Kris Vingrys is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Registered Nutritionist, holding professional memberships with Dietitians Australia, Nutrition Society of Australia and American Society for Nutrition, and has previously worked with Nutrition Australia as a workplace consultant. She has clinical experience as a private practice dietitian, working in multidisciplinary settings, supporting clients with medical nutrition therapy with various nutrition-related goals primary in chronic disease management.

As a founding member of VU's First Year College (FYC), Kris brings her enthusiasm for nutrition, dietetics and public health to teaching in the block model, with over 10 years’ combined experience in university teaching in Australia and overseas, with a special interest in utilising block model principles, interactive learning activities, field trips and AVID high engagement pedagogy. At FYC, Kris plays a key role in the development and teaching of specialist units in human nutrition and dietetics (RBM1820 Nutrition, Society and Communication, HPC1000 Introduction to Human Nutrition and Food, HPC1001 Food Components), as well as teaching public health (HHB1105 Evidence and Health 1, HHB1204 Australian Health and Social Care Systems and Policy) and Human Physiology (RBM1174).

Kris is a Research Fellow with VU's Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS) with current research interests in public health nutrition and Aboriginal dietary practices. Together with Moondani Balluk, her community research is exploring the role of Aboriginal dietary practices and placemaking, and impacts on social and emotional wellbeing and food sovereignty. As Honorary Research Fellow with Cancer Council Victoria, Kris is also leading research investigating the role of dietary polyphenols in cancer risk, following on from her PhD studies investigating colorectal cancer incidence and polyphenols in a large multi-ethnic Melbourne cohort.

In 2022, Kris completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at University College Dublin working with the ALPHABET consortium across four European countries in six cohorts, investigating childhood dietary inflammation and obesity outcomes. Previous research industry partnership with Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing investigated malted grains and nutrition and health outcomes. Research skills include nutrition epidemiology, individual participant data meta-analysis, quantile regression, analytical chemistry and research and community partnerships.

Kris volunteers and promotes community engagement, inclusivity and diversity, as a member of the Victoria University Public Health Network, a VU Pride and ALLY Network Member, health and wellbeing committees within VU and in the community, and a former volunteer with UCD in the Community facilitating English conversation classes with refugee communities in Dublin.

 

Portfolios

Areas of expertise

  • Human Nutrition
  • Dietetics
  • Food science
  • Public health
  • Nutrition epidemiology

Contact details

+61 (3) 9919 5339
[email protected]

Publications

  • Vingrys, K, Mathai, ML, Apostolopoulos, V, Bassett, JK, de Courten, M, Stojanovska, L, Millar, L, Giles, GG, Milne, RL, McAinch , AJ,  Hodge, AM  2023, ‘Cereal polyphenol intakes in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study’, Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 8556.
    ​SCImago Journal Rank (Multi-disciplinary): 0.973, Q1; H index: 282; IF 2021: 4.996
  • Vingrys, K, McCarthy, H, Segurado, R, Hébert, JR, Phillips, CM 2023, ‘Socio-ecological predictors of dietary inflammatory scores and associations with childhood and adolescent adiposity: A protocol for a rapid scoping review of observational studies’, PloS One, vol. 18, no. 5, e0286200.
    SCImago Journal Rank (Multi-disciplinary): 0.885, Q1; H index: 404; IF 2021: n/a

 

CONFERENCES

  • Vingrys, K, Segurado, R, Hébert, JR, Bottai, M, Chen, L-W, Crozier, S, Duijts, L, Harvey, NC, Jaddoe, VWV, Kelleher, C, McAuliffe, FM, Polanska, K, Suderman, M, & Phillips, CM (2023, 17-20 May) Dietary inflammation and associations with weight status in European children: preliminary findings from an individual participant data meta-analysis and quantile regression. 30th European Congress on Obesity, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Vingrys, K Mathai, ML, Apostolopoulos, V, Bassett, JK,  de Courten, M, Stojanovska, L, Millar, L, Giles, GG,  Milne, RL,  McAinch , AJ,  Hodge, AM  2020, ‘Cereal polyphenol intakes and colorectal cancer risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study’, Nutrition Society of Australia 44th Annual Scientific Meeting, Virtual, 3-4 December

See Google Scholar Research Profile link for full list of publications

 

Professional memberships

Dietitians Association of Australia (Accredited Practising Dietitian – APD)

Nutrition Society of Australia (Registered Nutritionist – R. Nutr.)

American Society for Nutrition (Early Career Member)

Community Identity and Displacement Research Network (CIDRN) Member

The International Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching Association (IBILTA) Member

 

Industry experience

  • Private Practice Dietitian – supporting clients with various diet-related goals, including healthy eating, chronic disease management, food intolerances/allergies and vegetarian diets
  • Workplace Consultant – Nutrition Australia
  • Research Officer – Victoria University (hospital acquired malnutrition project)
  • Sessional Lecturer – Victoria University, Melbourne and RMIT University, Nanjing, China

Appearances in the media

  • AVID Australia (2018), Back to school for VU’s First Year College teaching staff, AVID Australia. (Vingrys, K. quoted in article)
  • Nelson, K*., Stojanovska, L., Mathai, M., Stepto, N. (2014) Health Check: tips on eating to recover after exercise, The Conversation.
  • Nelson, K*., Stojanovska, L., Mathai, M. (2013) Whole grains are better for you but they’re no panacea, The Conversation.

*Kris Vingrys was previously Kris Nelson.