Advisory expertise provided by Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research

Our staff hold roles with, and act as advisors for, a large number of organisations working in diabetes and obesity prevention, care and research.

Our people

International roles

Working with agencies

• Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network Associate Professor Rachael Taylor is co-leader of the management stream.
• Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Associate Professor Rachael Taylor is an Executive Council member and secretary for the organisation.
• European Association for the Study of Diabetes Professor Mann chairs the Nutrition Guidelines Group of EASD. This group reports on various matters of nutrition of importance to diabetes, such as producing evidence-based guidelines for the dietary management and treatment or type 2 diabetes.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand Research expertise.
• International Union of Nutritional Sciences Professor Mann has chaired the Taskforce on Evidence-based Nutrition since 2005.
• World Cancer Research Fund International Professor Mann works extensively with the fund, which has recently published its second expert report into the association of nutrition and lifestyle factors with cancer.
• World Health Organisation Professor Mann has a long history with WHO, and has held membership of the Expert Advisory Panel on Nutrition since 2011 and been a member of the Nutrition Guidance Expert Group (NUGAG) since 2009.

Reviewing for grant applications

Our staff review grant applications for a number of international organisations including:

• Diabetes UK
• National Institutes of Health (USA)

Reviewing for publication

Staff review papers for a wide range of journals, including, but not limited to:

• The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• British Medical Journal
• Canadian Mediacl Association Journal
• Diabetes Care
• Diabetologia
• European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• The Lancet

Staff hold editorial roles for:

• Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Artherosclerosis
• Diabetes Nutrition and Metabolism
• European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Nutrition and Food Science
• Pediatric Obesity

National roles

Advisory expertise for government bodies

• Atlas of Healthcare Variation, Health Quality & Safety Commission. Jim Mann is chair of the Diabetes advisory sub-group.
• District Health Board Research Fund (Health Research Council) Professor Mann has been a member of the steering committee for the Translational Research Initiative since 2008.
• Health Promotion Agency Associate Professor Rachael Taylor is a member of the Expert Advisory Group. Professor Jim Mann chairs the Nutrition and Physical Activity Technical Advisory Group.
• Health Research Council Staff participate in reviewing applications for research grants and serve on several grants committees. Dr Kirsten Coppell is an invited member of the HRC college of experts. Associate Professor Rachael Taylor was a member of the Stakeholder Reference Group in a joint project with the Ministry of Health examining Cost effectiveness of public health interventions to prevent obesity.
• Health Select Committee Report (New Zealand Parliament) Professor Mann was an expert advisor to the health select committee, and staff of EDOR gave oral presentations on obesity and type 2 diabetes in New Zealand.
• Health Sponsorship Council Associate Professor Rachael Taylor was a member of the Public Health Reference Group for Improving Nutrition
• Health Workforce New Zealand Diabetes Review Group Dr Kirsten Coppell was an invited member of this group.
• National Cervical Screening Advisory Group DR Kirsten Coppell was an invited member of this group.
• National Diabetes Services Improvement Group Dr Kirsten Coppell is an invited member.
• New Zealand Food Safety Authority Professor Mann has been a Food Science Academy Member since 2005.
• New Zealand Guidelines Group Professor Mann chaired the Diabetes Guideline Revision 2008-2011. Dr Kirsten Coppell was an invited member serving on the Cardiovascular Guidelines Revision Team.
• New Zealand Ministry of Health Professor Mann was a member of the Steering Group on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Quality Improvement Plan. The group reported to the Minister of Health on issues or potential improvements in the health care of people living with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Associate Professor Rachael Taylor was a member of the Food and beverage Classification for Educational Settings Technical Advisory Group
  Quality Improvement Plan media release.
• Sector Reference Group for Unhealthy Weight Associate Professor Rachael Taylor is a member of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Actions group.

Working with agencies

• Agencies for Nutrition Action Associate Professor Rachael Taylor served on the National Scientific Committee
• Centre for Translational Research into Chronic Diseases EDOR forms part of this group. Professor Mann is the director of this Centre, which spans different universities, institutions and organisations. CTRCD was responsible for the evaluation of the 'Healthy Eating, Healthy Action' programme.
• Diabetes New Zealand Jim Mann acts as an advisor nationally, has assisted with the production of a successful DNZ Cookbook, has spoken to members of Parliament on behalf of DNZ and been an invited speaker at the national conference. He is also Patron of Diabetes Otago.
• Gut Health Network Dr Kirsten Coppell is on the steering committee.
• Heart Foundation Professor Mann helped establish the foundation's 'Pick the Tick' programme. He also acts as an advisor to several of their community and patient related groups and has been guest speaker at several local functions.
• New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes EDOR acts as the secretariat interfacing between the Executive and the membership as well as individuals with general interest enquiries. Dr Kirsten Coppell is a member of the executive committee, and Professor Mann has previously chaired the committee and continues to hold membership.
• Otago International Health Research Network (Centre for International Health, University of Otago) Professor Mann is a member of the Advisory Group.