Join the team at Coeliac New Zealand for an engaging seminar featuring expert medical specialists. Discover the importance of diagnosis, dietary management, and long-term care at every stage of life. The session includes time for Q&A with our panel, plus opportunities to connect with fellow attendees, share experiences, and gain practical insights from the gluten-free community.

Topics include:

• Insights from a gastrointestinal specialist – What’s happening inside the gut and why it matters
• Follow your gut – How to ensure a correct and timely coeliac diagnosis
• Feeding the gut – The role of nutrition and the gluten-free diet in healing and health
• Checking in – Why ongoing care and regular follow-ups are vital for long-term wellbeing

Whether you have coeliac disease, support someone who does, or are simply interested in gut health and gluten-free living, this seminar offers valuable information and community connection. Come along, get informed, and take charge of your gut health.

This seminar will be offered as two repeat sessions, both covering the same content.  Reserve your spot now by pre-registering when you purchase your festival ticket:

Meet our expert panel:

Dr Jonathan Bishop – Paediatric Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist. Jonathan completed undergraduate and postgraduate paediatric gastroenterology training in the UK before undertaking a six-month Fellow post in Starship Children’s Hospital in 2007. He returned to the UK to work as a consultant post in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, between 2008 and 2011 before the lure of the Southern hemisphere proved too strong and he returned to Starship as a Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist. His professional interests include coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis liver disease.

Professor Claire Wall – Head of the Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Auckland and a Registered Dietitian. After qualifying as a dietitian in the UK in 1984, Claire specialised in paediatric dietetics, working in both the UK and Australia. Clare is an active member of the nutrition community in New Zealand and serves on several national review panels and committees in the infant and childhood nutrition area. Clare's main research focus is the interrelationship between the determinants of nutritional status and health outcomes in the paediatric population. She is currently a collaborator on several research projects in pregnancy and early life and is the Principal Investigator on a National Science Challenge funded project exploring the effect of prebiotic complimentary foods on the microbiome composition in infants. She also has a daughter with Coeliac Disease.

Dr Hilary Baird – Specialist GP based in Tamaki Makaurau. Hilary has been a practising GP for nearly 20 years, initially training in the UK, before emigrating to Aotearoa New Zealand 15 years ago. Hilary works part-time as a GP, and part-time in Public Health. She has a young daughter who was diagnosed with coeliac disease 2 years ago.

Suzanne Aitken – Registered Dietitian and Health Promotion Manager, Coeliac New Zealand. Suzanne Aitken is a registered health professional with over 17 years of experience in the health sector. She has worked extensively in community settings, supporting populations through education, training, and advocacy. With a background in health management, Suzanne is passionate about improving health outcomes, enabling high-quality clinical care, and addressing health inequities across Aotearoa. For the past two years, she has been with Coeliac NZ, working closely with the hospitality and food industry to improve the safety of gluten-free dining experiences for consumers.