ProfessorKathryn Backholer
Professor
Faculty of Health/School of Health and Social Development/Institute for Health Transformation
- ProfessorFaculty of Health/School of Health and Social Development/Institute for Health Transformation
- +61 3 924 43836 (Work)
- Geelong Waterfront Campus, 1 Gheringhap Street Geelong, Victoria 3220
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Online harms (with a focus on marketing and advertising)
Food Policy (particularly food marketing and food price and affordability)
Health equity and the social determinants of population health
Commercial determinants of health
Obesity prevention
Indigenous health
Sample projects include:
SCANNER - An Artificial Intelligent System for monitoring harmful marketing (food, gambling, tobacco, vapes and alcohol) to children (e.g Automated Detection of Digital Alcohol Marketing Using SCANNER: An Integrated Deep-Learning Approach - PubMed)
#DigitalYouth - using emerging technologies to monitor children and youth exposure to, and engagement with, digital marketing of products and brands known to be harmful to health (unhealthy food, alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, gambling).
Nourishing South Asia - an ongoing partnership with UNICEF South Asia to build the evidence for policy and programs to improve adolescent diets and health (e.g. Tackling the triple burden of adolescent girls’ malnutrition | The BMJ).
Understanding the social, commercial and cultural influences of population health and health inequities
Monitoring the price and affordability of foods and diets over time and in response to system shocks using automated data collection and data analytics
GRANTS
- CONTRACT RESEARCHSchool nutrition support in Indonesia15 Feb 2026 - 15 Sep 2026People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Jacobs J
- GRANTDeveloping evidence for the implementation of effective Food Voucher InitiaTives in AustraLia (FOOD VITAL)1 Oct 2025 - 30 Sep 2028People funded by this grant:
- Zorbas C,
- Ananthapavan J,
- Ng SW,
- Lindberg R,
- Backholer K
- CONTRACT RESEARCHCommercial and Economic Determinants of Health July 20241 Jul 2025 - 30 Jun 2030People funded by this grant:
- Sacks G,
- Paradies Y,
- Browne J,
- Backholer K,
- Martino F
- GRANTContinued work on the feasibility study on options to limit unhealthy food marketing to children10 Jun 2025 - 30 Jun 2025People funded by this grant:
- Ananthapavan J,
- Backholer K,
- Brown V,
- Tran M
- GRANTDeveloping a pilot for a technology-enabled solution for the monitoring of digital marketing of infant formulas11 Mar 2025 - 30 Jun 2026People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Bhatti A
- CONTRACT RESEARCHReview of Marketing of Infant Formula by Retailers17 Feb 2025 - 31 Dec 2025People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Richter APC,
- Marshall J
- GRANTUnmasking the dark side of digital marketing to young Australian's1 Feb 2025 - 31 Jan 2026People funded by this grant:
- Pathirana NL,
- Backholer K
- GRANTDeveloping proof-of-concept methods to hold industries accountable for the marketing of products that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease1 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2026People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Bhatti A,
- Freeman B,
- Kelly B
- GRANTAddressing Commercial Health-determinants: Indigenous Empowerment and Voices for Equity (ACHIEVE)1 Oct 2024 - 30 Sep 2029People funded by this grant:
- Paradies Y,
- Browne J,
- Sherriff S,
- Backholer K,
- Cubillo B
- CONTRACT RESEARCHFront of pack labelling analysis support for UNCIEF Indonesia16 Sep 2024 - 31 Mar 2025People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Hargous CV,
- Orellana L
- CONTRACT RESEARCHBetter Knowledge for Better Diets and Growth of Adolescent Girls in South Asia (Phase 3)1 Jul 2024 - 30 Jun 2025People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Pathirana NL,
- Reeve E,
- Khadka S,
- Hargous CV
- INTERNAL GRANTQuantifying the co-benefits of a sugary drinks tax in AustraliaInstitute for Health Transformations1 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024People funded by this grant:
- Liyana Pathirana N,
- Reeve E,
- Hadjikakou M,
- Backholer K,
- Sacks G
- GRANTThe commercial determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing: building the evidence and co-designing action1 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2028People funded by this grant:
- Browne J,
- Paradies Y,
- Sherriff S,
- Backholer K,
- Walker T
- CONTRACT RESEARCHAnalyzing Global Commitments to Food Security and Diets.21 Aug 2023 - 30 Jun 2024People funded by this grant:
- Zorbas C,
- Backholer K
- CONTRACT RESEARCHUnhealthy food marketing to children.15 Aug 2023 - 30 Sep 2024People funded by this grant:
- Backholer K,
- Ananthapavan J,
- Brown V,
- Peeters A
- FELLOWSHIPSafeguarding children from the online marketing of products known to increase risk of cardiovascular disease1 Jul 2023 - 30 Jun 2027People funded by this grant:
- Kathryn Backholer