Associate Professor Tom Aechtner
Associate Professor

Tom Aechtner

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52823

Background

Research Interests

Associate Professor Aechtner's research analyses religion and science scepticism and science-religion discourse, with a focus on vaccine hesitancy, antievolutionism, scientism, mass persuasion, and public perceptions of science. He also has secondary research interests associated with religion in the African diaspora, Pentecostalism, and Global Christianity.

Current Research Project

Tom has been a Westpac Research Fellow and a UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award recipient on the project “Improving Vaccination Rates in Australia: Analysing Media, Religion and Policy.” This has involved researching Australian-specific sources of vaccine hesitancy, including media persuasion and religious concerns, while considering how to positively deliver vaccination information.

Availability

Associate Professor Tom Aechtner is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Alberta
  • Masters (Research), University of Calgary
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford

Research interests

  • Religion and Science

  • Science scepticism

  • Antievolution

  • Creationism and Intelligent Design

  • Vaccine Hesitancy

  • Antivaccination

Research impacts

Associate Professor Aechtner created AVAXX101, the first massive open online course dedicated to responding to antivaccination claims and vaccine hesitancy. He has also served as a technical advisor to Queensland Health’s Strategic Communications Branch, and he designed UQ’s VaccinationChoice website. Tom’s book, Media and Science-Religion Conflict: Mass Persuasion in the Evolution Wars (2020), won the International Society for Science & Religion’s 2021 prize for best academic book. His most recent book is Antivaccination and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Professional Guide to Foster Trust and Tackle Misinformation. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, an MA from the University of Calgary, and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta.

Search Professor Tom Aechtner’s works on UQ eSpace

30 works between 2009 and 2024
All (30) Journal Article (20) Book Chapter (5) Book (3) Other Outputs (2)

1 - 20 of 30 works

2024

Journal Article

Vaccine hesitancy: a structured review from a behavioral perspective (2015-2022)

Acharya, Shruti, Aechtner, Thomas, Dhir, Sanjay and Venaik, Sunil (2024). Vaccine hesitancy: a structured review from a behavioral perspective (2015-2022). Psychology, Health & Medicine, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-29. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2024.2417442

Vaccine hesitancy: a structured review from a behavioral perspective (2015-2022)

2024

Journal Article

Bibliometric analysis of vaccine hesitancy research from behavioural perspectives (2015-2022)

Acharya, Shruti, Aechtner, Thomas, Venaik, Sunil and Dhir, Sanjay (2024). Bibliometric analysis of vaccine hesitancy research from behavioural perspectives (2015-2022). Journal of Risk Research, 27 (2), 238-253. doi: 10.1080/13669877.2024.2317318

Bibliometric analysis of vaccine hesitancy research from behavioural perspectives (2015-2022)

2023

Book

Antivaccination and vaccine hesitancy: A professional guide to foster trust and tackle misinformation

Aechtner, Thomas (2023). Antivaccination and vaccine hesitancy: A professional guide to foster trust and tackle misinformation. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003312550

Antivaccination and vaccine hesitancy: A professional guide to foster trust and tackle misinformation

2022

Journal Article

Religion, trust, and vaccine hesitancy in Australia: an examination of two surveys

Aechtner, Thomas and Farr, Jeremy (2022). Religion, trust, and vaccine hesitancy in Australia: an examination of two surveys. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 35 (3), 218-244. doi: 10.1558/jasr.22476

Religion, trust, and vaccine hesitancy in Australia: an examination of two surveys

2022

Journal Article

Evolving religion-science perspectives of the Bhaktivedanta Institute and ISKCON

Zambon, Oliver and Aechtner, Thomas (2022). Evolving religion-science perspectives of the Bhaktivedanta Institute and ISKCON. Nova Religio, 25 (3), 57-86. doi: 10.1525/nr.2022.25.3.57

Evolving religion-science perspectives of the Bhaktivedanta Institute and ISKCON

2022

Journal Article

COVID-19 vaccine uptake: A précis of formative research findings about Queenslanders

Raciti, Maria, Brosnan, Kylie, Lagasca, Carmela, Gordon, Ross and Aechtner, Thomas (2022). COVID-19 vaccine uptake: A précis of formative research findings about Queenslanders. Australian Association of Social Marketing Viewpoint, 11 (1), 6-8.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake: A précis of formative research findings about Queenslanders

2021

Other Outputs

Vaccine deniers are a minority in Australia, but a successful rollout hinges on facts and honesty

Aechtner, Thomas (2021, 01 14). Vaccine deniers are a minority in Australia, but a successful rollout hinges on facts and honesty The Guardian

Vaccine deniers are a minority in Australia, but a successful rollout hinges on facts and honesty

2021

Journal Article

Creationism with an Australian accent: Politics, schools, and global exportation

Aechtner, Thomas (2021). Creationism with an Australian accent: Politics, schools, and global exportation. Almagest, 12, 124-148. doi: 10.1484/j.almagest.5.125388

Creationism with an Australian accent: Politics, schools, and global exportation

2021

Book Chapter

Science

Aechtner, Thomas (2021). Science. Brill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism. (pp. 568-571) edited by Michael Wilkinson, Conny Au, Jörg Haustein and Todd M. Johnson . Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.

Science

2020

Journal Article

Distrust, danger, and confidence: a content analysis of the Australian Vaccination-Risks Network Blog

Aechtner, Thomas (2020). Distrust, danger, and confidence: a content analysis of the Australian Vaccination-Risks Network Blog. Public Understanding of Science, 30 (1), 963662520963258-35. doi: 10.1177/0963662520963258

Distrust, danger, and confidence: a content analysis of the Australian Vaccination-Risks Network Blog

2020

Journal Article

Improving evolution advocacy: translating vaccine interventions to the evolution wars

Aechtner, Thomas (2020). Improving evolution advocacy: translating vaccine interventions to the evolution wars. Zygon, 55 (1), 27-51. doi: 10.1111/zygo.12577

Improving evolution advocacy: translating vaccine interventions to the evolution wars

2020

Other Outputs

Uq vaccination choice

Aechtner, Thomas (2020). Uq vaccination choice. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.

Uq vaccination choice

2020

Book

Media and science-religion conflict: mass persuasion in the evolution wars

Aechtner, Thomas (2020). Media and science-religion conflict: mass persuasion in the evolution wars. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429356544

Media and science-religion conflict: mass persuasion in the evolution wars

2020

Journal Article

Cues, values and conflict: reassessing evolution wars media persuasion

Aechtner, Thomas (2020). Cues, values and conflict: reassessing evolution wars media persuasion. Scientia et Fides, 8 (2), 249-284. doi: 10.12775/SETF.2020.021

Cues, values and conflict: reassessing evolution wars media persuasion

2019

Journal Article

Convergent antievolutionism and the Hare Krishnas

Aechtner, Thomas and Zambon, Oliver (2019). Convergent antievolutionism and the Hare Krishnas. Theology and Science, 17 (3), 292-296. doi: 10.1080/14746700.2019.1632516

Convergent antievolutionism and the Hare Krishnas

2019

Book Chapter

Teaching warfare: Conflict and complexity in contemporary university textbooks

Aechtner, Thomas H. (2019). Teaching warfare: Conflict and complexity in contemporary university textbooks. Rethinking History, Science, and Religion: An Exploration of Conflict and the Complexity Principle. (pp. 160-180) edited by Bernard Lightman. Pittsburgh, United States: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Teaching warfare: Conflict and complexity in contemporary university textbooks

2018

Journal Article

Science and religion perspectives at St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT)

Aechtner, Thomas and Buchanan, Malcolm S. (2018). Science and religion perspectives at St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT). Journal of Contemporary Religion, 33 (2), 337-345. doi: 10.1080/13537903.2018.1469280

Science and religion perspectives at St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT)

2018

Journal Article

Vaishnavism, antievolutionism, and ambiguities: revisiting ISKCON's Darwin-skepticism

Zambon, Oliver and Aechtner, Thomas (2018). Vaishnavism, antievolutionism, and ambiguities: revisiting ISKCON's Darwin-skepticism. Zygon, 53 (1), 67-94. doi: 10.1111/zygo.12395

Vaishnavism, antievolutionism, and ambiguities: revisiting ISKCON's Darwin-skepticism

2018

Book Chapter

Social scientists

Aechtner, Thomas (2018). Social scientists. The Warfare between Science and Religion: The Idea That Wouldn’t Die. (pp. 302-323) edited by Jeff Hardin, Ronald L. Numbers and Ronald A. Binzley. Baltimore MD, United States: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Social scientists

2016

Journal Article

Terrorism in the evolution wars: mass media and human nature

Aechtner, Tom (2016). Terrorism in the evolution wars: mass media and human nature. Theology and Science, 14 (4), 495-517. doi: 10.1080/14746700.2016.1231983

Terrorism in the evolution wars: mass media and human nature

Current funding

  • 2019 - 2024
    The Queensland Atlas of Religion
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2023
    Science and Religion Exploring the Spectrum: A Global Perspective (Templeton Religious Trust Grant led by the University of Birmingham)
    University of Birmingham
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Religion and Vaccine Hesitancies in Australia: A Survey of Social Attitudes
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Improving Vaccination Rates in Australia: Analysing Media, Religion and Policy
    Westpac Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2017
    Immunisation Hesitancies: Analysing Religion, Persuasion, and Anti-Vaccination Media in Australia
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Evolution, Atheism, and Mass Persuasion: The Uses and Abuses of Biology in New Atheist Propaganda
    The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Tom Aechtner is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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