Epidemiology and Evidence Based Healthcare

Epidemiology and Evidence Based Healthcare is a research theme within the Centre for Intelligent Healthcare.

Focus of our research

The World Health Organisation defines Epidemiology as the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease), and the application to the control of diseases and other health problems. Various methods can be used to carry out epidemiological investigations: surveillance and descriptive studies can be used to study distribution; analytical studies are used to study determinants.

Understanding the determinants of health and disease, leads us to evidence-based healthcare where solutions can be found to prevent and treat ill-health, this means producing and using the best research available in collaboration with clinical experts and service users.

Our vision as a theme of Epidemiology & Evidence Based Healthcare is to identify and address determinants of poor health, working with our collaborators, to meet health needs at a national and international population level. Within the future thinking Centre for Intelligent Healthcare research we do this paying particular attention to novel technologies and digitalised solutions.

Core themes

• Carry out large-scale observational studies and field trials to help in the biological understanding of diseases, including its major determinants using a rigorous and innovative epidemiological approach.
• Analysis of complex data routinely collected by healthcare providers (electronic medical records) to understand the causes (lifestyles and environmental exposures), prevention and treatment of disease in both children and adults.
• Partner and collaborate with academic and research institution across the world based on equity, engagement, excellence and global impact to facilitate innovative, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and policy-driven research in the area of maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, multimorbidity and environmental health.

Key researchers

The theme is led by Professor Petra Wark and draws on a range of skills and expertise from within its multi-disciplinary team of researchers to develop critical evidence driving innovative healthcare solutions.

Professor Petra Wark

Petra Wark is a professor in Digital Health and Well-being and the theme lead for Epidemiology & Evidence Based Healthcare.

Dr Om P Kurmi

Dr Om P Kurmi is an Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Healthcare Research as well as an environmental and respiratory epidemiologist with major focus in understand the relationship between inhaled pollutants and its associated health outcomes in both children and adults. Majority of his research focuses on understanding the effects of air pollution (both household and ambient) in cardiorespiratory health in low- and middle-income countries. He has also been working in understanding the relationship between occupational airborne exposure and lung health particularly COPD and asthma in high-income countries.

Dr Cain Clark

Dr Clark's work focuses on the advancement of data and statistical analytics in human physical activity, health, and nutrition, with an emphasis on time-use epidemiology and meta-analytics. Dr Clark conducts research, broadly, on physical activity, behaviour, and nutrition, and is prolific in publishing across these areas. He has a vested interest in exercise and health science, holds advisory and advocacy positions for local government(s), and acts as a native language editor, associate editor, and expert reviewer across numerous internationally revered journals. Dr. Clark is a principal and co-investigator on a number of research and enterprise funding projects

Dr Robyn Tapp

Associate Professor Robyn Tapp has throughout her career translated population-based data into significant relevance to the individuals who will benefit from primary and secondary prevention of diabetes and its severe complications. Robyn began her studies on diabetes-related complications as a PhD student at the International Diabetes Institute and Monash University, leading the complications study of the Australian Diabetes Obesity and Lifestyle study (AusDiab), and then carried out post-doctoral research at Imperial College London as part of her NHMRC Sidney Sax Fellowship.