Population and Global Health Informatics
Research Overview
Rear, left to right: Adrian Bickerstaffe, Christopher Evans. Front, left to right: Hannah Murchie, Samantha Fox, Alfie Punnoose
Based in the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the MSPGH Informatics Team supports a wide range of population and global health research Centre/School, collaborating Schools/Faculties, and external collaborators. The Team comprises highly skilled research data managers, software/systems developers, and academic leadership. With deep domain knowledge, its members work tight knit to achieve research outcomes larger than the sum of individual personnel, and otherwise not possible by research groups.
The Team aims to bring equitable, cost-effective access to informatics support for all Centres/Units of the School, avoiding pitfalls often associated with outsourced solutions. Our vision is for health informatics as an embedded, core capability of the School, with
- collaboration across Centres;
- standardised tools and technologies;
- uplift in data management practice and data custodianship; and
- broad engagement within- and cross-Faculty, and external collaboration.
We develop technological solutions to enable, optimise and translate population health research. We have expertise and a demonstrated track record in:
- Cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, research registries, and trials.
- Large-scale participant recruitment, tracking, data capture, and data linkage.
- Bespoke, integrated software for research data collection and management.
- Online risk estimation and decision support tools.
- Online methods for participant and researcher engagement.
- Project planning, grant preparation, publication development, human ethics, and general informatics consultation.
We facilitate and support a broad range of research projects, including:
- Breast cancer follow-up and prospective analyses
- iPrevent - breast cancer risk assessment and risk management decision support
- Australian Mammographic Density Research Facility (AMDRF)
- Colon Cancer Family Registry Cohort
- Reducing the burden of colorectal cancer by optimising screening: evidence to clinical practice
- Twin and Family Registry Management
- Kaat Koort - Aboriginal Brain Health Study
- Next Generation - Aboriginal Youth Wellbeing Study
- Yorga Moorditj Koort - Preventing cardiovascular disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women
- Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS)
- CARISTA - Creating A RIsk assessment biomarker Tool to prevent Seasonal allergic and Thunderstorm Asthma
- Rebate Adolescent Health (RAd Health)
- Developing a Youth-focused Online Clinic for STI testing
Staff
Associate Professor Adrian Bickerstaffe, Head of Research Computing
Samantha Fox, Senior Health Informatics Specialist
Dr Alfie Punnoose, Research Software Engineer
Hannah Murchie, Research Data Manager
Christopher Evans, Health Informatics Officer
Collaborators
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
National Breast Cancer Foundation
University of Western Australia
Funding
The Informatics Team is primarily funded by competitive research grants and tenders awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF); National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF); Cancer Council; Department of Health Victoria; National Institutes of Health (NIH); and internal University grants. Funding is also provided by the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.