Julie Dundon

DIRECTOR

Julie is a Foundation Co-Founder and Director of Nutrition Professionals Australia, dedicated to helping older adults make improved food choices to lead happier and healthier lives through better nutrition.

With extensive experience in the aged care industry, she has partnered many organisations across Australia to develop effective nutrition solutions for a range of settings. Her roles as a food services manager, residential site manager and consultant dietitian have provided Julie with a deep understanding of the daily challenges faced by the aged care industry. 

A respected leader in the dietetics profession, Julie has served on the Board of Dietitians Australia for 10 years, including four years as Vice-President and another four as President. More recently, she has played a leading role in advocating for aged care nutrition, contributing to the Dietitians Australia submission to the Royal Commission and serving as the Subject Matter Lead - Aged Care for Dietitians Australia and as a member of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council.

Sally Moloney

DIETITIAN

Sally is a passionate Accredited Practising Dietitian with experience both in Australia and the UK, in a range of practice areas including marketing, communications, member engagement, food industry, private practice, sports, weight management, hospitals and community settings.

Using her strong management and leadership skills, Sally is thrilled to lead the team of APDs providing menu appraisals to aged care facilities across the country, as part of NPA’s agreement with the Maggie Beer Foundation.

Sally enjoys helping people using evidence based information in all areas of her nutrition and dietetic work.

Letizia Sasanelli

DIETITIAN

Letizia is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who graduated from Flinders University with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Drawing significantly on her Italian heritage (she speaks Italian fluently), Letizia understands the importance of culture in a person’s food preferences, and thus uses a client-centred approach with her consultations.

This background has also instilled in Letizia, a passion for addressing the needs of our senior generations, and improving the quality of life for aged care residents through good food and nutrition. 

Letizia's key areas of interest include malnutrition, nutrition support and diabetes management.

Jillian Rafferty

DIETITIAN

Jillian is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and graduated from Wollongong University in 2005.

After starting her career in the hospital and community health setting, Jillian is now dedicated to helping improve nutrition for aged care residents. Her many years of experience in the sector, allows her to focus predominantly on aged care – working with health care teams, getting to know residents and understanding the individual needs of clients. 

She also works closely with food service teams, management teams and care staff to find common goals, and ways to combine skills and knowledge to get the best possible outcomes for residents.

Amy Peng

DIETITIAN

Amy Peng is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist. She graduated from Monash University in 2011. She is passionate about providing best-practice nutrition and dietetic care that delivers quality, expertise and innovation in the aged care sector. She has a special interest in Parkinson's Disease and is a professional member of Parkinson’s Victoria.

Amy is based in Victoria and is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. In her spare time, she enjoys running along the beach road and visiting local farmers markets.

Karen Thomas

DIETITIAN

Karen has over 20 years of experience working in hospitals, aged care facilities, food service, community and private practice dietetics. She is passionate about lifestyle medicine – the small tweaks we can all make to improve our health through nutrition, activity, sleep and stress management.

Karen is also a strong advocate for improving food and nutrition for older Australians. She is proud to partner with NPA and MBF for the menu appraisal process in aged care facilities. 

Outside of work, Karen is a Mother to 2 energetic boys. She loves camping, keeping fit, baking and can often be found in her backyard veggie patch. Her favourite food……dark chocolate of course!

Xavier Wong

DIETITIAN

Xavier is an enthusiastic Accredited Practising Dietitian who graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Dietetics with Nutrition, from the International Medical University in Malaysia. To delve deeper into his interest in physical activity and health, he pursued a Master of Health Science (Exercise and Health) at the University of Western Australia.

Xavier also has experience as a public health nutritionist and an alcohol and drug counsellor. His primary passion lies in supporting and facilitating individuals in adopting dietary and lifestyle changes to manage their health conditions and improve their overall nutrition and well-being. 

Ashlee Fuchs

DIETITIAN

Ashlee studied a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) at Flinders University. She has a passion for helping individuals make simple and easy diet modifications to improve their health and nutrition.

Ashlee has assisted the Flinders Aged Care Food and Nutrition team in projects focussing on improving the quality of food service for Australian Residents. She is currently conducting menu appraisals on behalf of NPA as a part of the Trainer Mentor Program with the Maggie Beer Foundation.

Outside of work, Ashlee enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and swimming.  

Lana Hirth

DIETITIAN

Lana is a dedicated Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) in 2017. 

She is deeply committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with the power of good food. With a diverse background in aged care Lana brings a wealth of knowledge and a genuine passion for assisting elderly individuals in achieving optimal health and well-being. 

Lana also has a special interest in women's health and understanding people's relationship with food as they age.

Claire Dorans-Knowles

DIETITIAN

Claire is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2021 with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics and has worked as an Aged Care Dietitian since graduating.

Claire is passionate about improving the nutritional status and quality of life of aged care residents through the enjoyment of food, drink and the dining experience. Claire works with aged care facility staff and residents to boost the nutritional status of all residents.

Marcela Velasquez Villa

DIETITIAN

Marcela Velasquez Villa is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. She graduated from her Bachelor degree in Colombia in 2010 and from her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at Flinders University in 2017.

She is passionate about helping others to improve their health through healthy eating. She loves working with all ages and in particular weight management.

Marcela is based in Adelaide, works in the private sector, and has 9 years of experience in her field. In her free time, she loves cycling, dancing, and outdoor adventures.

Anastasia Salagaras

DIETITIAN

Anastasia is an early career Accredited Practising Dietitian with experience in hospital work and running her own private practice. She is a foodie who is a firm supporter of balance and moderation; believing that nutrition cannot be addressed with a 'one size fits all' approach, but rather that each individual and their situation is unique, and should be treated as such. She is a caring and empathetic person, wanting to help those in need through her knowledge and skills as a dietitian.

She practices in a holistic and client-centred manner, aiming to meet the client where they’re at to support their specific health journey and goals. She provides tailored nutritional guidance on a range of health conditions, and has a keen interest in women's health.

Anastasia is excited to have partnered with NPA in supporting the quality of life and health of residents in aged care facilities and the home through their nutrition and food service systems.