Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
BSc (Hons), MPH, PhD
Associate Professor Seema Mihrshahi is an Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences. She has a background in public health nutrition and nutrition epidemiology. Her current research focuses on optimal infant growth and young child feeding, community-based approaches for improving healthy eating, improving food security in vulnerable groups. She has a keen interest in research translation, particularly implementing effective strategies to achieve optimal growth in early life and throughout the lifecourse. She has led various research projects with a focus on women’s and children’s health both within Australia and internationally.
She has over 130 peer reviewed publications and has been awarded over $9 million in research grants. Seema is a chief investigator on three current National Health and Medical Research Council grants. She works closely with researchers at the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland and holds Affiliate/ Honorary titles at the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland.
Research interests
Childhood obesity, epidemiology, food insecurity, health promotion, infant and young child feeding, nutrition, public health, social determinants of health, sustainable food systems
Teaching
Previous teaching 2020-2025
Determinants of Health
Public Health Capstone
Global Nutrition and Food Security
Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Promotion
Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostatistics
MPH Research
Inclusive Health
Research student supervision
Current research students:
Allyson Todd (University of Sydney)
Danielle Jawad PhD candidate (University of Sydney)
Abby Smith PhD candidate (University of Sydney)
Recent research students (graduated)
Taylah Scutts MPH Research candidate (Macquarie University)
Nadia Farnaz MPH Research candidate (Macquarie University)
Gantsetseg Ganbold MPH Research candidate (Macquarie University)
Carla Alves Lopes PhD candidate (Macquarie University)
Khadija Abdelramman MPH Research candidate (Macquarie University)
Mariam Mandoh PhD candidate (University of Sydney)
Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar PhD (University of Sydney)
Nadine Ghammachi MPH Research (Macquarie University)
Saldana Hossain MPH Research candidate (Macquarie University)
Jemma Keat MPH Research candidate (Macquarie University)
Sytuha Binte Ali MPH Research (Macquarie University)
Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani MPH Research (Macquarie University)
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Curtin University
MPH, University of Sydney
BSc (Hons), University of Sydney
External positions
Research Affiliate , NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Research Affiliate , Prevention Research Collaboration, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown 2006, Australia.
Honorary Senior Research Fellow , The University of Queensland
Fingerprint
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- 6 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Associations between diet, food insecurity and mental health in the National Health Survey
Dharmayani, P. N. A. (Primary Chief Investigator) & Mihrshahi, S. (Primary Chief Investigator)
1/12/23 → 28/12/26
Project: Research
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USYD Led: Adolescent-led transformation of preventive and public health research using citizen science
Partridge, S. R. (Chief Investigator), Champion, K. E. (Chief Investigator), Mihrshahi, S. (Primary Chief Investigator), Redfern, J. (Chief Investigator), Cheng, H. L. (Chief Investigator), Gardner, L. A. (Chief Investigator), Phongsavan, P. (Chief Investigator), Singleton, A. C. (Chief Investigator), Jay, O. (Chief Investigator), Hyun, K. (Chief Investigator), Thornton, L. (Chief Investigator), Laird, Y. (Associate Investigator), Raeside, R. (Associate Investigator), Skinner, J. (Associate Investigator), Chau, J. (Associate Investigator), Wardak, S. (Associate Investigator), Schirmer, T. (Associate Investigator) & Wardak, D. (Associate Investigator)
13/03/23 → 12/03/26
Project: Research
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USYD Led: Health4Me: Improving adolescent physical activity and nutrition behaviours via primary care
Partridge, S. R. (Chief Investigator), Redfern, J. (Chief Investigator), Steinbeck, K. (Chief Investigator), Hackett, M. (Chief Investigator), Figtree, G. A. (Chief Investigator), Gallagher, R. (Chief Investigator), Kang, M. (Chief Investigator), Mihrshahi, S. (Primary Chief Investigator) & Hyun, K. (Chief Investigator)
27/10/22 → 26/10/25
Project: Research
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Mothers and their Children’s Healthcare Experience Study (MatCHES)
Mihrshahi, S. (Chief Investigator)
1/07/21 → 30/06/25
Project: Research
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Food Co-Operatives: A Potential Community-Based Strategy to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Sydney, Australia
Mihrshahi, S. (Primary Chief Investigator)
1/08/20 → 31/12/21
Project: Research
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Building the capacity of adolescents as researchers: the co-creation of the Health Hive online course
Todd, A. R., Wardak, S., Connor, K., Soo, E., Wang, E., Mautner, D., Wardak, D., Dharmayani, P. N. A., Singleton, A. C., Chau, J., Mihrshahi, S., Raeside, R., Partridge, S. R. & The Health Hive Team, 15 Jun 2026, In: Health Expectations. 29, 3, p. 1-11 11 p., e70725.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile9 Downloads (Pure) -
Exploring small retailers' perspectives on selling tobacco after the tripling of Tasmania's tobacco licence fee
Smith, A. L., Mihrshahi, S. & Freeman, B., 8 Jan 2026, In: Tobacco Control. 35, 1, p. 90-96 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Food insecurity among university students: evidence from three cross-sectional surveys, 2020–2024
Dharmayani, P. N. A. & Mihrshahi, S., 21 Sept 2026, In: Nutrients. 18, 19, p. 1-16 16 p., 3124.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
How are adolescents participating in the transformation of healthy food environments? A scoping review of empirical research
Todd, A. R., Dharmayani, P. N. A., Jia, S., Raeside, R., Mihrshahi, S., Champion, K. E., Health Advisory Panel for Youth at the University of Sydney (HAPYUS), Farrell, P., Gibson, A. A. & Partridge, S. R., Jan 2026, In: Obesity Reviews. 27, 1, p. 1-19 19 p., e70002.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)4 Downloads (Pure) -
Psychological distress and healthy lifestyle behaviours among young Australians aged 15–34 years
Dharmayani, P. N. A. & Mihrshahi, S., 16 Sept 2026, p. 89. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review
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Macquarie Food Symposium
Sherry, C. (Chair), McGregor, A. (Organiser), Taylor, M. (Organiser), Atwell, B. (Participant), Bojovic, M. (Participant), Dalrymple, L. (Participant), Ronto, R. (Participant), Li, Y. (Participant), Chen, J. (Participant), Spagnolo, L. (Participant), Garcia-Bennett, A. (Participant), Egodavitharana, I. (Participant), Gordon, C. (Participant), Dupuis, I. (Participant), Payne, L. (Participant), Simpson, J. (Participant), Ivinson, E. (Participant), Lopes, C. (Participant), Mihrshahi, S. (Participant), Williams, M. (Participant), Gow, N. (Participant), Dharmayani, P. N. A. (Participant), Baxter, S. (Participant) & Chan, G. (Participant)
15 Sept 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop or event series
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Australian Epidemiological Association (External organisation)
Mihrshahi, S. (Member)
1 Jan 2016 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of network
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Public Health Association of Australia (External organisation)
Mihrshahi, S. (Member)
1 Jan 2016 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of network
Press/Media
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Eating more fruit can actually lower your risk of depression
Dharmayani, P. N. A. & Mihrshahi, S.
18/03/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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Study boosts link between diet and depression
Dharmayani, P. N. A. & Mihrshahi, S.
16/03/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Settings-based approaches for children and adolescents
24/04/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Other
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