This week, Rachael speaks to Leanne, a Research Dietician at Kings College London. Whenever she tells someone what she does, they immediately stand up straight and breathe in but as Leanne demonstrates, helping patients lose weight is not the only part of a dietician's role. Leanne originally intended to become a clinical dietician but ended up in research after not getting any of her first, second or third choice placements whilst at university. She’s been involved with helping understand the impact of snacking on almonds to improve your cardiovascular health as well as understanding how diet can help improve the symptoms of Crohns’ disease. We talk about the good and bad bits of the research dietician role as well as the important skills you’d need to demonstrate if you wanted a role in this field. Leanne has also spent some time as a clinical dietician so shares her experiences of what it was like treating patients in hospitals.

Useful Links:

• Read research articles on Pub Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
• Find out more about this career role: https://www.bda.uk.com/