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Lauren Ball

Associate Professor/ Principal Research Fellow, Griffith University
My goal is to reorient primary health care to focus on healthy lifestyles and healthy environments.

I work with community members, health professionals, education providers, and professional bodies to research how patients are better supported in primary care to eat well. I implement interventions and programs, so that general practitioners, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists, pharmacists, and other health professionals feel confident in nutrition and have the skills to meet patients’ needs. I also work with Primary Health Networks to better understand how primary care services can be reoriented to put nutrition and other lifestyle behaviours at the forefront of the health care system.

I have published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and attracted over $3 million in research funding from government bodies, non-government organisations, and philanthropic foundations. I am a Principal Research Fellow at Griffith University with strong external funding support, including an NHMRC Investigator Grant (EL2). I am lead of Healthy Primary Care at Griffith University, Global Strategic Lead for the NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health, Committee member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Handbook for Non-Drug Interventions, Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Primary Health and Family Practice journal and Executive Committee member of the Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care.

Got period pain or cramps? What to eat and avoid, according to science

Dec 22, 2023 11:07 am UTC| Health

Painful periods are common. More than half of people who menstruate have some pain for up to three days a month, typically throbbing or cramping in the lower abdomen. Digestive changes such as vomiting, gas, bloating,...

How is decaf coffee made? And is it really caffeine-free?

Nov 01, 2023 07:02 am UTC| Business

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and its high levels of caffeine are among the main reasons why. Its a natural stimulant that provides an energy buzz, and we just cant get enough. However, some...

Can coffee help you avoid weight gain? Here's what the science says

Oct 15, 2023 04:04 am UTC| Health

Coffee is well recognised as having a positive impact on long-term health. Drinking the equivalent of three to four cups of instant coffee a day reduces the risk of many health conditions including heart disease, type 2...

Is TikTok right – will eating three carrots a day really give me a natural tan?

Sep 28, 2023 02:51 am UTC| Technology

A beauty trend gaining popularity on TikTok, dubbed the carrot tan, claims eating three carrots a day will give you a natural tan. But can this really give you a natural glow? And is it healthy? Why would carrots...

How can I lower my cholesterol? Do supplements work? How about psyllium or probiotics?

Sep 18, 2023 06:29 am UTC| Health

Your GP says you have high cholesterol. Youve six months to work on your diet to see if thatll bring down your levels, then youll review your options. Could taking supplements over this time help? You cant rely on...

Calories and kilojoules: how do we know the energy content of food, and how accurate are the labels?

Aug 22, 2023 04:18 am UTC| Health

Everything we consume contains energy our bodies use to move, grow and maintain health. To work out how much energy is in different foods and drinks, we need to first look at a few core concepts. Firstly, youve probably...

3 reasons you feel hungrier and crave comfort foods when the weather turns cold

Apr 06, 2023 08:01 am UTC| Health

As we move through Autumn, parts of Australia are starting to see cooler weather. For some of us, that can mean increasing feelings of hunger and cravings for comfort food such as as pasta, stews and ramen. But whats...

Economy

[Editorial Cartoon] “Tariff Chicken Game” – U.S. and China Speed Toward Economic Catastrophe

Amid rising tensions in the U.S.-China trade war, this weeks editorial cartoon depicts a dramatic chicken game scenario, where two economic superpowers appear locked in a collision course with potentially devastating...

Trade War Escalates: China Fires Back with 84% Tariff on US Goods

China escalated the stakes of the trade war with America by imposing an 84% tariff on American products as a retaliatory measure to President Trumps recent tariffs on Chinese products. The retaliatory tariff which...

China's Treasury "Nuclear Option": Bluff or Reality?

If China were to sell its $761 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds, the immediate effects would be higher U.S. Treasury yields, which would rise by 30 to 60 basis points, raising the borrowing cost and cutting economic growth....

U.S. Tariffs Threaten Wine Retailers as Import Costs Soar

Wine retailers across the U.S. are bracing for impact as the Trump administration imposes a 20% tariff on goods from the European Union, with imported wine and liquor prices set to surge. Adam Williams, owner of Ansley...

BOJ’s Ueda Cautious on Rate Hikes Amid U.S. Tariff Uncertainty

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda emphasized the central banks cautious stance on future monetary policy in response to heightened global uncertainties, particularly stemming from U.S. tariffs. Speaking to parliament on...

Politics

IRS Chief to Resign Amid Controversial Tax Data Sharing Deal with Homeland Security

The acting head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Melanie Krause, is set to resign following a controversial agreement to share undocumented immigrants tax data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),...

Ken Paxton to Challenge Sen. John Cornyn in 2026 Texas GOP Primary

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced his bid to unseat fellow Republican Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary. Speaking on Fox News The Ingraham Angle, Paxton declared his intention to bring stronger...

Trump Slams TSMC Subsidy, Threatens 100% Tax Without U.S. Manufacturing

President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for awarding a $6.6 billion subsidy to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), arguing that semiconductor giants like TSMC do not need government...

Trump Moves to Block State Climate Laws to Boost Fossil Fuel Industry

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on Tuesday aimed at blocking state-level climate laws that restrict fossil fuel use and promote clean energy. This latest move underscores Trumps ongoing efforts to...

Pam Bondi to Lead DOJ Initiative Defending Second Amendment Rights

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to spearhead a new Justice Department initiative aimed at protecting gun rights under the Second Amendment, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters. The memo outlines Bondis plan to...

Science

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

Technology

US Senators Question Microsoft and Google Over AI Cloud Partnerships

Two Democratic U.S. senators are pressing Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) for transparency over their cloud computing partnerships with leading artificial intelligence firms. Senators Elizabeth Warren of...

Telegram Fined $80K by Moscow Court for Extremist Content Refusal

A Moscow court has fined Telegram Messenger Inc. 7 million roubles (approximately $80,000) for refusing to remove content allegedly promoting extremist activities, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Court...

Samsung Posts Resilient Q1 Profit on Strong Chip and Smartphone Demand

Samsung Electronics reported a better-than-expected 0.2% drop in Q1 operating profit, reaching 6.6 trillion won ($4.49 billion), beating market forecasts of 5.1 trillion won. This resilience was driven by solid memory chip...

Meta Unveils Llama 4 Maverick and Scout, Boosts AI Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has unveiled its latest AI modelsLlama 4 Maverick and Llama 4 Scoutcalling them its most advanced large language models (LLMs) to date. Designed as multimodal AI systems, they can process and...

Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Heads to Jury Trial in 2026

Elon Musks high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI is set for a jury trial in spring 2026, as ruled by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The case centers on Musks...