Health Sciences
The Health Science Program is home to a group of expert and emerging health scientists in the areas of public health, health promotion, recreation therapy, health service systems and health professional practice. Areas of specialist research interest include the social determinants of health and wellbeing, gender, ethnic and sexual health inequities, non-health sector interventions for health and wellness, promotion towards more physical activity, recreation, nutritious diets from infancy through to older age and diabetes prevention. There is also interest in health profession education and support, and the capabilities for competent, ethical and evidence-based professional practice in health.
The group has strengths in a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including the use of Geographic Information Systems and 'big data' such as The Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study. Our close links with our local communities, local health districts, primary health networks, local councils, urban planners and non-governmental organisations enable our research to impact on policy and practice in Western Sydney, nationally and overseas.
Researchers
To find out more about a researcher, click on their name to be redirected to their staff profile.
Professor Kingsley Agho
Research Expertise and Interests: Biostatistics; Demographic statistics and International Public Health; Maternal and Child Health, Epidemiology, Public Health
Email: k.agho@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Amit Arora
Research Expertise and Interests: Maternal and Child Health, Early Childhood, Disadvantaged Populations; Oral Health, Cohort studies, Health Equity; Health Literacy, Socio-economic inequality, chronic diseases, global health, health promotion
Email: a.arora@westernsydney.edu.au
Assoc Prof Elise Baker
Research Expertise and Interests: Research translation and implementation; intervention research; outcome measurement; clinicians' conduct of evidence-based practice; models of service delivery; communication development and disorders in children; speech sound disorders; cultural and linguistic diversity.
Email:e.baker@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr John Bidewell
Research Expertise and Interests: Decision making; Critical thinking and reasoning; Public health; Research methods; Paediatric nursing
Email: j.bidewell@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Tinashe Dune
Research Expertise and Interests: Community Mental Health; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations; Minority Populations; Health Sociology; Indigenous Health; Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Health; Migrant Health; Public Health; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing; Social Determinants of Health
Email:t.dune@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Genevieve Dwyer
Research Expertise and Interests: Physical Activity in children (with and without disability); Disability in children and optimising participation in their communities; Preterm survivors and motor outcomes; Preterm infants and interventions; Childhood obesity; Health service delivery in paediatric physiotherapy (including telehealth)
Email:g.dwyer@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Aymen El Masri
Research Expertise and Interests: Physical activity, Health promotion, Community engagmenet, Culturally and linguistically diverse populations
Email: a.ElMasri@westernsydney.edu.au
Paul Fahey
Research Expertise and Interests: Statistical analysis; statistical consulting; routine data collections; obesity decision tools
Email:p.fahey@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Catharine Fleming
Research Expertise and Interests: Paediatric nutrition; infant feeding; young child nutrition; public health nutrition; adolescence nutrition
Email:c.fleming@westernsydney.edu.au
Mr Ed Johnson
Research Expertise and Interests: Rural and remote health, education, and social services; disability; public health; public policy; digital health; telepractice; ethnography; phenomenology; qualitative methods; critical theory; cultural relativism; humanism; person-centred approaches; community; inclusion; culturally safe and culturally competent practice; neurodevelopmental disorders; neurodiversity; mental health; intellectual disability; One Health; environmental aetiologies of neuro-psychiatric illness; non-verbal communication; sociolinguistics
Email: e.johnson@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Katherine Kent
Research Expertise and Interests: Nutrition; food security; flavonoids; clinical trials
Email: K.Kent@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Nerida Klupp
Research Expertise and Interests: student mental health; animal assisted therapy; evidence-based healthcare; inter-professional learning and teaching
Email:N.Klupp@westernsydney.edu.au
Prof Gregory Kolt
Research Expertise and Interests: Health promotion; lifestyle behaviour change; physical activity; public health; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)
Email:g.kolt@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr David Lim
Research Expertise and Interests: Translation and implementation research; Program evaluation; Health economics; Health policy; Vulnerable and marginalised populations (e.g. disability, CALD, aged, youth); Rural primary health; Health service and workforce planning; Workforce competency
Email:d.lim@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Freya MacMillan
Research Expertise and Interests: Diabetes prevention; health promotion; community-engaged research; mixed methods; physical activity; behaviour change
Email:f.macmillan@westernsydney.edu.au
Professor Dafna Merom
Research Expertise and Interests: Multi-dimensional physical activities (e.g. dance) in the prevention of neurological declines (i.e., balance, cognition) and domain-specific physical activity (work, households, transport) in the prevention of chronic disease
Email: d.merom@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Arianne Reis
Research Expertise and Interests: Therapeutic Recreation; Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity for Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups (e.g. refugees, migrants, low income communities, people in prison, etc.); Mental Health and Wellbeing; Public Spaces and Leisure; University Students' Learning
Email:a.reis@westernsydney.edu.au
Dr Clarice Tang
Research Expertise and Interests: Knowledge translation into clinical practice, physiotherapy, chronic cardiovascular disease management, chronic respiratory disease, culturally and linguistically diverse communities
Email:c.tang@westernsydney.edu.au
