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Lambert, Kelly Dr

Academic Program Director Nutrition and Dietetics

  • Senior Lecturer - University of Wollongong 2019 -
  • Translating Research Into Practice Research Fellow - NHMRC 2018 - 2020

Overview

Kelly has a passion for clinical research that aims to improve patient care.

Research Overview

  • Kelly Lambert is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian specialising in renal disease. Kelly has more than 20 years expereince as a clinical dietitian and spent 14 years as the Senior renal clinical lead dietitian  at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Her main areas of clinical work were the provision of care to patients with end stage kidney disease undertaking dialysis or who have received a kidney transplant.

    Kelly has extensive teaching experience and has also supervised more than 50 research students from the fields of nutrition, dietetics, medical science and graduate medicine. Her research interests include research to improve the provision of education to patients, especially those with kidney disease to improve patient outcomes. 

    Kelly is an active member of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) Renal Interest Group; the Australian New Zealand Society of Nephrology and the postgraduate Renal Nutrition Program. Kelly has presented her research at many national and international conferences.

    Innovations developed as part of her research program include the Easy Diet Diary Renal app. This was developed as a collaboration between Xyris Software, Professor Grahame Elder and Kelly Lambert. See here for more details https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/easy-diet-diary-renal/id1007054961?mt=8

Selected Publications

Impact Story

  • Coeliac disease is a gastrointestinal condition managed solely through a lifelong gluten-free diet, and affects one in 70 Australians. Carefully following a gluten-free diet is crucial in preventing complications such as bowel cancer, osteoporosis and infertility. However for Australian families with a member affected by coeliac disease, the expense of a gluten-free diet is an unavoidable reality. <br /><br />In the first research of its kind in Australia, we published a study that demonstrated that families could be paying up to 17 per cent more for a gluten–free diet and for some single gluten-free items as much as 500 per cent more. The study we published compared the cost of a basket of gluten-free healthy foods, with a traditional healthy food basket, among four different family types. We found that following a healthy gluten free diet was most expensive for nuclear families, single parent families and single young males – and was even more difficult for these family types receiving welfare payments.  <br /><br />This research demonstrated that following a gluten-free diet was unaffordable for the majority of family types, and for most families receiving welfare payments in Australia. The research also documented a hefty mark-up for gluten-free staples, like bread and flour, compared with ‘regular’ foods. For example, gluten free items were between 316% (for wraps) and 574% (for flour) more expensive per 100g. <br /><br />The publicity generated by this research was extensive and generated significant discussion both online, on radio and on TV. This included discussions about the need for the federal government to consider a national subsidised medical foods program in Australia, similar to a model being used in England, so that people with coeliac disease can have better access to affordable gluten-free staple foods via prescription.

     Detail View
  • <p>Using seed funding provided by the UOW Pitch competition, Kelly has developed a mobile application for people with kidney disease. The free app uses Australian food composition data and allows users to record their food intake as well as determine the energy, protein, fat, sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphate intake. The app also includes bar code scanning capabilities to enable users to analyse new foods in renal time. The app is the only one of its type available in the Australasian & Singapore app markets. It is ranked #33 in the Apple App store in the Medical app category (of which there are an estimated 47 526 apps as at January 2019). Feedback from users is overwhelmingly positive with an average rating 4.7 out of 5 stars. The app has been downloaded thousands of times.  Feasibility testing has also confirmed that use of the app enhances motivation and patient adherence to the renal diet. </p>

     Detail View

Reviewer Of

Professional Service Activities

Outreach And Community Service Activities

Teaching Overview

  • Clinical Dietetics; Nutritional Physiology, Education and Counselling

Keywords

  • dietetics
  • gut microbiota
  • health literacy
  • health services research
  • nephrology
  • patient education 

Full Name

  • Kelly Lambert

Mailing Address

  • Bulding 41.309, University of Wollongong

    Northfields Ave

    Wollongong

    NSW

    2522

    Australia

Web Of Science Researcher Id

  • A-3940-2015

Research Overview

  • Kelly Lambert is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian specialising in renal disease. Kelly has more than 20 years expereince as a clinical dietitian and spent 14 years as the Senior renal clinical lead dietitian  at the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Her main areas of clinical work were the provision of care to patients with end stage kidney disease undertaking dialysis or who have received a kidney transplant.

    Kelly has extensive teaching experience and has also supervised more than 50 research students from the fields of nutrition, dietetics, medical science and graduate medicine. Her research interests include research to improve the provision of education to patients, especially those with kidney disease to improve patient outcomes. 

    Kelly is an active member of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) Renal Interest Group; the Australian New Zealand Society of Nephrology and the postgraduate Renal Nutrition Program. Kelly has presented her research at many national and international conferences.

    Innovations developed as part of her research program include the Easy Diet Diary Renal app. This was developed as a collaboration between Xyris Software, Professor Grahame Elder and Kelly Lambert. See here for more details https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/easy-diet-diary-renal/id1007054961?mt=8

Selected Publications

Impact Story

  • Coeliac disease is a gastrointestinal condition managed solely through a lifelong gluten-free diet, and affects one in 70 Australians. Carefully following a gluten-free diet is crucial in preventing complications such as bowel cancer, osteoporosis and infertility. However for Australian families with a member affected by coeliac disease, the expense of a gluten-free diet is an unavoidable reality. <br /><br />In the first research of its kind in Australia, we published a study that demonstrated that families could be paying up to 17 per cent more for a gluten–free diet and for some single gluten-free items as much as 500 per cent more. The study we published compared the cost of a basket of gluten-free healthy foods, with a traditional healthy food basket, among four different family types. We found that following a healthy gluten free diet was most expensive for nuclear families, single parent families and single young males – and was even more difficult for these family types receiving welfare payments.  <br /><br />This research demonstrated that following a gluten-free diet was unaffordable for the majority of family types, and for most families receiving welfare payments in Australia. The research also documented a hefty mark-up for gluten-free staples, like bread and flour, compared with ‘regular’ foods. For example, gluten free items were between 316% (for wraps) and 574% (for flour) more expensive per 100g. <br /><br />The publicity generated by this research was extensive and generated significant discussion both online, on radio and on TV. This included discussions about the need for the federal government to consider a national subsidised medical foods program in Australia, similar to a model being used in England, so that people with coeliac disease can have better access to affordable gluten-free staple foods via prescription.

     Detail View
  • <p>Using seed funding provided by the UOW Pitch competition, Kelly has developed a mobile application for people with kidney disease. The free app uses Australian food composition data and allows users to record their food intake as well as determine the energy, protein, fat, sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphate intake. The app also includes bar code scanning capabilities to enable users to analyse new foods in renal time. The app is the only one of its type available in the Australasian & Singapore app markets. It is ranked #33 in the Apple App store in the Medical app category (of which there are an estimated 47 526 apps as at January 2019). Feedback from users is overwhelmingly positive with an average rating 4.7 out of 5 stars. The app has been downloaded thousands of times.  Feasibility testing has also confirmed that use of the app enhances motivation and patient adherence to the renal diet. </p>

     Detail View

Reviewer Of

Professional Service Activities

Outreach And Community Service Activities

Teaching Overview

  • Clinical Dietetics; Nutritional Physiology, Education and Counselling

Keywords

  • dietetics
  • gut microbiota
  • health literacy
  • health services research
  • nephrology
  • patient education 

Full Name

  • Kelly Lambert

Mailing Address

  • Bulding 41.309, University of Wollongong

    Northfields Ave

    Wollongong

    NSW

    2522

    Australia

Web Of Science Researcher Id

  • A-3940-2015

Visualisations

  Publication History
 

Research Areas

Geographic Focus