
Overview
Background
A/Prof Benn Sartorius is an established spatial and global health epidemiologist, with a particular interest in the burden of infectious disease and attributable determinants at sub-national, national and global scales as a tool to help inform and optimise policy at national and subnational scales. Dr Sartorius a principal research fellow in UQ's ODeSI team at University of Queensland, an affiliate professor in Department of Health Metric Sciences at University of Washington and a honorary visiting research fellow at University of Oxfored. Prior to join UQ, Dr Sartorius was the principal investigator for the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project based in the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health at University of Oxford.
Dr Sartorius' research has focused on better understanding the spatial-temporal burden and risk factors of multiple IDs, including mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, sexually transmitted infections, neglected tropical diseases such as soil-transmitted helminths and onchocerciasis, vaccine preventable diseases, emerging infectious diseases and more recently focused on antimicrobial resistance. These and other examples highlight the utility of spatial epidemiology to identify higher risk areas that should be prioritised for more targeted, tailored and resource efficient intervention and control measures. However, often spatial risk estimates for IDs are often not produced in-country in settings such as the Pacific, where disease burden is high and local modelling expertise is limited, resulting in use of incomplete/biased data and resulting in inefficient and suboptimal decision-making. I’ve been a collaborator on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project since 2014 and the Scientific Council for the GBD Project since 2015. Dr Sartorius is a member of the WHO Reference Group on Health Statistics (RGHS) and chair of the Age-Specific Mortality Estimation and Life Table Computation task force. Benn's vision, through ODeSI-HERA, is to expand his international profile and leadership in spatial-temporal epidemiology of priority infectious diseases in Australia and the Pacific. This will include spatial epidemiological innovation, and capacity building to improve health outcomes in high-risk and vulnerable sub-populations within the region, and will be co-created with stakeholders in the region to ensure that it aligns with their priorities, and support precision-based decision-making systems to help policy makers optimise resource allocation and guide targeted interventions.
Availability
- Associate Professor Benn Sartorius is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand
Research interests
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Spatial Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
There is often also a gap between research and practical implementation, particularly in resource-poor settings with limited expertise and incomplete data. Essential to utilize spatial-temporal epidemiology to enhance our understanding and mitigation of priority climate-sensitive and environmentally driven infectious diseases (i.e. vector-borne and zoonotic), vaccine preventable diseases and emerging infectious diseases in Australia, Pacific Island countries and globally.
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Global Burden of Disease
Provide comprehensive estimates of mortality and disability across countries, time etc to improve health systems/resource allocations and reduce/eliminate disparities.
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Health Statistics
Science of collecting, analyzing, presenting, and interpreting health data.
Works
Search Professor Benn Sartorius’s works on UQ eSpace
2013
Journal Article
Dying in their prime: Determinants and space-time risk of adult mortality in rural South Africa
Sartorius, Benn, Kahn, Kathleen, Collinson, Mark A., Sartorius, Kurt and Tollman, Stephen M. (2013). Dying in their prime: Determinants and space-time risk of adult mortality in rural South Africa. Geospatial Health, 7 (2), 237-249. doi: 10.4081/gh.2013.83
2013
Journal Article
Rural Poverty Dynamics and Refugee Communities in South Africa: A Spatial-Temporal Model
Sartorius, Kurt, Sartorius, Benn, Tollman, Stephen, Schatz, Enid, Kirsten, Johann and Collinson, Mark (2013). Rural Poverty Dynamics and Refugee Communities in South Africa: A Spatial-Temporal Model. Population, Space and Place, 19 (1), 103-123. doi: 10.1002/psp.697
2012
Journal Article
The effect of distance to formal health facility on childhood mortality in rural Tanzania, 2005-2007
Kadobera, Daniel, Sartorius, Benn, Masanja, Honorati, Mathew, Alexander and Waiswa, Peter (2012). The effect of distance to formal health facility on childhood mortality in rural Tanzania, 2005-2007. Global health action, 5, 1-9. doi: 10.3402/gha.v5i0.19099
2011
Journal Article
Infant mortality in South Africa - distribution, associations and policy implications, 2007: an ecological spatial analysis
Sartorius, Benn K.D., Sartorius, Kurt, Chirwa, Tobias F. and Fonn, Sharon (2011). Infant mortality in South Africa - distribution, associations and policy implications, 2007: an ecological spatial analysis. International Journal of Health Geographics, 10 61. doi: 10.1186/1476-072X-10-61
2011
Journal Article
Survived infancy but still vulnerable: Spatial-temporal trends and risk factors for child mortality in rural South Africa (Agincourt), 1992-2007
Sartorius, Benn, Kahn, Kathleen, Collinson, Mark A., Vounatsou, Penelope and Tollman, Stephen M. (2011). Survived infancy but still vulnerable: Spatial-temporal trends and risk factors for child mortality in rural South Africa (Agincourt), 1992-2007. Geospatial Health, 5 (2), 285-295. doi: 10.4081/gh.2011.181
2010
Journal Article
Young and vulnerable: Spatial-temporal trends and risk factors for infant mortality in rural South Africa (Agincourt), 1992-2007
Sartorius, Benn K.D., Kahn, Kathleen, Vounatsou, Penelope, Collinson, Mark A and Tollman, Stephen M (2010). Young and vulnerable: Spatial-temporal trends and risk factors for infant mortality in rural South Africa (Agincourt), 1992-2007. BMC Public Health, 10 645. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-645
2010
Journal Article
Mortality measurement in transition: Proof of principle for standardised multi-country comparisons
Fottrell, Edward, Kahn, Kathleen, Ng, Nawi, Sartorius, Benn, Huong, Dao Lan, Van Minh, Hoang, Fantahun, Mesganaw and Byass, Peter (2010). Mortality measurement in transition: Proof of principle for standardised multi-country comparisons. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 15 (10), 1256-1265. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02601.x
2008
Journal Article
Implications of mortality transition for primary health care in rural South Africa: a population-based surveillance study
Tollman, Stephen M, Kahn, Kathleen, Sartorius, Benn, Collinson, Mark A, Clark, Samuel J and Garenne, Michel L (2008). Implications of mortality transition for primary health care in rural South Africa: a population-based surveillance study. The Lancet, 372 (9642), 893-901. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61399-9
2007
Journal Article
Outbreak of novovirus in västra Götaland associated with recreational activities at two lakes during August 2004
Sartorius, Benn, Andersson, Yvonne, Velicko, Inga, De Jong, Birgitta, Löfdahl, Margareta, Hedlund, Kjell-Olof, Allestam, Gorel, Wångsell, Claes, Bergstedt, Olof, Horal, Peter, Ulleryd, Peter and Soderstrom, Ann (2007). Outbreak of novovirus in västra Götaland associated with recreational activities at two lakes during August 2004. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 39 (4), 323-331. doi: 10.1080/00365540601053006
2007
Journal Article
Epidemiology and molecular virus characterization of reemerging rabies, South Africa
Cohen, Cheryl, Sartorius, Benn, Sabeta, Claude, Zulu, Gugulethu, Paweska, Janusz, Mogoswane, Mamokete, Sutton, Chris, Nel, Louis H., Swanepoel, Robert, Leman, Patricia A., Grobbelaar, Antoinette A., Dyason, Edwin and Blumberg, Lucille (2007). Epidemiology and molecular virus characterization of reemerging rabies, South Africa. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 13 (12), 1879-1886. doi: 10.3201/eid1312.070836
2006
Journal Article
Description of a new all cause mortality surveillance system in Sweden as a warning system using threshold detection algorithms
Sartorius, B., Jacobsen, H., Törner, A. and Giesecke, J. (2006). Description of a new all cause mortality surveillance system in Sweden as a warning system using threshold detection algorithms. European Journal of Epidemiology, 21 (3), 181-189. doi: 10.1007/s10654-005-5923-6
2005
Journal Article
An outbreak of mumps in Sweden, February-April 2004
Sartorius, B., Penttinen, P., Nilsson, J., Johansen, K., Jönsson, K., Arneborn, M., Löfdahl, M. and Giesecke, J. (2005). An outbreak of mumps in Sweden, February-April 2004. Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin, 10 (9), 191-193. doi: 10.2807/esm.10.09.00559-en
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Benn Sartorius is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Epidemiology and burden of rotavirus infections in Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Colleen Lau, Associate Professor Luis Furuya Kanamori, Dr Behzad Kiani
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Doctor Philosophy
Climate and Environmental Change, Water Security, and Children's Vulnerability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Jagals
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Doctor Philosophy
Spatio-temporal epidemiology of vector-borne diseases in the Dominican Republic
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Helen Mayfield, Dr Angela Cadavid Restrepo, Professor Colleen Lau
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Doctor Philosophy
Integrated Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Colleen Lau, Dr Harriet Lawford
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Doctor Philosophy
MODELLING THE EFFECT OF A CHANGING CLIMATE ON THE RE-EMERGENCE OF MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES IN MAURITIUS
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Emma McBryde
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Doctor Philosophy
Machine learning in epidemiology research on African Swine Fever epidemic in the Philippines Outline
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Luis Furuya Kanamori, Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, Professor Colleen Lau
Media
Enquiries
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