The Victoria University Public Health Network (VUPHN) draws together colleges, institutes, departments, and individual academic staff at VU interested in advancing public health. The VUPHN was established as a forum for public health experts from a variety of fields and disciplines, to raise issues, strategise, and strengthen collaborative research, teaching, health promotion and advocacy.
The network has 47 individual members representing:
- Australian Health Policy Collaboration
- Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention & Management
- Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing
- College of Arts
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Health & Biomedicine
- College of Law & Justice
- College of Sport & Exercise Science
- Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL)
- Mitchell Institute
- Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies (VISES).
On this page:
Our goal
The Victoria University Public Health Network aims to:
- increase capacity in collaborative public health research
- ease transfer and sharing of knowledge with regards to research and health promotion
- build partnerships between colleges/institutes across the Victoria University in applications for internal and external research grants
- expand the range of possibilities to translate public health research evidence into practice
- increase capability to develop and implement multifaceted health promotion interventions among VU staff and students, and externally
- enhance cooperation between colleges in teaching public health-related subjects
- expand possibilities for organising public health workshops and summer/winter schools
- strengthen advocacy for further improvements in the Victoria University’s organisational support to public health research, interventions, and teaching
- strengthen advocacy for other interests of public health researchers, practitioners, and lecturers at the Victoria University.
Areas of expertise
The VUPHN members cover the following areas of expertise related to public health:
Communicable and non-communicable diseases
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Chronic disease epidemiology | Dr Jayantha Dassanayake; Professor Maximilian de Courten |
| Chronic disease prevention | Kristina Vingrys; Professor Maximilian de Courten; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Dermal Science | Frank Perri |
| Diabetes | Dr Glen Wiesner; Kristina Vingrys; Professor Maximilian de Courten; Associate Professor Nigel Stepto |
| Global health | Dr Jayantha Dassanayake; Professor Maximilian de Courten; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| International health | Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Obesity | Dr Glen Wiesner; Professor Kay Gibbons; Kristina Vingrys |
| Sexual health | Dr Grant O'Sullivan; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
Environmental and occupational health
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Environmental health | Irene Lemish |
| Occupational health | Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered; Irene Lemish |
| Organisational health | Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered |
Health behaviours
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Alcohol consumption | Associate Professor Craig Fry |
| Behavioural epidemiology | Dr Jannique van Uffelen; Dr Jason Bennie; Associate Professor Rochelle Eime |
| Dietetics | Professor Kay Gibbons |
| Drug abuse | Associate Professor Craig Fry |
| Eating disorders | Dr Zali Yager |
| Genetics of exercise | Dr Xu Sean Yan |
| Health through sport participation | Associate Professor Caroline Symons; Dr Janet Young; Associate Professor Rochelle Eime; Professor Warren Payne |
| Holistic movement practices | Dr Ineke Vergeer |
| Nutritional epidemiology | Dianne Stevens; Kristina Vingrys |
| Physical activity epidemiology | Associate Professor Caroline Symons; Dr Jannique van Uffelen; Dr Jason Bennie; Dr Jayantha Dassanayake; Dr Melinda Craike; Associate Professor Rochelle Eime; Professor Stuart Biddle; Professor Warren Payne; Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Sedentary behaviour epidemiology | Dr Jannique van Uffelen; Dr Jason Bennie; Professor Stuart Biddle; Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Sleep | Dr Grant O'Sullivan |
Healthcare, health policy, and health promotion
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Community engagement | Kristina Vingrys; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Corporate governance | Professor Anona Armstrong |
| E-health | Associate Professor Craig Fry |
| Health education | Dr Helen Widdop Quinton; Kristina Vingrys; Dr Simon Taylor; Dr Zali Yager |
| Health policy | Associate Professor Craig Fry; Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered; Associate Professor Liza Heslop; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts; Professor Rosemary Calder |
| Health promotion | Donna Wyatt; Dr Grant O'Sullivan; Irene Lemish; Dr Jayantha Dassanayake; Kristina Vingrys; Dr Liz Short; Professor Lyndal Bond; Dr Melinda Craike; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts; Professor Rosemary Calder; Professor Warren Payne |
| Healthcare systems | Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered; Associate Professor Liza Heslop |
| Nutrition interventions | Professor Kay Gibbons |
| Paramedicine | Dr Gavin Smith |
| Physical education | Dr Zali Yager |
| Positive education | Dr Helen Widdop Quinton |
| Public health interventions | Professor Lyndal Bond; Professor Maximilian de Courten; Dr Melinda Craike |
| Public policy | Professor Anona Armstrong |
Sociology and public health
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Community belonging | Dr Charlotte Fabiansson, Dr Liz Short |
| Community recreation | Dr John Tower |
| Cultural diversity | Professor Mary Carolan-Olah; Dr Liz Short |
| Gender and health | Donna Wyatt |
| Gender and sports studies | Associate Professor Caroline Symons |
| Interaction of technology with society | Adjunct Professor Greg Tegart |
| Sexuality and health | Donna Wyatt; Dr Liz Short |
| Sexualities and sports studies | Associate Professor Caroline Symons |
| Social capital | Irene Lemish |
| Social determinants of health | Dr Liz Short; Professor Lyndal Bond |
| Societal gambling | Dr Charlotte Fabiansson |
| Sociology of youth | Dr Charlotte Fabiansson |
Psychology and public health
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Behaviour change | Kristina Vingrys; Dr Melinda Craike; Professor Stuart Biddle |
| Body image | Dr Grant O'Sullivan; Dr Zali Yager |
| Health psychology | Dr Grant O'Sullivan |
| Mental health | David Dawson; Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered; Dr Ineke Vergeer; Dr Liz Short; Rebecca Millar; Professor Stuart Biddle |
| Perception of risk and risk behaviour | Dr Charlotte Fabiansson; Professor Lyndal Bond |
| Psychological wellbeing | David Dawson; Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered; Dr Ineke Vergeer; Dr Liz Short; Professor Stuart Biddle |
| Psychology of physical activity | Dr Ineke Vergeer; Dr Janet Young; Dr Melinda Craike; Professor Stuart Biddle |
| Psychology of relationships | Dr Warwick Hosking |
| Psychology of sedentary behaviour | Professor Stuart Biddle |
Specific populations
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Adolescent health | Professor Lyndal Bond; Dr Melinda Craike; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Cancer survivors | Dr Melinda Craike |
| Child health | Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Disadvantaged and marginalised groups | Dr Liz Short |
| Gay men’s health and wellbeing | Dr Warwick Hosking |
| Gender minorities | Dr Liz Short |
| Healthy ageing | Dr Jannique van Uffelen |
| Men's health | Dr Grant O'Sullivan |
| Migrant and refugee health | Dr Jayantha Dassanayake; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Pregnancy | Professor Mary Carolan-Olah |
| Same sex-attracted and gender diverse communities | Dr Grant O'Sullivan |
| Technology for the aged and disabled | Adjunct Professor Greg Tegart |
| Women's health | Dr Liz Short; Associate Professor Nigel Stepto |
Methods in public health research and practice
| Area | VUPHN experts |
|---|---|
| Applied statistics | Dr Masha Fridman; Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Assessment and development of new technology and innovation | Dr Kim Sweeny |
| Electronic surveys and data capture systems | Dr Glen Wiesner |
| Event management in sport and recreation | Associate Professor Caroline Symons |
| Ethics | Professor Anona Armstrong; Associate Professor Craig Fry |
| Evaluation | Professor Anona Armstrong; Professor Lyndal Bond |
| Genetic methods | Dr Xu Sean Yan |
| Foresight (future studies) | Adjunct Professor Greg Tegart |
| Health economics | Dr Kim Sweeny; Dr Masha Fridman |
| Health surveillance | Professor Maximilian de Courten; Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Needs assessment | Professor Kay Gibbons |
| Management of large operational services | Professor Kay Gibbons |
| Project coordination | Dr Angela Fones; Dr Glen Wiesner |
| Psychometrics | Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Qualitative research methods | Frank Perri; Dr Ineke Vergeer; Professor Lyndal Bond; Professor Mary Carolan-Olah; Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts |
| Quantitative research methods | Professor Lyndal Bond; Dr Masha Fridman; Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Strategic analysis | Dr Kim Sweeny |
| Survey design and implementation | Dr Zeljko Pedisic |
| Translational research | Professor Warren Payne |
Our people
Members
- Dr Andrew Mathieson
- Dr Angela Fones
- Professor Anona Armstrong
- Associate Professor Caroline Symons
- Dr Charlotte Fabiansson
- Associate Professor Craig Fry
- David Dawson
- Dianne Stevens
- Donna Wyatt
- Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered
- Frank Perri
- Dr Gavin Smith
- Dr Glen Wiesner
- Dr Grant O'Sullivan
- Adjunct Professor Greg Tegart
- Dr Helen Widdop Quinton
- Dr Ineke Vergeer
- Irene Lemish
- Dr Janet Young
- Dr Jason Bennie
- Dr Jayantha Dassanayake
- Dr John Tower
- Judith Myers
- Professor Kay Gibbons
- Dr Kim Sweeny
- Kristina Vingrys
- Dr Liz Short
- Associate Professor Liza Heslop
- Professor Lyndal Bond
- Professor Mary Carolan-Olah
- Dr Masha Fridman
- Professor Maximilian de Courten
- Dr Melinda Craike
- Dr Mimmie Claudine Ngum Chi Watts
- Associate Professor Nigel Stepto
- Rebecca Millar
- Associate Professor Rochelle Eime
- Professor Rosemary Calder
- Dr Simon Taylor
- Professor Stuart Biddle
- Trish Burton
- Professor Warren Payne
- Dr Warwick Hosking
- Dr Xu Sean Yan
- Dr Zali Yager
- Dr Zeljko Pedisic.
VUPHN is open to everyone at VU with professional interests and involvement in public health agenda. We cordially welcome new members.
Operational group
Contact us
To join the network or for any other inquiries, please contact:
Dr Zeljko Pedisic
VUPHN coordinator
+61 3 9919 5275 | zeljko.pedisic@vu.edu.au.
