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MSc(Guelph) PhD (Otago)

Sheila Skeaff Thumb 2016Email sheila.skeaff@otago.ac.nz

Professor Skeaff conducts research on the trace element status of the population, with a particular focus on iodine and fluoride in vulnerable groups of the population, such as children and pregnant women. Professor Skeaff is also interested in elucidating the consequences of mild iodine deficiency on normal growth and development, including cognition. She was a member of a multi-disciplinary group that measured the environmental literacy of students at the University of Otago. More recently, Professor Skeaff has led a team that developed and validated an online questionnaire to measure food literacy in children, which is currently being used to evaluate the impact of school gardens on food literacy in New Zealand children. Her Inaugural Professorial Lecture can be viewed here.

Professor Skeaff leads the Metrics and Management theme of Food Waste Innovation Otago, which measures food waste, develops reduction strategies, applies innovative technology, and works to modify producer and consumer behaviour. She has been involved in measuring food waste in primary production, retail, and food service (eg, universities halls of residence and aged care). Research in Food Waste Innovation builds on Professor Skeaff's interest in sustainable nutrition.

Professor Skeaff has an MSc in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of Guelph (Canada) and a PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Otago. In addition to being a long-standing academic at the University of Otago, Professor Skeaff has held or been appointed to a number of national and international expert groups. Professor Skeaff served as the President of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand for six years and is the vice-chair of the trans-Tasman Expert Working Group for Iodine that is reviewing the Australian/New Zealand Nutrient Reference Values for Iodine. She is a member of a World Health Organisation external expert group working to revise guidance on Iodine indicators. Professor Skeaff plays a key role in the governance of the Oceania Nutrition Leadership Platform (https://www.onlp.org/), serving as the Chair. She is on the Editorial Board of the journals Maternal and Child Nutrition and Frontiers of Nutrition. In 2018 she gained national recognition with an Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award and in 2022 was the OUSA best postgraduate supervisor of the year.

Teaching

Professor Skeaff coordinates and teaches:

She is also the Human Nutrition Postgraduate Coordinator and oversees the department's MSc and PhD programmes. As part of this role, she coordinates and teaches:

Current postgraduate students

PhD

  • Elena Piere (with M Mirosa and P O'Kane, S Styles) Food waste and reduction strategies in aged care in Aotearoa
  • Jessica O'Connor (with M Mirosa and P Bremer). Towards a circular bioeconomy: food loss, waste and opportunities in New Zealand beef and dairy production

Master of Science

  • Muffet Taro (with E Fehoko) Fathers' perspectives on child feeding in the Solomon Islands
  • Briar Mills (with M Mirosa and R O'Brien) Food waste in tertiary institutions
  • Zahrah Hatraby (with M Mirosa and C Smith) Food waste associated with the Ka Ora Ka Ako school lunch programme
  • Taingarue Mataira (with P Wilcox) Breeding characteristics of Manuka honey

Recent Graduates

PhD

  • Grace Clare (with M Mirosa and P Bremer). The social return on investment of food rescue organisations in New Zealand. (2024)
  • Nan Xin Wang (with R McLean and C Cameron). Quantifying sodium intake from discretionary salt in the New Zealand diet. (2023)
  • Pouya Saeedi (with P Skidmore and K Black). The Physical activity, Energy, Diet And Lifestyle (PEDALS) study. (2017)
  • Zheng Feei Ma (with B Venn). Thyroglobulin as an index of mild iodine deficiency in adults. (2016)

Honours

  • Jie Yu Ng. An evaluation of food literacy in children before and after the Garden-to-Table programme. (2022)

Master of Health Science

  • Carolyn Hamer (with M Skeaff). Food Literacy in Year 12 and 13 High School students. (2019)

Master of Science

  • Stephanie Dike (with L Moata'ane). Fluoride in Vanuatu: too much or too little? (2023)
  • Madeleine Rowan (with A-L Heath and M Mirosa). The impact of environmental attitudes of parents on food choices and behaviours during complementary feeding. (2022)
  • Emad Alsayed (with B Venn). The proportion of energy derived from plant-foods in the diets of adolescent girls who identify as omnivores or vegetarians. (2021)
  • Margaret Thorsen (with M Mirosa). Food waste for New Zealand fruit and vegetable growers. (2021)
  • Francesca Goodman-Smith (with M Mirosa). Food waste and nutritional loss at the supermarket. (2018)
  • Lara Ware (with MSkeaff). Food Literacy in New Zealand children. (2018)
  • Harriet Harrex and Brittany Davison (with P Skidmore and K Black). The Physical activity, Energy, Diet And Lifestyle (PEDALS) study. (2016)
  • Celine Evans. Iodine status of pregnant NZ women post-fortification. (2015)

Master of Dietetics

  • Kendall Airey and Abigail McPhail. Attitudes and willingness of university students to reduce meat and replace with plant-based proteins. (2022)
  • Yue Shin Ong (with M Peddie and J Haszard). Iodine intakes in adolescent girls and boys enrolled in SuNDiAL. (2022)
  • Kathy Xu, Mickey Yuan, Molly Peters, Aysu Shahin (with M Peddie and J Haszard). Iodine and fluoride intakes in adolescent boys enrolled in SuNDiAL. (2021)

Publications

Lara-Castor, L., O'Hearn, M., Cudhea, F., Miller, V., Shi, P., Zhang, J., … Global Dietary Database, including Skeaff, S. (2025). Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries. Nature Medicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4 Journal - Research Article

Thorsen, M., Mirosa, M., Skeaff, S., Goodman-Smith, F., & Bremer, P. (2025). Not all upcycled food is created equal: What is sustainable? The Briefing, (9 January). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/not-all-upcycled-food-created-equal-what-sustainable Journal - Research Other

Eyles, H., Rapson, J., Fuavao, K., Jiang, Y., Kira, G., Wall, C., Skeaff, S., … McLean, R. (2024). The sodium, potassium, and iodine intake, and blood pressure of New Zealand school children: A cross-sectional survey. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand (NSNZ) 58th Annual Conference: Kotahitanga. (pp. 59). Retrieved from https://www.nsnzconference.co.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Hatraby, Z., Smith, C., Mirosa, M., & Skeaff, S. A. (2024). Food waste and the Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunch programme. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand (NSNZ) 58th Annual Conference: Kotahitanga. (pp. 44). Retrieved from https://www.nsnzconference.co.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Mills, B. C., Mirosa, M., O'Brien, R., & Skeaff, S. A. (2024). Food waste at residential colleges at the University of Otago: Statistics and strategies. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand (NSNZ) 58th Annual Conference: Kotahitanga. (pp. 45). Retrieved from https://www.nsnzconference.co.nz/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

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