Rate My Professor Emily Burch

Dr. Emily Burch is a Lecturer in the Discipline of Diabetes Education and Management within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University, based at the Gold Coast campus. She serves as Course Coordinator for the Postgraduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Management, where she educates the next generation of diabetes healthcare professionals. Emily holds a PhD from Griffith University, a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics from Griffith University, a Bachelor from Queensland University of Technology, and a Graduate Certificate in Diabetes from an accredited institution. Her clinical background includes work in Aboriginal community healthcare, providing her with practical insights into diverse patient needs.

Emily's research specializes in improving diabetes healthcare across public and private sectors, with a focus on underserved populations, particularly individuals with intellectual disabilities. She uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify barriers to care, evaluate interventions, and develop inclusive diabetes management strategies. Key publications include 'Dietary intake by food group of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review' (2018, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice), 'Dietitians' perspectives on teaching nutrition to medical students' (2017, Journal of the American College of Nutrition), 'Short-term improvements in diet quality in people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes' (2020, Nutrition & Diabetes), 'How does diet change with a diagnosis of diabetes? Protocol of the 3D Longitudinal Study' (2019, Nutrients), and 'What is the dietary intake and nutritional status of defence members: a systematic literature review' (2025, Nutrition Research Reviews). She is a member of Dietitians Australia, the Australian Diabetes Educators Association, the Psychosocial Aspects of Diabetes group, and the National Intellectual Disability Clinicians Network. Emily also serves on Southern Cross University's High Risk Ethics Committee. As a prominent science communicator, she has authored over 43 articles for The Conversation, amassing more than 4.5 million readers, and regularly contributes to ABC radio broadcasts, translating research into accessible public health information.