-Chair of the Infant and Toddler Foods Research Alliance. Dr Fleming has a PhD in paediatric nutrition and dietetics and over 15 years’ experience in paediatric nutrition relating to infant and young child feeding, paediatric food allergy and childhood obesity. Dr Fleming has research experience in mixed methods, co design, clinical and public health research methodologies covering quantitative, qualitative and data linkage studies.

Co-Chair
Dr Jennifer McCann
Lecturer, Nutrition/Public Health

Dr Jennifer McCann is a lecturer within the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University and is a Co-Chair of the Infant and Toddler Foods Research Alliance. Her research focuses on the connections between food policy and regulation and toddler dietary intakes and encompasses retail food environments as well as parental influences on toddler food and drink purchases.

Dr Ioanna Katiforis
Research Fellow, Deakin University
Knowlege Translation Coordinator, University of Sydney

Dr Ioanna Katiforis has a research background in infant nutrition and graduated with a PhD in Human Nutrition at the University of Otago, New Zealand in 2024. She is particularly interested in commercial foods for infants and young children, household food insecurity, and infant feeding practices. Ioanna is passionate about researchers and health professionals working together to support better outcomes for families with infants facing food insecurity and being informed by their firsthand experiences. Her current research uses implementation science to examine the scalability of early childhood obesity prevention programs.

Naomi Hull
RN, MPH, PhD Candidate

Naomi Hull RN, MPH, PhD Candidate at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health. She is interested in understanding how food security for infants and children is positioned in global discourse, how the commercial determinants of health impact food security, and feels strongly about policies to support mothers to reach their breastfeeding goals in an Australia that cares how babies and young children are fed.

Naomi volunteers with the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a Breastfeeding Counsellor (since 2006) and as the national coordinator for the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative – Australian team.

Dr Alexandra Chung
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Monash University

Dr Alex Chung is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Senior Lecturer with the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University. Her research focuses on food systems, environments and policies to promote healthy diets. She is currently leading a program of research on commercial foods for infants and toddlers to support the design of policies that protect and promote healthy diets among young children.