Dr Kathy Trieu wins international award for contribution to salt reduction

Dr Kathy Trieu, Program Lead in Nutrition Implementation Research at The George Institute for Global Health and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney, has received the 2025 Graham MacGregor Excellence Award from the World Hypertension League (WHL) for her contribution to dietary salt reduction at the population level. The George Institute is a designated World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Population Sodium Reduction, with Dr Trieu leading this work as Director. 

Dr Trieu’s award highlights her significant contributions to reducing sodium intake worldwide, highlighting the importance of dietary strategies in tackling hypertension and the critical role of evidence-based policies in shaping population-level change. 

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I am deeply honoured to receive this award especially given the remarkable achievements of past recipients. This recognition is meaningful to me because it highlights the support and commitment of my team and mentors, whose efforts have made this achievement possible.

By:

Dr Kathy Trieu,

Program Lead - Nutrition Implementation Research, The George Institute

A recognised leader in global food policy, Dr Trieu has spearheaded programs to reduce the burden of diet-related diseases, particularly in low- and middle-income countries which face complex challenges in addressing the health and economic impacts of high sodium consumption - a major contributor to hypertension and cardiovascular disease worldwide. 

Dr Trieu has worked closely with WHO to support the development of resources to support salt reduction including the development of sodium benchmarks for pre-packaged foods for the South East Asia region. Her research, published in leading journals including The Lancet Public Health and Hypertension, has helped quantify the health and economic benefits of sodium reduction. Together this work has contributed to policy changes, such as new sodium regulations introduced in Indonesia. 

In addition to her international work, Dr Trieu has championed innovative approaches at the local level. In Australia, she partnered with a meal service provider to use potassium-enriched salt substitutes as a healthier alternative to regular salt - an approach with the potential for broader population-level impact. 

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It’s great to see Kathy acknowledged in this way. It’s really important work she is doing, and she is a genuine world leader in this field. She has a very bright future indeed.

By:

Professor Bruce Neal

Executive Director (Australia), The George Institute