The University of Queensland

Publications

Grants (Administered at UQ)

• A pilot study to determine the impact of hazard reduction burns on indoor air quality and associated respiratory impacts for children

  (2023–2024) Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

• Ambient air quality, extreme temperatures and emergency department visits for children in Queensland

  Previous work has shown that extreme temperatures are associated with increased risk of emergency department visits (EDV) in Queensland. Children have a unique physiology that makes them vulnerable to environmental hazards, and this study seeks to understand how the combination of extreme temperatures and ambient air pollution affect the risk of all-cause and cause-specific EDVs by children. This project will use routine data collections of EDV and environmental monitoring data, and will suit a honours student with an interest in environmental health and epidemiology.

• Exposure to ambient air pollution and severe lower respiratory tract infections in children

  Air pollution exposure has been associated with a range of deleterious health effects in children, including negative respiratory effects. This project seeks to understand whether ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of severe lower respiratory tract infections in childhood. This project uses data from the Barwon Infant Study, a longitudinal birth cohort in Geelong, Victoria, and would suit a student interested in environmental health or epidemiology. It is suitable for masters disseration students with good statistical analysis skills.

• Green space, nature contact and children's health.

  Urban green space is perhaps the best example of an environmental factor that may act as a public health good. Research has identified health benefits associated with green space, such as improvement in mental wellbeing, reduction in cortisol, an increase in physical activity, improved neighbourhood cohesion, and exposure to beneficial microbiota. Green space may play a role in ameliorating hazardous environmental exposures, such as air pollution and temperature extremes. Much of the work on green space is in its infancy, and more knowledge is needed on potential mechanisms and specific effects in children.

  This PhD project will use data from a longitudinal cohort of Australian children and explore the association between green space near the residence and nature contact activities with a range of child health outcomes such as physical health, neurodevelopment, and mental wellbeing. Causal mediation analysis will be performed to better test and understand the potential underlying mechanisms that could influence health after nature exposure.

  This project would suit a PhD student with skills in statistics, epidemiology and/or public health. Experience with data analysis is desired.

• Exposure to environmental hazards and lung outcomes in children.

  Due to current funding and immigration restrictions we are only able to accept domestic students.

  Exposure to environmental factors in early life has been associated with poorer respiratory health for children. Air pollutants can negatively affect respiratory health, and there is increasing evidence that environmental chemicals may also have deleterious effects on child health.

  This project aims to use existing data to explore the association of indoor and ambient air pollutants at home with children’s lung function in longitudinal cohort studies of Australian children, and to examine the role of modifying/mediating factors. Air quality and environmental chemicals present in the home environment, as assessed in surveys, will be examined for association with lung function, wheeze and allergic disease.

  This project would suit a Honours or Masters student. Some knowledge of statistics is essential.

• Bushfire smoke from prescribed burns in Brisbane households

  The use of prescribed burns as a hazard reduction tool in Australian bushfire management means that households living close to forests and national parks are exposed to periodic bushfire smoke in their homes. This project seeks to understand the following: the level of particulates in homes and ambient air as a result of prescribed burns; whether exposure is influenced by house characteristics; and the composition of particles present as a result of prescribed burning. This project involves fieldwork to install air quality monitors and collect samples of household dust and particulate matter, and would suit an honours student with an interest in environmental health.