Dwan Vilcins

Exploring Green Space, Nature Contact, and Child Health

Urban green space is one of the most promising environmental assets for promoting public health. Evidence is rapidly growing that access to green space and nature contact can support children’s physical and mental wellbeing. Benefits include reduced stress and cortisol levels, increased physical activity, enhanced cognitive development, stronger social cohesion, and exposure to beneficial environmental microbiota. Green space may also buffer harmful exposures such as air pollution and extreme temperatures.

Despite these promising findings, much remains unknown—particularly about how green space influences child health and development, and the mechanisms involved.

This PhD project offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to this emerging field. Using data from a large, longitudinal cohort of Australian children, the candidate will investigate how residential green space and nature-based activities relate to a range of child health outcomes, including physical health, neurodevelopment, and mental wellbeing. Advanced statistical methods, including causal mediation analysis, will be used to explore potential pathways and mechanisms of effect.

We are seeking a motivated PhD student with a background in statistics, epidemiology, environmental health, or public health. Experience with data analysis and a passion for child health and environmental research will be highly valued.

Exploring the Impact of Air Pollution and Antioxidant-Rich Diets on Child Health

In this project you will explore the effects of air pollution on childhood health and the potential mitigating role of antioxidant-rich diets. This project aims to investigate how early-life exposure to air pollution impacts respiratory health, gut microbiome, lipid profiles, inflammation, and oxidative stress in children up to 10 years of age. We will examine whether diets rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients can modify these effects, providing insights into the biological pathways involved and potential interventions.

We are seeking a highly motivated and dedicated PhD student with a background in environmental health, nutrition, epidemiology, or a related field. The ideal candidate should have strong analytical skills, experience with data analysis, and a keen interest in child health and environmental research.