DrAlissa Burnett

Dr Alissa Burnett is a nutrition researcher in the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) and the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University.

Her research focuses on children's eating behaviours, parental feeding practices, and dietary intake in early childhood. She is particularly interested in understanding why some children are fussy eaters and how eating behaviours develop across childhood, with the goal of identifying practical strategies that support healthy dietary intake.

Alissa's research combines observational and intervention approaches. She leads an interdisciplinary program of research exploring the use of picture books to promote vegetable acceptance and reduce food fussiness in young children. This work brings together expertise from nutrition, behavioural science, and visual communication design to develop engaging, evidence-based resources for families and early childhood settings. She also leads the Longitudinal Assessment of Children's Eating (LACE) study, a prospective cohort examining the relationships between children's eating behaviours and parental feeding practices from infancy through early childhood. Her research has been published in leading nutrition and public health journals and has been featured in national media.

Alissa teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate nutrition programs and is passionate about supporting student learning through inclusive teaching, authentic assessment, and research-informed practice. She also supervises Masters and PhD students and is actively involved in the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), where she has held several leadership roles.