Dr Jeew Hettiarachchi is a Research Fellow in the Social Gerontology Division at NARI and an Accredited Practising Dietitian with expertise in nutrition and ageing. Her research focuses on how nutrition supports healthy ageing, longevity, and improving functional independence in older adults. She holds a PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics and Gerontology from the University of Melbourne, where she examined the role of malnutrition and nutrition interventions in functional recovery in older patients. Her postdoctoral work at Deakin University extended this focus to community-dwelling older adults through a randomised controlled clinical trial on nut-based nutrition intervention to promote functional capacity. She also has experience in clinical practice, teaching, and research supervision.