Master of Nutrition and Dietetics graduate Maci Polley is embarking on a PhD that will explore the intersection of women’s health, sports nutrition and First Nations communities
As a 14-year-old in small-town Tasmania, Maci Polley didn’t know anyone who had been to university. Now she’s about to embark on her PhD after graduating with a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics. It was a school visit from a Bond alumna that set Maci on her path.
“No one in my family had ever been to uni,” she says.
“But I remember a former student came to speak at our school about Bond. She had a scholarship, and I just thought, ‘I want that’.”
She chased the dream, earning a scholarship to study a Bachelor of Exercise Science at Bond.
Working as an exercise scientist after graduation, the lure of further study proved too strong. She returned to study nutrition, which Maci admits is her first love.
“It was always nutrition — exercise science was a way into that, but I love combining the two,” she said.
“I also really love the way that the program is designed with three different types of placements in clinical, food service and public health, along with a research element, which is the reason I’m now pursuing a PhD.
“The international placement in Malaysia was also a highlight for me — we visited hospitals, sports institutes, and even the Palm Oil Board, learning about cultural differences in healthcare and nutrition.
“I don’t think there are a lot of programs where you get that kind of opportunity.”
Through her program, Maci examined digital nutrition resources for Indigenous Australians with chronic kidney disease.
Her PhD will explore the intersection of women’s health, sports nutrition and First Nations communities - potentially through partnerships with AFLW programs.
“I want to combine all my passions - sport, women’s health, First Nations health, and nutrition,” she said.
“It’s about creating a holistic model of care.”
Maci also hopes to open her own practice that integrates exercise science and dietetics, while lecturing part-time and continuing her research.
Published on Wednesday, 18 June, 2025.
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