School of Health Sciences
Swinburne University of Technology
Margaret Murray, PhD
Bio
Dr Margaret Murray is a Dietitian and Senior Lecturer in Nutrition with the School of Health Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology. She is the Course Director for the Bachelor of Nutrition and has a passion for authentic and engaging education. Margaret’s teaching expertise encompasses introductory human nutrition and health, nutrition metabolism, food systems, food regulation, professional identity, and research skills. She is highly engaged with education-focussed research, with current projects focused on assessment and national nutrition competencies, and she holds a Graduate Certificate of Learning and Teaching (Higher Education).
Margaret has a strong interest in communicating nutrition and is a regular writer for The Conversation, with multiple media appearances across television and radio, along with other public speaking engagements. Margaret’s research also focusses on communicating evidence-based nutrition with the public. She is leading a research program aimed at improving the way we communicate nutrition information, specifically dietary guidelines, with young adults via social media. She is also interested in the way dietary guidelines are developed and communicated with the public more broadly.
Margaret also has expertise in investigating the health impacts of bioactive compounds in food for chronic disease prevention/health promotion. She has coordinated multiple human clinical research studies and is comfortable using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Margaret thoroughly enjoys supervising research students and passing on her expertise to the next generation. Margaret has collaborated with the Sustainable Nutrition initiative team at the Riddet Institute in New Zealand, the Fraunhofer Research Institute in Germany, and worked with industry partners Marinova Pty Ltd and Jenny Craig. She welcomes interest for collaboration in relation to both research and teaching.
Margaret holds a Certificate IV in Leadership and Management and demonstrates leadership and engagement across her institution and discipline through roles such as Academic Director (Pathways) for the School of Health Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology and Secretary for SIGNETT (Special Interest Group for Nutrition Education and Tertiary Teaching) with the Nutrition Society of Australia.

Education
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN LEARNING AND TEACHING (HIGHER EDUCATION) (2025)
Swinburne University of Technology
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2019)
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University
‘A novel investigation of the anti-hyperglycaemic and anti-hyperlipidaemic effects of a polyphenol-rich Fucus vesiculosus extract’
CERTIFICATE IV IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT (2018)
Monash University Short Courses Centre
HONOURS DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF NUTRITION (2014)
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University
‘The impact of multicomponent weight management interventions on psychosocial factors, physical activity and BMI z-score in overweight and obese adolescents’
BACHELOR OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS (2013)
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University
Employment
2023 - Current
SENIOR LECTURER NUTRITION
School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology
Key responsibilities:
· Course Director and education leadership
· Research leadership and collaboration
· Institutional and disciplinary leadership and engagement roles
· Science communication
2023
LECTURER
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University
Key responsibilities:
· Supervising and mentoring post graduate research students
· Unit coordination, chief examiner duties and teaching several undergraduate and postgraduate units
· Development and continuous improvement of teaching material and unit content
· Leading human clinical research studies
· Collaborating with experienced researchers and educators
· Producing communication materials including presentations and publications
2020—2023
TEACHING ASSOCIATE & RESEARCH FELLOW
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University
Key responsibilities:
· Independently developing, coordinating, teaching and improving Masters level units
· Collaborating with experienced researchers and educators
· Leading human clinical research studies
· Supervising PhD, honours and undergraduate research students
2018—2021
RESEARCH FELLOW
School of Chemistry, Monash University
