Dr Eleanor Dunlop

Deakin University, WA

About Dr Eleanor Dunlop

LET’S GET STARTED! TELL US AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF...
My first career was with Telstra, where I worked in resource planning and complaints management. I began studying nutrition part time in 2010 as something ‘useful’ to do once my kids had both started full time school. It was as much of a surprise to me as anyone that it turned into 12 years of study, as I went on to qualify as a dietitian before moving onto a PhD and research career pathway. Alongside researching how what we eat may affect the onset and progression of MS, another passion in research for me is measuring the nutrient content of foods. That information underpins so much of the research that we do around diet.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN MS RESEARCH?
I had, and still have, a wonderful role model, supervisor, mentor and source of inspiration in MS research. Associate Professor Lucinda Black has supervised all of my research since I undertook a small research project as part of my Master of Dietetics qualification. She identified a gap in MS research, relating to diet, and now there’s a whole team of us working to find ways to make a difference for people with or at risk of MS through diet.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN THE MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENT IN MS RESEARCH?
I think it’s super-exciting that there is emerging evidence that diet may influence MS onset and progression. There are many factors in MS that people have no control over, but diet is something that people can be empowered to adapt according to their needs and preferences. Some of the diets that have been marketed to people with MS are very restrictive, which can have a big impact on how people eat and enjoy food. It’s especially exciting to see recent research, including ours, showing that it may not be necessary to heavily restrict certain foods. Rather, a healthy, balanced diet may be the key.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECT...
This project will investigate whether certain diets, foods or nutrients may be linked to MS onset in children. We will look at dietary factors such as ultra-processed foods, dairy products and individual nutrients. We have this rare opportunity because we have been granted access to data from a Canadian study – one of only two of its kind that we know of - that has collected dietary intake data from both children with MS and healthy children.
WHY IS YOUR RESEARCH IMPORTANT AND HOW WILL IT INFLUENCE THE UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT OF MS?
While good progress is being made on investigating diet and risk of MS in adults, very few studies have addressed this in children. It’s important to find out whether diet may also influence risk of MS in children. One of the risk factors for developing MS is having a family history of MS, such as a parent with MS. Many people who have MS want to know if there are any foods or nutrients that might help their children avoid getting MS. So far, our studies have suggested that healthier ways of eating – like eating fish and fewer highly processed foods – may be beneficial in terms of likelihood of MS in adults. Identifying dietary factors that are relevant to MS onset in children may encourage healthy eating practices early in life, which is good for overall health throughout the life course.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING IN THE LAB AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE?
I’m very grateful to have work that I love doing and look forward to every day. A big part of what makes that so enjoyable is the wonderful team of people that I work with. My work requires very little traditional lab work, so I have great flexibility in working from home or on campus. One of the biggest challenges in research in general is that we need a strong evidence base to support changes in policy and practice, and that takes time and resources. That is why the work of MS Australia in supporting research like this is so important.
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Eleanor Dunlop