Neil Donnelly (FBDA)
The editor

Neil, while currently dietetic services manager in Blackpool in the north of England, is NHD editor and chief pot stirrer.

He graduated in 1970 from the University of Surrey with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. His first post took him to Zambia where, as a VSO, he was a food consumption survey team leader working for a United Nations research programme.

Back in the UK he spent time as a tourist guide before joining Slimming Magazine as a dietitian and subsequently became the manager of their Leicestershire Health Hydros. His first NHS post was as a district dietitian in Grimsby from where he moved to his current post of Dietetic Services Manager in Blackpool in 1977. His main areas of interest are weight management and eating disorders.

Neil has been actively involved with the British Dietetic Association over many years and was instrumental in developing and editing the magazine Adviser for all of its 90 issues. He is a Fellow of the BDA; the first and thus far only male to be awarded the highest honour that the profession can bestow on a dietitian.

Ursula Arens
Features Editor

Ursula works as a freelance dietitian, mainly writing and editing nutrition features. She has spent most of her career in industry as a company nutritionist for a food retailer and a pharmaceutical company.

She was also a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation for 7 years. Ursula loves the science and theory of nutrition, but still finds the practical side of things a challenge, especially with two young daughters who love chips and chocolate.

Ursula guides the NHD features agenda as well as contributing her regular column, 'International Lookout'.

Dr Anita MacDonald
Kids' Corner

Anita MacDonald is one of the UK's top paediatric dietitians.

As a consultant dietitian in inherited metabolic disorders Anita spends 50% of her professional time in clinical work with children and 50% researching and teaching.

We're not sure when she does it but Anita compiles 'Kids' Corner' for NHD each month which looks at her top five paediatric stories.

Paul Sacher  BSc (Med) Hons RD MBDA
Mend programme

Paul is founder and Research Director of MEND, an organisation committed to improving the health of families through the development of evidence-based and researched prevention and treatment programmes for childhood obesity.

Paul Sacher is a Senior Research Fellow at the MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre at the Institute of Child Health and an Honorary Specialist Dietitian at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He was awarded a Department of Health, Researcher Development Award in 2003 and is PR Officer for the Paediatric Group of the British Dietetic Association. He is also a Trustee of the National Obesity Forum and a member of the European Child Obesity Group.

Jeanette Crosland MSc RD
Good Sport

Jeanette is on of the world's leading freelance sports dietitians, having worked with elite athletes for almost 25 years.

Her current major involvement is with the British Paralympic Association and disability sport. Jeanette writes regularly for the sporting and popular press... and her 'Good Sport' column is the one most cited by student dietitians as the one they aspire to. Jeanette is getting pretty excited about the Olympics in 2012 and that's ages away!

Dr Amelia Lake (RD PHNutr PhD)
Into Research

Dr Amelia Lake is a dietitian and public health nutritionist with the Human Nutrition Research Centre at Newcastle University. She is currently holder of a Department of Health Post-doctoral Fellowship. 

Amelia’s research interests include exploring the obesogenic environment, behaviour change and food choice. Amelia is currently working with a multi-disciplinary team including urban designers and geographers to examine how the built environment interacts with physical activity and food behaviour in young people. Amelia has extensive experience of working with the media and a range of audiences, as well as academics, and has produced various training programmes and related material.

Tracy Purbrick RD
Public health comment

Tracy has 10 years experience working in the NHS and has spent the last 7 years plying her trade as a primary care dietitian in North West London. Her work includes HIV, general practice clinics and home enteral tube feeding. She has a particular interest in obesity and is herself a keen triathlete. Indeed, it is a persistent niggling injury that has led to time on the bench and unaccustomed spare time to vent her spleen.

Dr Clare Shaw
Cancer corner

Clare was appointed as the UK's first Consultant Dietitian in Oncology in 2004. With a PhD in nutrition and dietetics she is a chief dietitian providing advice to patients as well as educating hospital staff about the importance of diet in cancer care. Author of 'Cancer: the Power of Food'.

Kate Grimshaw
Allergy and diet

Kate works at Southampton General Hospital as a paediatric dietitian specialising in food allergy and infant and childhood feeding. Around 85% of her professional time is spent in research with the rest consisting of clinical work.