FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

How the year is flying! We find ourselves in April and well-ensconced in 2006. Already the year has been a productive one and I would like to congratulate everyone on such a positive beginning.

This year much of our activities will be focussed on preparing for the School's review in 2007. I hope many of you were able to attend the forum held on 31 March that explained the review process - there will be more of these meetings to follow.

The review of the School will involve everyone. Many staff members will be given specific roles in the review process and the opinions of all staff and students will be sought. An accurate and comprehensive picture of the School's strengths and challenges depends on everybody engaging in this process.

While a review of the School may be somewhat daunting, we should consider it primarily as an opportunity - to honestly appraise where we are today and decide what we can improve if we are to achieve our vision of becoming a leading School of Population Health .

Many new faces around the School represent the exciting improvements to our teaching and learning program. I'd like to welcome those staff members who have recently joined us - I hope you are settling in well.

Our School Committees also have some new members in 2006. Our committees are very active and play an important role in guiding our research priorities, teaching focus and experience of our students.

Speaking of students, we should be encouraged by maintaining our student numbers, in the face of a national trend of declining enrolments. We look forward to building on our numbers with more strategic marketing of our programs during 2006.

A highlight of the year to date has been the Research Incentive Awards. Many staff members received awards and are to be congratulated on their excellent efforts. The School is one of the most productive in Australia, with last year's figures showing a doubling of published research and a significant increase in impact factors. I know that improving our research output has been a huge effort for all of us -- I would like to assure you that this hard work has been noticed and very much appreciated.

Congratulations again on a great start to 2006. This promises to be a fantastic year for the School where we start to enjoy the results of our hard work.

Best Wishes.

Alan Lopez

INTRODUCING.......

Recent academic appointments in the School include:

DR JON ADAMS, SENIOR LECTURER IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RELATED TO HEALTH

Prior to his appointment, Jon was Senior Lecturer in Health Social Science at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) and Director of the Qualitative Research Laboratory in the Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle , NSW.

Jon is a health social scientist with a PhD (Health Sociology) from the University of Edinburgh, UK. His research interests currently focus around: the consumption of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM); the interface between CAM and conventional health care services (general practitioners, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, etc); the integration of qualitative methods in health and health care research; and workplace and workforce issues in primary health care. Jon has edited/co-edited 3 CAM research books with Routledge , UK and is Associate Editor of the leading international CAM journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine .

Jon holds a Visiting Research Fellowship at the School of Healthcare Studies , University of Leeds , UK . He leads a sub-study of the Women's Health Australia Project examining women's use of CAM as well as an international sub-study team with colleagues in Norway analysing CAM-related data from the HUNT study based at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim . Amongst other projects he is presently working with both study teams to produce the first ever international comparative analysis of CAM consumption.

Jon has facilitated workshops and presented lectures in qualitative health methods and health social science at a number of medical faculties around the world including the University of Tokyo , the University of Kyoto , the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Sao Paulo , the State University of New York, Albany and Anteneo de Manila University, Philippines.

HEENA AKBAR, ASSOCIATE LECTURER

Heena initially commenced work in the Centre for Indigenous Health during 2004, where she quickly adapted to the environment in CIH and made a substantial contribution to the teaching program. Heena's background in International Public Health, teaching students from non-English speaking backgrounds and working on research projects proved valuable assets in teaching in the area of Indigenous Health through the development of flexible delivery materials, coordinating research methodology and field work placements and assisting in the re-development of School curriculums. Heena's areas of speciality include Indigenous Health, International Health, Nutrition and Public Health. She holds a Master of Public Health (Community Nutrition) from the University of Queensland and Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) from QUT.

DR MEGAN JENNAWAY, LECTURER IN MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Dr Megan Jennaway is a medical anthropologist specialised in the sociocultural aspects of health and illness in the Indonesian region. She has taught Indonesian language and Asian Studies at the University of Queensland , as well as medical anthropology in the School of Population Health's Indigenous Health Division. She has written widely on Indonesian/Balinese medical and social systems, based upon ethnographic fieldwork she undertook in Bali in the early 1990s. Her research particularly focussed on women's reproductive health in the Balinese context and in December 2002 her book, Sisters and Lovers: Women and Desire in Bali, was published by Rowman and Littlefield. Most recently, Dr Jennaway has been involved with a government of Indonesia program, managed through a Bappenas-UNDP partnership, to investigate the potential of community-based telecentres for enhanced health information applications.

DR ANDREW PAGE, LECTURER

Dr Andrew Page joined the School of Population Health in December 2005 as a Lecturer in the Division of International Health. Prior to his appointment Andrew was a Research Assistant and NHMRC Project Coordinator at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney, and Senior Research Officer at BreastScreen NSW (NSW Cancer Institute). Andrew completed a PhD at the University of Sydney in 2005 on social and psychiatric factors associated with suicide, and has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Newcastle . Andrew's role at the School will be to coordinate the research and evaluation program of BreastScreen Aotearoa (NZ Ministry of Health), and teach in the Introduction to Epidemiology course. Andrew has ongoing research interests in suicide and mental health, breast cancer screening, social inequalities and determinants of health, epidemiology, and small-area mortality analysis. Staff profile: http://sph.uq.edu.au/Staff/StaffSearch/staff_profile.asp?staff_id=498

EXPANSION IN CAIRNS - NQHEPU

The School's North Queensland Health Equalities Promotion Unit (NQHEPU) in Cairns is growing in size and scope and now occupies two areas within the Tropical Population Health Unit building. NQHEPU has three main research streams that focus on Adult Mental Health and Well-being, Child and Youth Mental Health and Health Information Technology.

Dr Radhika Santhanam is pleased to announce that all four positions in the Remote Area Child and Youth Mental Health Team are filled . The team consists of two Indigenous Mental Health Workers (Denise Sebasio and Jacquie Brown) and two social workers (Judy McKeown and Melinda Staunton). Radhika's research focuses on the development, implementation and evaluation of models of professional development and supervision of this team whose responsibility is the delivery of clinical and community development aspects of mental health care for young people throughout the Cape , Torres and Remote Cairns District.

There are two groups within the Adult stream led by Dr Melissa Haswell-Elkins. These are the Clinical Services and Quantitative Data Team (Tom Ogwang, Rachael Wargent and Glenys Miller) and the Community and Qualitative Research Team (Dr Valmae Ypinazar, Brenda Hall and Kayleen Jackson). Brenda and Rachael have been working at NQHEPU since 2004. We are in the final stages of recruitment of two additional team members and a PhD student who will maintain her position within the Cairns Integrated Mental Health Service.

Briefly introducing the new staff members:

Dr Valmae Ypinazar joined in January 2006, moving from her position as a Research Fellow in the Rural Clinical Division in Central Queensland School of Medicine, UQ. Valmae completed her PhD on the topic of life experiences of mothers living in North Queensland who have children with disabilities. She then conducted a variety of health-related research both with the United Arab Emirates University where she lived and worked for 5 years before moving to Rockhampton in 2004. Valmae is working with our team of Indigenous Researchers (Brenda and Kaylene plus two recruits) to carry out the first stage of an Australian Health Ministers Priority Driven Research Project which aims to enhance two way understandings of mental health between residents, community organisations and service providers in the communities of Yarrabah and Hope Vale.

Kaylene Jackson joined the team in February through the community-controlled health service at Yarrabah community, Gurriny Yealamucka, who are key partners in the Priority Driven Research project. Kaylene worked for several years as a Community-Based Researcher in the Empowerment Research Program, following her extensive experience in Yarrabah Council and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. A second community researcher based in Hope Vale community will commence shortly.

Tom Ogwang will be moving up from Brisbane in April to join us. Tom was formerly employed as an Associate Lecturer in the Centre for Indigenous Health and recently graduated with a first class honours in Indigenous health. He has been working in NQHEPU since January 2006 within the AIMhi (Australian Integrated Mental Health Initiative) and will focus on CRC and NHMRC-funded project developing a tool to measure empowerment which involves close collaboration with Associate Professor Komla Tsey and colleagues at James Cook University .

Glenys Miller will also commence work alongside Tom and Rachael Wargent on a part time basis in April. Glenys has a background in radiology, and has been working in public health on the development of tools to assess consumer satisfaction with services over the past several years. She is currently enrolled in a Masters of Public Health.

Helen Travers and Ernest Hunter have recently been joined by three new team members on the Health Information Touchscreen (HIT) Project to assist in the transition of the project from its current 3 year Cape York focus, to a program that is funded for a further 3 years to develop and manage a national network of health touchscreen kiosks and related technologies.

Julie Gibson, who has a private enterprise background in the field of IT systems analysis, joins the team to manage the ongoing development and implementation of hardware and software, including the oversight of kiosk installations nationally. Jeremy Geia and Damon Leftwich are Indigenous men from North Queensland whose roles focus on the social marketing, community engagement and IT capacity-building aspects of the project. In addition, Jeremy will develop an integrated communications and media strategy for the National HITnet Development Program.

RESEARCH FUNDING - RESPONSE TO 'BIRD FLU' OUTBREAK

School Researcher, Ms Vivienne Tippett (Director, Australian Centre for Prehospital Research), with Konrad Jamrozik (Professor of Evidence Based Health Care and Head, Division of Health Systems, Policy and Practice) and Monash University colleague Professor Archer, has received almost $300,000 over 12 months to look at new ways of managing and supporting frontline health workers in an infectious disease outbreak.

Funding is from the Commonwealth Government, through NHMRC, as part of a special grant round to inform national pandemic planning.

This research project is an important initiative that will involve researchers from the School of Population Health , Queensland Ambulance Services, Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes (Hawaii) as well as colleagues in each State and Territory. It promises to significantly enhance the way avian influenza and other respiratory disease outbreaks are managed by emergency services across Australia and has the potential to lead to major advances in pre-hospital care that can be used around the world.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

MARITAL BUST-UPS LINKED WITH TEEN CANNABIS USE

The results of a study by School researchers show a link between marital changes and children using marijuana.

Dr Reza Hayatbakhsh, a lead researcher, reports that the study of 3,008 mothers and their children up to age 21, between 2001 and 2004 in Brisbane, suggests that exposure to three or more changes in maternal marital status during childhood and early adolescence more than doubles the risk of a child beginning to use cannabis, and that more frequent changes in marital status predict greater risk and also the earlier onset of use of cannabis.

Dr Hayatbakhsh, who is now studying for his PhD in epidemiology, said mothers and children in the study were asked how often children used cannabis and when they first began to use it. Dr Hayatbakhsh also said almost half of the young adults had used cannabis at some time, about a quarter before the age of 15. Children who experienced no change in their parents' marital partners between ages five and 14 were less likely to report cannabis use.

The results are the latest from the ongoing Mater-UQ Study of Pregnancy - one of the world's longest running health studies.

The Mater Study was started at UQ in 1981 as a health and social study of 7,223 pregnant women. Researchers continue to extract new information about social, emotional and medical issues as the families grow.

The study results have just been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, in a paper co-written with fellow researchers in the School Professor Jake Najman (UQ's Mater Study founder), Professor Konrad Jamrozik, Dr Abdullah Mamun, Professor Gail Williams and Dr Rosa Alati.

IDRS AND EDRS REPORTS NOW AVAILABLE

The 2005 Queensland Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) reports are now available at http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/Reports .

The IDRS and the EDRS are ongoing complimentary research projects undertaken each year by QADREC. Both the IDRS and the EDRS serve as strategic early-warning systems for emerging trends and patterns in illicit drug use and their associated harms. The IDRS has been conducted annually in each Australian state and territory since 1999, and the EDRS since 2003. Each project is now funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

An important feature of the IDRS and the EDRS is the aim to disseminate findings in a timely fashion, and to highlight current issues related to illicit drug use that require further attention. Each year in November, key findings are presented at the National Drug Trends Conference, with the final state and territory reports published by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) early the following year. NDARC also produces the annual national report and quarterly Drug Trends Bulletins, which draw attention to emerging issues of particular interest to the field. Selected findings are also published in peer-reviewed journals.

IDRS

Each year in June, QADREC conducts interviews with a sentinel population of 100 regular illicit drug users for the IDRS in Brisbane . Questions focus primarily on the price, purity and availability of the four main illicit drugs: heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis. Structured interviews are also conducted with 50 key experts who work either in the health or law enforcement sectors as well as the collection and analysis of indicator data sources.

EDRS (formerly known as the Party Drugs Initiative)

The EDRS monitors the price, purity and availability of ecstasy and other related drugs. A triangulation method, which includes interviews with 100 regular and current ecstasy users (REU), structured interviews with 20 key experts from the health, law enforcement and the entertainment industry, and collation and analysis of indicator data, is used to assess current and emerging trends pertaining to ecstasy and related drug use in south-east Queensland.

For information regarding the Illicit Drug Reporting System and the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System please contact the Queensland state coordinator Ms Belinda Lloyd at QADREC on (07) 3365 5189 or b.lloyd@uq.edu.au .

Further information on the IDRS can be found on the NDARC website: http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/IDRSa .

Further information on the EDRS can also be found on the NDARC website: http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/Ecstasy%20and%20Related%20Drugs

RECENT AWARDS

DR CORNEEL VANDELANOTTE - NEW STAFF START-UP GRANT

Dr Corneel Vandelanotte, Research Fellow in the Cancer Prevention Research Centre, has been awarded a New Staff Start-Up Grant by the University for the development and feasibility testing of a web-based computer-tailored intervention for increasing physical activity.

GENEVIEVE HEALY - SMART STATE FUNDS STUDY TO PREVENT DIABETES

Genevieve Healy, PhD student at the Cancer Prevention Research Centre, has been awarded $5,000 from the Growing the Smart State Funding Program for her project "Does exercise help to prevent type 2 diabetes among overweight people?"

The funding from the Smart State program is to objectively measure physical activity behaviour in 204 Queensland participants of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study. The outcomes from the project will inform policy, program developments and further research related to physical activity, lifestyle, and diabetes in Queensland adults.

LIANE MCDERMOTT - STUDENT RESEARCH AWARD

Liane McDermott, PhD student in the Cancer Prevention Research Centre was presented the Student Research Award at the Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine conference in Auckland, held 9-11 February 2006, for her oral presentation on 'Factors associated with late initiation of smoking among Australian women in young adulthood'

RESEARCH PUBLICATION INCENTIVE AWARDS

Under the School's research quality enhancement scheme encouraging staff to publish in higher impact journals, seventeen staff received cash awards for their 2005 publications in journals above the impact factor benchmark for their level. The winners (in alphabetical order) were:

Dr Faruk Ahmed - $1,500: first author for a paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (IF 5.433).

Dr Rosa Alati - $1,750: first author of three papers with an impact factor above the benchmark for her level of appointment, and coauthor of a further two papers in journals that include the American Journal of Epidemiology (IF 4.933), Epidemiology (IF 3.840) and Addiction (SPH Tier 1 journal, ISI IF 3.0).

Dr Chris Bain $1,500: coauthor of papers in Lancet Oncology (IF 7.470), American Journal of Epidemiology (IF 4.933), International Journal of Cancer (IF 4.416) and the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (SPH Tier 1 journal).

Mr Stephen Begg $500: first author of a paper published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IF 3.735) and coauthor of a paper published in the Bulletin of WHO (IF 2.870)

Ms Elaine Beller $500: coauthor of a paper accepted by the American Heart Journal (IF 3.681)

Dr Fran Boyle $500: coauthor of a paper in the SPH Tier 1 journal, Archives of Sexual Behaviour.

Dr Zandy Clavarino $3,250: coauthor of three papers in journals with impact factors above her benchmark. These include the prestigious Journal of Clinical Oncology (IF 9.835), Pediatrics (IF 3.903) and Preventive Medicine (IF 2.327)

Dr Jenny Doust $1,750: first author of a paper in Archives of Internal Medicine (IF 7.508) and coauthor of papers in the leading British Medical Journal (IF 7.038) and the American Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (IF 2.013).

Dr Meredith Harris $1,750: first author of a paper in Schizophrenia Research (IF 3.889), coauthor of papers in the British Journal of Psychiatry (IF 4.175) and SPH Tier 1 journal the Medical Journal of Australia.

Dr Stuart Kinner $500: coauthor of two papers above his benchmark - a paper in the American Journal of Epidemiology (IF 4.933) and another in Drug and Alcohol Dependence (IF 2.906).

Dr Stephen Lim $2,500 plus $500: coauthor of four papers in the leading British Medical Journal (IF 7.038). Stephen is also the recipient of the 'Most Improved' award of $500. This is a new award for the staff member, excluding Professors, who has the most improved score from last year.

Dr Abdullah Al Mamun - $2,250: seven papers above his benchmark, including first author of papers published in Hypertension (IF 5.342) and Obesity Research (IF 3.701).

Associate Professor Geoff Marks $1,000: first author of a paper in the Journal of Nutrition (IF 3.245) and coauthor of papers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (IF 5.433) and Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention (IF 4.500).

Dr Chalapati Rao - $1,000: two papers in the WHO Bulletin (IF 2.870) including one as first author, and coauthor of a further two papers in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IF 3.735) and another in the European Respiratory Journal (IF 3.096).

Dr Jolieke van der Pols - $1,000: four papers above her benchmark, including first author for a paper accepted by the American Journal of Epidemiology (IF 4.933) and coauthor of a paper accepted by the Journal of Nutrition (IF 3.245).

Associate Professor Theo Vos $750: coauthor of a paper published in the British Medical Journal (IF 7.038).

Dr Rob Ware - $1,250: coauthor of three papers published or accepted by Thorax (IF 5.040), Critical Care Medicine (IF 4.182) and Respiratory Resuscitation (IF 4.028).

This year it was decided to not include the Professors in the cash awards. However, Honourable Mention was made of three Professors for the high quality of their 2005 publications. Professor Wayne Hall achieved the highest 'incentive score' in the School for his 2005 papers in journals above the benchmark for Professors; Professor Gail Williams achieved the second highest score in the School and was the second most improved score from last year; and Professor Alan Lopez had the third highest score in the School.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE 2006

The School's Research Committee is drawn from a cross-section of interests in the School and provides advice and collaboration to the Head of School to strengthen the research culture in the School. Staff departures and new appointments lead to a review of membership and appointment of the following Committee for 2006:

Wayne Hall (Chair), Professor of Public Health Policy
Chris Bain, Reader in Epidemiology
Jan Barendregt, Associate Professor in Epidemiological Modeling
Elaine Beller, Director, Queensland Clinical Trials Centre
Chris Doran, Associate Professor in Health Economics
Darren Gray, RHD student representative
Konrad Jamrozik, Professor of Evidence Based Health Care & Head, Division of Health Systems, Policy and Practice
Stuart Kinner, NHMRC Research Fellow, QADREC
Nick Lennox, Director, QCIDD, Mater Hospital
Alan Lopez, Head of School
Geoff Marks, Chair, SPH Research Higher Degrees Committee
Jake Najman, Professor of Sociology & Director, QADREC
Neville Owen, Professor of Health Behaviour & Director, Cancer Prevention Research Centre
Richard Taylor, Professor of International Health & Head, Division of International and Indigenous Health
Annelies Wilder-Smith, Associate Professor of Tropical and Infectious Diseases
Secretary: Kath Murrie-Jones, Research Development Officer

Details of the 2006 meeting schedule for Research Committee, and other School committees, are available at: http://www.sph.uq.edu.au/intranet/committees/committees.asp

FAMILY ALBUM

'BABY' WICKS - born 29 March 2006

Kim and Jason Wicks are the proud parents of a new baby boy. Reece Patrick Wicks was born on 29 March 2006. Reece's other vital statistics include: Weight : 3880 gms or 8lb 9oz Length 51.5cm Both Kim and Reece are doing well. Kim is on maternity leave from her position as Personal Assistant to the Head of School.

COMING EVENTS

SCHOOL SEMINAR PROGRAM - 2006

The School is again running a regular series of quality research seminars. They are generally held on Herston campus at 1-2pm on Tuesdays during semesters 1 and 2, but may be held at other times/days/locations.

Details of seminars to be held soon are published on our website at: http://www.sph.uq.edu.au/About/news.asp?news_event_type=Seminars and details of the full 2006 program can be accessed through the 'Download Seminar Program' link at the top of that page or direct at: http://www.sph.uq.edu.au/About/documents/sphseminars.doc

All are welcome.

No RSVP required.

Please send news items for the next edition of the Newsletter to Kath Murrie-Jones, Research Development Officer, School of Population Health, email k.murrie-jones@sph.uq.edu.au