DrRebecca Bennett

Associate Research Fellow

Faculty of Health/School of Health and Social Development/Institute for Health Transformation

  • Associate Research Fellow
    Faculty of Health/School of Health and Social Development/Institute for Health Transformation
  • Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research focuses on the evolving digital food environment and its implications for public health. I examine the role of online food retail platforms—such as delivery apps, meal kits, and online grocery services—in shaping food access, consumption patterns, and health outcomes. A key aspect of my work is understanding corporate power within these digital spaces, including how marketing, platform design, and regulatory gaps influence dietary choices and equity in food systems. I employ mixed methods approaches to explore these dynamics, with the goal of informing policies that promote healthier and more equitable food environments.

GRANTS

  • COMPETITIVE GRANT
    Data processing for PriceTracker database
    National Health and Medical Research Council16 Mar 2026 - 31 Oct 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    • Bennett R,
    • Richter APC
  • INTERNAL GRANT
    Consensus-based standards for co-design practice (CaSCoP)
    Institute for Health Transformation1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2026
    People funded by this grant:
  • INTERNAL GRANT
    Small Business, Big Tech: Understanding Restaurant–Delivery Platform Relationships through a Commercial Determinants of Health Lens
    Institute for Health Transformation1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2026
    People funded by this grant:
    • Bennett R,
    • Vargas C,
    • Needham C,
    • Gupta A,
    • Sievert K
  • CONTRACT RESEARCH
    Healthier Digital Food Environments in Denmark
    Danish Cancer Society1 Jun 2025 - 1 Jul 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    • Liyana Pathirana N,
    • Bennett R,
    • Backholer K,
    • Martino F,
    • Bhatti A