Overview
Background
Doctor Jake O’Brien is Senior Research Fellow and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS). His main field of interest is in wastewater-based epidemiology, but he also has interest in developing analytical methods for chemicals of emerging concern within biological and environmental samples. Doctor O'Brien is a strong advocate for collaborative research having co-authored with more than 300 collaborators worldwide on over 150 publications. Jake is strongly supportive of early career researcher development and is currently the chair of the EMCR@UQ Committee. He is also a Chief Investigator of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program since its establishment in 2016.
Availability
- Dr Jake O'Brien is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Works
Search Professor Jake O'Brien’s works on UQ eSpace
2015
Conference Publication
Long-term monitoring of cathinone use using wastewater analysis in an urban catchment in South East Queensland
Thai, Phong K., Lai, Foonyin, O'Brien, Jake W., Bruno, Raimondo, Hall, Wayne, Edirisinghe, Methsiri, Kirkbride, Paul, Prichard, Jeremy and Mueller, Jochen (2015). Long-term monitoring of cathinone use using wastewater analysis in an urban catchment in South East Queensland. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
2015
Conference Publication
Reading wastewater downunder
Mueller, J. F., Lai, F. Y., Thai, P., O'Brien, J., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., van Dyken, E., Humphries, M., Carter, S., Wilkins, P., Kirkbride, W. and Hall, W. (2015). Reading wastewater downunder. Testing the Waters, Ascona, Switzerland, 11-15 October 2015.
2015
Conference Publication
Application of wastewater-based epidemiology on monitoring illicit drug, alcohol and nicotine use in Australian and New Zealand populations
Lai, F. Y., Hall, W., Wilkins, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Anuj, S., O'Brien, J. W., Thai, P., Bruno, R., Prichard, J., Kirkbride, P. and Mueller, J. F. (2015). Application of wastewater-based epidemiology on monitoring illicit drug, alcohol and nicotine use in Australian and New Zealand populations. Testing the Waters, Ascona, Switzerland, 11-15 October 2015.
2014
Journal Article
Degradability of creatinine under sewer conditions affects its potential to be used as biomarker in sewage epidemiology
Thai, Phong K., O'Brien, Jake, Jiang, Guangming, Gernjak, Wolfgang, Yuan, Zhiguo, Eaglesham, Geoff and Mueller, Jochen F. (2014). Degradability of creatinine under sewer conditions affects its potential to be used as biomarker in sewage epidemiology. Water Research, 55, 272-279. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2014.02.035
2014
Journal Article
A model to estimate the population contributing to the wastewater using samples collected on census day
O'Brien, Jake W., Thai, Phong K., Eaglesham, Geoff, Ort, Christoph, Scheidegger, Andreas, Carter, Steve, Lai, Foon Yin and Mueller, Jochen F. (2014). A model to estimate the population contributing to the wastewater using samples collected on census day. Environmental Science and Technology, 48 (1), 517-525. doi: 10.1021/es403251g
2014
Conference Publication
Refining the Excretion Factor for the Back-Estimation of Methadone Consumption in Sewer Epidemiology
Thai, Phong K., Van Dyken, Emma, Banks, Andrew, Lai, Foonyin, O'Brien, Jake, Bruno, Raimondo, Hall, Wayne D., Prichard, Jeremy and Mueller, Jochen F. (2014). Refining the Excretion Factor for the Back-Estimation of Methadone Consumption in Sewer Epidemiology. Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs Conference 2014, Adelaide, SA Australia, 9-12 November 2014. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/dar.12222
2014
Journal Article
Commentary on Ort etal. (2014): What next to deliver on the promise of large scale sewage-based drug epidemiology?
Bruno, Raimondo, Hall, Wayne, Kirkbride, K. Paul, Lai, Foon Yin, O'Brien, Jake W., Prichard, Jeremy, Thai, Phong K. and Mueller, Jochen F. (2014). Commentary on Ort etal. (2014): What next to deliver on the promise of large scale sewage-based drug epidemiology?. Addiction, 109 (8), 1353-1354. doi: 10.1111/add.12651
2013
Journal Article
Using quantitative wastewater analysis to measure daily usage of conventional and emerging illicit drugs at an annual music festival
Lai, Foon Yin, Thai, Phong K., O'Brien, Jake., Gartner, Coral, Bruno, Raimondo, Kele, Benjamin, Ort, Christoph, Prichard, Jeremy, Kirkbride, Paul, Hall, Wayne, Carter, Steve and Mueller, Jochen F. (2013). Using quantitative wastewater analysis to measure daily usage of conventional and emerging illicit drugs at an annual music festival. Drug and Alcohol Review, 32 (6), 594-602. doi: 10.1111/dar.12061
2012
Conference Publication
Using wastewater analysis to measure illicit substance use among attendees of a music festival
Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., O'Brien, J., Kele, B., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Hall, W., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., Kirkbride, P., Eaglesham, G. and Mueller, J. F. (2012). Using wastewater analysis to measure illicit substance use among attendees of a music festival. 25th Annual Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminiology Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 27-29 November 2012.
2012
Conference Publication
Evaluation of illicit drug prevalence among attendees at a music festival via wastewater analysis
Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., O'Brien,, Kele, B., Ort, C., Gartner, C., Carter, S., Hall, W., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., Kirkbride, P., Eaglesham, G. and Mueller, J. F. (2012). Evaluation of illicit drug prevalence among attendees at a music festival via wastewater analysis. 2nd SETAC Australasia Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 4-6 July 2012.
2012
Conference Publication
Wastewater "epidemiology": competitor or complement to survey studies?
Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., O'Brien, J., Mueller, J. F., Ort, C., Carter, S., Eaglesham, G., Prichard, J., Bruno, R., van Dyken, E., Hall, W., Gartner, C., Humphries, M. and Karpievitch, Y. (2012). Wastewater "epidemiology": competitor or complement to survey studies?. 2012 National Drug Trends Conference. Drugs, crime and the front-line: Australiasian perspective, Sydney, NSW Australia, 9 October 2012.
2012
Conference Publication
Forensic epidemiology: estimating illicit drug prevalence at a music festival through wastewater analysis
Lai, F. Y., Thai, P. K., Ort, C., O'Brien, J., Kele, B., Hall, W., Gartner, C., Bruno, R., Kirkbride, P. and Mueller, J. F. (2012). Forensic epidemiology: estimating illicit drug prevalence at a music festival through wastewater analysis. 21st International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences, Hobart, TAS Australia, 23-27 September 2012.
2011
Journal Article
A cleaner river: Long term use of semipermeable membrane devices demonstrate that concentrations of selected organochlorines and PAHs in the Brisbane River estuary, Queensland have reduced substantially over the past decade
Mueller, J. F., Mortimer, M. R., O'Brien, J., Komarova, T. and Carter, S. (2011). A cleaner river: Long term use of semipermeable membrane devices demonstrate that concentrations of selected organochlorines and PAHs in the Brisbane River estuary, Queensland have reduced substantially over the past decade. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 63 (5-12), 73-76. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.03.026
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Jake O'Brien is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
The suitability of wastewater-based epidemiology for AMR surveillance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Non-Targeted High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Highly Mobile and Highly Persistent Chemicals
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigation of the inflammatory response of human cells to silica dust exposure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing the framework for a national wastewater antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use surveillance method
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
The suitability of wastewater-based epidemiology for AMR surveillance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing the framework for a national wastewater antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use surveillance method
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Non-Targeted High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Characterisation of Highly Mobile and Highly Persistent Chemicals
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of novel substances in wastewater that select for antimicrobial resistance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Specialised Hyphenated Methodologies for Quantifying New Halogenated Plastic Materials
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding use and fate of ingredients in consumer products
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Richard Bade, Professor Jochen Mueller
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation and Quantification of Nanoplastics in the Environment Using Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Elvis Okoffo, Dr Cassie Rauert
-
Doctor Philosophy
Antibiotics and other chemicals that select for resistance in the environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Antibiotics and other chemicals that select for antimicrobial resistance in Australian wastewater
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Estimating use of tobacco and nicotine products through wastewater analysis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Ben Tscharke, Associate Professor Phong Thai
-
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of novel substances in wastewater that select for antimicrobial resistance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of biomarker transformation in the wastewater system
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Phong Thai, Dr Qiuda Zheng
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microplastic exposure
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Fisher Wang, Dr Cassie Rauert, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Advancing the non-target identification of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in environmental samples
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ian Wood, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Pradeep Dewapriya, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
Doctor Philosophy
Comprehensive characterisation of the human PFAS exposome
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ian Wood, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Dr Pradeep Dewapriya, Professor Kevin Thomas
Completed supervision
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating the suitability of wastewater analysis for the detection and monitoring of performance- and image-enhancing drug use
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Ben Tscharke, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of plastic contamination in marine organisms
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Associate Professor Sarit Kaserzon, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
An assessment of alcohol and tobacco consumption by wastewater-based epidemiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Professor Kevin Thomas, Dr Ben Tscharke, Associate Professor Phong Thai
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of analgesic consumption and the burden of treated pain in Australia using wastewater-based epidemiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Ben Tscharke, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
An assessment of plastic residues in Australian biosolids
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller, Dr Ben Tscharke, Professor Kevin Thomas
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Assessing sources, fate, and the potential risk of UV filters in the aquatic environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jochen Mueller
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Population diet and stress estimates using wastewater based epidemiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kevin Thomas, Professor Jochen Mueller
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Expanding wastewater-based epidemiology and evaluating the stability of biomarkers in the sewers: from the laboratory to the field
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Phong Thai, Professor Jochen Mueller
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Jake O'Brien directly for media enquiries about:
- Illicit drug monitoring in wastewater
- national wastewater drug monitoring program
- wastewater
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