The PICNIC Team
Dr Richard Ball: PICNIC NSW Manager (Mid North Coast)
Richard Ball is the founder and manager of the PICNIC project. Richard has worked as a dietitian for 20 years’ holding positions in remote Aboriginal communities in Cape York Australia, in forensic mental health in the United Kingdom and for the last 13 years in infant/child feeding on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Richard recently completed his PhD with the University of Newcastle, investigating outcomes from the PICNIC Project. Before retraining as a Dietitian Richard worked with youth at risk in child, youth and family services, and in alcohol and other drug services.
Rachel Gerathy: PICNIC Mid North Coast/PICNIC Supported Playgroups
Rachel is a Dietitian in Health Promotion and the PICNIC operations manager. She has extensive experience and training in paediatric feeding. Rachel is developing the PICNIC in Supported Playgroups program to support priority population families.
Alison Walton: PICNIC Early Education (Mid North Coast)
Alison is a dietitian and Health Promotion Officer working in the Mid North Coast Local Health District. Alison is the PICNIC in Early Education lead and is currently evaluating the program’s effectiveness through HETI Rural Research Capacity Building Program.
Bri-Ellen Fussell: PICNIC Mid North Coast
Bri-Ellen has specialist training and over 10 years’ experience working as a Paediatric Dietitian. She is currently employed as a Health Promotion Officer on the Mid North Coast and is a recent addition to the PICNIC team. She is passionate about supporting families in their child feeding journey, empowering parents and carers with practical, evidence-based guidance.
Emma Foster: PICNIC Western NSW
Emma is a Senior Dietitian in Health Promotion in Western NSW. She has been a dietitian for almost 10 years and has experience working across a variety of areas, with a particular interest in nutrition and feeding in the early years
Sophie Roberts: PICNIC Central Coast
Sophie is a Dietitian & Public Health Nutritionist at Nutrition Services, Central Coast Local Health District. She has been a dietitian for over 20 years, working in clinical, community and public health nutrition roles across all age groups. As part of the Public Health Nutrition Team, Sophie delivers the PICNIC Project for families living on the Central Coast, NSW.
Anuschka Steiner: PICNIC Southern NSW
Anuschka is a Senior Health Promotion Officer within the Population Health Team in Southern NSW. With a strong background in Nutrition and Public Health, she brings extensive experience and a deep passion for supporting communities and families to thrive, with a particular focus on the critical First 2000 Days of life.
Kerith Duncanson: PICNIC Research Investigator
Kerith Duncanson is a Rural Research Program Manager for the Health Education and Training Institute (NSW Health), an Accredited Practising Dietitian, and digestive health research dietitian at the University of Newcastle. Kerith’s PhD studies investigated what and how parents feed their children and resulted in her ongoing involvement in PICNIC. Kerith’s current research interests are diverse and include gastrointestinal nutrition, Aboriginal health and nutrition, child feeding and health education.
Dr Maria Henström: PICNIC Sweden
Dr Henström is an assistant professor (researcher) and nutritionist working at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. With a strong interest in child feeding and parent’s support interventions, Maria has been with the PICNIC team since 2019 involved in program development and evaluation. With the aim to bring PICNIC to Sweden, she recently led a pilot study (“PICNIC Sweden”) together with registered dietitian Anna Jörnvi, research assistant, and dietitian Sara Ask who ran the Swedish PICNIC workshops. Parents were very positive to the program and data is currently being analysed.
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