Overview
Background
Dr Helen Mayfield is an interdisciplinary researcher whose work lies at the intersection of epidemiology, infectious diseases and environmental conservation. With a decade of experience studying zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, she employs advanced data modelling techniques like Bayesian networks and spatial models to explore the environmental drivers of disease. Helen holds a PhD in machine learning for environmental management. Her research focus is on refining and testing new disease surveillance methods and strategies, such as molecular xenomonitoring of mosquitoes, and targeted sampling to combat lymphatic filariasis in the Pacific islands. In addition, her current project collaborating with the NSW Saving our Species programme aims to facilitate adaptive management for threatened species using structured expert knowledge to improve decision outcomes for biodiversity.
Helen teaches in courses for conservation planning and practice, and conservation policy. She is currently president of the Bayesian Network Modelling Association and a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Decision Science Working Group.
Availability
- Dr Helen Mayfield is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Member, Australasian Bayesian Network Society, Australasian Bayesian Network Society
- Member, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science
- Collaboration / Affiliation, Griffith University Systems Modelling Group, Griffith University Systems Modelling Group
- Associate Fellow, QUT Centre for Data Science, QUT Centre for Data Science
Research interests
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Improving indicator selection and design
In both conservation science and infectious disease epidemiology, what we measure and how, will affect how accurately we detect changes in the system. This could be as part of a threatened species management plan or for informing programmatic decisions for disease elimination. By exploring alternative indicators and sampling methods, we can improve our understanding of the system to informed management decisions.
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Linking local environments to infectious disease risk
The environment where we live and work can affect our exposure to vector-borne or zoonotic diseases. This potentially creates win-win scenarios where we can optimise interventions so that they benefit both people and nature.
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Decision support and analysis tools
Tools and models that help to structure and analyse data from a range of sources including academic studies, monitoring and expert elicitation can facilitate informed decision making. This is equally true in data-rich and data-poor scenarios. Using the right modelling technique to suit the problem at hand, and making the tool user-friendly for the intended audience are crucial for ensuring the product is fit-for-purpose
Works
Search Professor Helen Mayfield’s works on UQ eSpace
2023
Journal Article
Using regional sero-epidemiology SARS-CoV-2 Anti-S antibodies in the Dominican Republic to inform targeted public health response
Mario Martin, Beatris, Cadavid Restrepo, Angela, Mayfield, Helen, Then Paulino, Cecilia, De St Aubin, Micheal, Duke, William, Jarolim, Petr, Zielinski Gutiérrez, Emily, Skewes Ramm, Ronald, Dumas, Devan, Garnier, Salome, Etienne, Marie Caroline, Peña, Farah, Abdalla, Gabriela, Lopez, Beatriz, de la Cruz, Lucia, Henríquez, Bernarda, Baldwin, Margaret, Sartorius, Benn, Kucharski, Adam, Nilles, Eric James and Lau, Colleen L. (2023). Using regional sero-epidemiology SARS-CoV-2 Anti-S antibodies in the Dominican Republic to inform targeted public health response. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 8 (11) 493, 1-17. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed8110493
2023
Journal Article
Scrutinizing the impact of policy instruments on adoption of agricultural conservation practices using Bayesian expert models
Dean, Angela J., Eberhard, Rachel, Baresi, Umberto, Coggan, Anthea, Deane, Felicity, Hamman, Evan, Helmstedt, Kate J., Loechel, Barton, Jarvis, Diane, Mayfield, Helen, Stevens, Lillian, Taylor, Bruce and Vella, Karen (2023). Scrutinizing the impact of policy instruments on adoption of agricultural conservation practices using Bayesian expert models. Conservation Letters, 16 (6) e12988, 1-14. doi: 10.1111/conl.12988
2023
Journal Article
Scabies prevalence after ivermectin-based mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis, Samoa 2018–2019
Willis, Gabriela A., Kearns, Therese, Mayfield, Helen J., Sheridan, Sarah, Thomsen, Robert, Naseri, Take, David, Michael C., Engelman, Daniel, Steer, Andrew C., Graves, Patricia M. and Lau, Colleen L. (2023). Scabies prevalence after ivermectin-based mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis, Samoa 2018–2019. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 17 (8) e0011549, 1-15. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011549
2023
Journal Article
A decision support tool for risk–benefit analysis of Japanese encephalitis vaccine in travellers
Lau, Colleen L., Mills, Deborah J., Mayfield, Helen, Gyawali, Narayan, Johnson, Brian J., Lu, Hongen, Allel, Kasim, Britton, Philip N., Ling, Weiping, Moghaddam, Tina and Furuya-Kanamori, Luis (2023). A decision support tool for risk–benefit analysis of Japanese encephalitis vaccine in travellers. Journal of Travel Medicine, 30 (7) taad113. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taad113
2023
Journal Article
Mapping the risk of respiratory infections using suburban district areas in a large city in Colombia
Cortes-Ramirez, Javier, Gatton, Michelle, Wilches-Vega, Juan D., Mayfield, Helen J., Wang, Ning, Paris-Pineda, Olga M. and Sly, Peter D. (2023). Mapping the risk of respiratory infections using suburban district areas in a large city in Colombia. BMC Public Health, 23 (1) 1400, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16179-5
2023
Journal Article
Effectiveness of conservation interventions for Australian woodland birds: a systematic review
Walsh, Jessica C., Gibson, Michelle R., Simmonds, Jeremy S., Mayfield, Helen J., Bracey, Clare, Melton, Courtney B., Reside, April E. and Maron, Martine (2023). Effectiveness of conservation interventions for Australian woodland birds: a systematic review. Biological Conservation, 282 110030, 110030. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110030
2023
Journal Article
Being Bayesian in the 2020s: opportunities and challenges in the practice of modern applied Bayesian statistics
Bon, Joshua J., Bretherton, Adam, Buchhorn, Katie, Cramb, Susanna, Drovandi, Christopher, Hassan, Conor, Jenner, Adrianne L., Mayfield, Helen J., McGree, James M., Mengersen, Kerrie, Price, Aiden, Salomone, Robert, Santos-Fernandez, Edgar, Vercelloni, Julie and Wang, Xiaoyu (2023). Being Bayesian in the 2020s: opportunities and challenges in the practice of modern applied Bayesian statistics. Philosophical Transactions A. Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 381 (2247) 20220156, 1-29. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2022.0156
2023
Journal Article
Designing an expert-led Bayesian network to understand interactions between policy instruments for adoption of eco-friendly farming practices
Mayfield, Helen J., Eberhard, Rachel, Baker, Christopher, Baresi, Umberto, Bode, Michael, Coggan, Anthea, Dean, Angela J., Deane, Felicity, Hamman, Evan, Jarvis, Diane, Loechel, Barton, Taylor, Bruce M., Stevens, Lillian, Vella, Karen and Helmstedt, Kate J. (2023). Designing an expert-led Bayesian network to understand interactions between policy instruments for adoption of eco-friendly farming practices. Environmental Science and Policy, 141, 11-22. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2022.12.017
2022
Journal Article
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, cumulative infections, and immunity to symptomatic infection – A multistage national household survey and modelling study, Dominican Republic, June–October 2021
Nilles, Eric J., Paulino, Cecilia Then, de St. Aubin, Michael, Restrepo, Angela Cadavid, Mayfield, Helen, Dumas, Devan, Finch, Emilie, Garnier, Salome, Etienne, Marie Caroline, Iselin, Louisa, Duke, William, Jarolim, Petr, Oasan, Timothy, Yu, Jingyou, Wan, Huahua, Peña, Farah, Iihoshi, Naomi, Abdalla, Gabriela, Lopez, Beatriz, Cruz, Lucia de la, Henríquez, Bernarda, Espinosa-Bode, Andres, Puello, Yosanly Cornelio, Durski, Kara, Baldwin, Margaret, Baez, Amado Alejandro, Merchant, Roland C., Barouch, Dan H., Skewes-Ramm, Ronald ... Lau, Colleen L. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, cumulative infections, and immunity to symptomatic infection – A multistage national household survey and modelling study, Dominican Republic, June–October 2021. Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 16 100390, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100390
2022
Journal Article
Guidelines for selecting an appropriate currency in biodiversity offset transactions
Mayfield, Helen J., Bird, Jeremy, Cox, Michelle, Dutson, Guy, Eyre, Teresa, Raiter, Keren, Ringma, Jeremy and Maron, Martine (2022). Guidelines for selecting an appropriate currency in biodiversity offset transactions. Journal of Environmental Management, 322 116060, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116060
2022
Journal Article
Epidemiology of cruciate ligament reconstruction in the Australian Defence Force and predictors of outcome
Williams, Olivia, Ross, V.R., Lau, C.L. and Mayfield, H.J. (2022). Epidemiology of cruciate ligament reconstruction in the Australian Defence Force and predictors of outcome. BMJ Military Health, 170 (4) e002150, 348-353. doi: 10.1136/military-2022-002150
2022
Journal Article
Spatially explicit environmental factors associated with Lymphatic Filariasis infection in American Samoa
Lemin, Morgan E., Cadavid Restrepo, Angela, Mayfield, Helen J. and Lau, Colleen L. (2022). Spatially explicit environmental factors associated with Lymphatic Filariasis infection in American Samoa. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 7 (10) 295, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed7100295
2022
Journal Article
Evaluating molecular xenomonitoring as a tool for lymphatic filariasis surveillance in Samoa, 2018–2019
McPherson, Brady, Mayfield, Helen J., McLure, Angus, Gass, Katherine, Naseri, Take, Thomsen, Robert, Williams, Steven A., Pilotte, Nils, Kearns, Therese, Graves, Patricia M. and Lau, Colleen L. (2022). Evaluating molecular xenomonitoring as a tool for lymphatic filariasis surveillance in Samoa, 2018–2019. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 7 (8) 203, 1-15. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed7080203
2022
Journal Article
A Bayesian network analysis quantifying risks versus benefits of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Australia
Sinclair, Jane E., Mayfield, Helen J., Short, Kirsty R., Brown, Samuel J., Puranik, Rajesh, Mengersen, Kerrie, Litt, John C. B. and Lau, Colleen L. (2022). A Bayesian network analysis quantifying risks versus benefits of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Australia. npj Vaccines, 7 (1) 93, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41541-022-00517-6
2022
Journal Article
Using expert elicitation to identify effective combinations of management actions for koala conservation in different regional landscapes
Camus, Emma B., Rhodes, Jonathan R., McAlpine, Clive A., Lunney, Daniel, Callaghan, John, Goldingay, Ross, Brace, Angie, Hall, Murray, Hetherington, Scott Benitez, Hopkins, Marama, Druzdzel, Marek J. and Mayfield, Helen J. (2022). Using expert elicitation to identify effective combinations of management actions for koala conservation in different regional landscapes. Wildlife Research, 50 (7), 537-551. doi: 10.1071/wr22038
2022
Journal Article
Bayesian network analysis of lymphatic filariasis serology from Myanmar shows benefit of adding antibody testing to post-MDA surveillance
Dickson, Benjamin F. R., Masson, Jesse J. R., Mayfield, Helen J., Aye, Khin Saw, Htwe, Kyi May, Roineau, Maureen, Andreosso, Athena, Ryan, Stephanie, Becker, Luke, Douglass, Janet and Graves, Patricia M. (2022). Bayesian network analysis of lymphatic filariasis serology from Myanmar shows benefit of adding antibody testing to post-MDA surveillance. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 7 (7) 113, 1-14. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed7070113
2022
Conference Publication
Why we need a planetary health approach to wicked problems: Perspectives on finding interdisciplinary solutions
Lansbury, N., Hickman, A., Mayfield, H., Benham, C. and Atkinson, A-R. (2022). Why we need a planetary health approach to wicked problems: Perspectives on finding interdisciplinary solutions. Flourish! Interdisciplinary solutions for a thriving planet- Australian Academy of Science, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 6-7 June 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Designing an evidence-based Bayesian network for estimating the risk versus benefits of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Mayfield, Helen J., Lau, Colleen L., Sinclair, Jane E., Brown, Samuel J., Baird, Andrew, Litt, John, Vuorinen, Aapeli, Short, Kirsty R., Waller, Michael and Mengersen, Kerrie (2022). Designing an evidence-based Bayesian network for estimating the risk versus benefits of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine, 40 (22), 3072-3084. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.04.004
2022
Journal Article
Synergising decision making and interventions across human health and environment: concepts for designing a model for infectious diseases
Stanhope, Jessica, Mayfield, Helen J., Guillaume, Joseph H. A., Sahin, Oz, Weinstein, Philip and Lau, Colleen L. (2022). Synergising decision making and interventions across human health and environment: concepts for designing a model for infectious diseases. Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling, 3 18126, 1-16. doi: 10.18174/sesmo.18126
2022
Journal Article
An introduction to decision science for conservation
Hemming, Victoria, Camaclang, Abbey E., Adams, Megan S., Burgman, Mark, Carbeck, Katherine, Carwardine, Josie, Chadès, Iadine, Chalifour, Lia, Converse, Sarah J., Davidson, Lindsay N. K., Garrard, Georgia E., Finn, Riley, Fleri, Jesse R., Huard, Jacqueline, Mayfield, Helen J., Madden, Eve McDonald, Naujokaitis‐Lewis, Ilona, Possingham, Hugh P., Rumpff, Libby, Runge, Michael C., Stewart, Daniel, Tulloch, Vivitskaia J. D., Walshe, Terry and Martin, Tara G. (2022). An introduction to decision science for conservation. Conservation Biology, 36 (1) e13868, e13868. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13868
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Helen Mayfield is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Analysing antibodies as indicators for lymphatic filariasis surveillance in Samoa using Bayesian networks.
Location: UQ CCR, Herston
Description: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a mosquito-transmitted disease which causes a significant disease burden, particularly in low-income countries. Surveillance plays a crucial role in global elimination efforts, with human antigen being the most widely used indicator. There is evidence however that antibodies may be more sensitive than antigen for detecting changes in infection prevalence. This project will use an established methodology (https://shorturl.at/fqzAP) to design and implement a data-driven Bayesian network model to evaluate the relative utility of different infection markers for detecting signals of transmission in Samoa.
Expected outcomes and deliverables: The student will develop skills in Bayesian network modelling and an understanding of how data modelling can be applied to operational research in infectious diseases. Deliverables will be a fully parameterised Bayesian network, and a report including a sensitivity analysis and discussion. Upon completion of the project, there will be an opportunity to write up and publish the results as a scientific paper.
Suitable for: Students with basic epidemiology, good analytical skills and in interest in data science. No previous knowledge of Bayesian networks is assumed.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Integrated watershed management for public and ecosystem health in the Pacific Islands: overlapping drivers and strategies to prevent leptospirosis and improve coral reef health
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Colleen Lau, Dr Amelia Wenger, Associate Professor Carissa Klein
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Doctor Philosophy
Spatio-temporal epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in the Dominican Republic
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Angela Cadavid Restrepo, Associate Professor Benn Sartorius, Professor Colleen Lau
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Doctor Philosophy
The long-term cardiovascular complications of COVID-19
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Colleen Lau, Professor Nathan Palpant, Professor Kirsty Short
Media
Enquiries
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