Overview
Background
Dr Jon Olsen is an Associate Professor & Deputy Director (Research) at the Institute for Social Science, The University of Queensland. He serves as Director of URBANiQ: Urban Intelligence for Healthy & Equitable Places @ The University of Queensland, the AURIN UQ-Node, and leads research focused on place and health inequalities. His work explores how the built and natural environments, along with urban planning policies, influence health outcomes and disparities. Jon is also committed to advancing understanding of the intersections between human health and planetary health.
He is Co-I of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit in Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Inequalities (SEDHI) and the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme-funded Orienting Policy Towards Inequality Minimising Actions (OPTIMA) project, a systems science approach to 20-minute neighbourhood policy and evaluation.
Jon is Senior Editor of the new journal Urban Transitions, Editorial Board Member of Wellbeing, Space and Society, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK.
Availability
- Dr Jonathan Olsen is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Epidemiology, Cardiff University
Research interests
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Mobility, Health & Environmental Exposure
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Urban Liveability & Community Wellbeing
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Healthy and equitable places
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Socioeconomic impacts of place-based planning policies
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Social and geographical impacts of climate change on health
Works
Search Professor Jonathan Olsen’s works on UQ eSpace
2026
Journal Article
Leveraging census data to design and implement an area-based deprivation index to assess health inequalities in Ecuador
Andrade, Diego, Dundas, Ruth, Olsen, Jonathan, Chis Ster, Irina and Project, SEDHI (2026). Leveraging census data to design and implement an area-based deprivation index to assess health inequalities in Ecuador. International Journal of Population Data Science, 10 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v10i3.2970
2026
Journal Article
Reducing health inequities in Australia: the role of place-based action and spatial data infrastructure
Olsen, Jonathan R., Robinson, Mark, Corcoran, Jonathan and McDaid, Lisa (2026). Reducing health inequities in Australia: the role of place-based action and spatial data infrastructure. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 37 (2) e70156, 1-6. doi: 10.1002/hpja.70156
2026
Journal Article
Growing inequities in median age of death and obesity prevalence between Australian major cities and remote areas: a national, longitudinal, spatial analysis
Olsen, Jonathan R., Astell‐Burt, Thomas and Feng, Xiaoqi (2026). Growing inequities in median age of death and obesity prevalence between Australian major cities and remote areas: a national, longitudinal, spatial analysis. Public Health Challenges, 5 (1) e70189, 1-9. doi: 10.1002/puh2.70189
2026
Journal Article
Characteristics of parks associated with depression in women only: a cross-sectional study of 329,363 adults
Olsen, Jonathan R., Nicholls, Natalie, Caryl, Fiona M., Astell-Burt, Thomas, Pell, Jill P., Lyall, Donald M., Ho, Frederick K., Feng, Xiaoqi and Mitchell, Richard (2026). Characteristics of parks associated with depression in women only: a cross-sectional study of 329,363 adults. BMC Medicine, 24 (1) 98, 1. doi: 10.1186/s12916-026-04641-1
2026
Journal Article
Investigating health-related barriers to green space use, chronic health conditions and sociodemographic characteristics: a structural equation modelling approach
Burnett, Hannah, Olsen, Jonathan R., Rodgers, Sarah E. and Mitchell, Richard (2026). Investigating health-related barriers to green space use, chronic health conditions and sociodemographic characteristics: a structural equation modelling approach. BMJ Public Health, 4 (1) e003077, e003077-1. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2025-003077
2026
Journal Article
Healthy ageing in place: perspectives on age-friendliness in 'local' communities
Tadrous, Ragy, Palmer, Victoria J., Olsen, Jonathan R., Anderson, Martin, Rigby, Benjamin P., Thomson, Meigan, Lewis, Ruth, Mitchell, Kirstin, Long, Emily, Skivington, Kathryn and Simpson, Sharon A (2026). Healthy ageing in place: perspectives on age-friendliness in 'local' communities. BMC Public Health, 26 (1) 337, 1-16. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-26050-4
2025
Journal Article
Commonly cited approaches to reducing health inequalities: a call for more clarity around their definition and underlying assumptions
Campbell, Mhairi, Dawkins, Bryony, Fergie, Gillian, Jung, Anne-Sophie, Lewis, Ruth, McDaid, Lisa, Olsen, Jonathan R, Pollack, Roxana, Rigby, Benjamin P, Robinson, Mark, Skivington, Kathryn, Thomson, Michael and Pearce, Anna (2025). Commonly cited approaches to reducing health inequalities: a call for more clarity around their definition and underlying assumptions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 80 (4) PMID 7909766, jech-2025. doi: 10.1136/jech-2025-224952
2025
Journal Article
Urban park features and cardiovascular disease: a prospective analysis of 377,817 UK biobank participants
Caryl, Fiona, Olsen, Jonathan R., Astell-Burt, Thomas, Feng, Xiaoqi, Nicholls, Natalie, Pell, Jill and Mitchell, Richard (2025). Urban park features and cardiovascular disease: a prospective analysis of 377,817 UK biobank participants. Environment International, 206 109913, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109913
2025
Journal Article
Concern about the health effects of climate change according to experiences of climate events: international comparison of UK and Australian adults
Olsen, Jonathan R., Niedzwiedz, Claire, Robinson, Mark, McDaid, Lisa, Corcoran, Jonathan, Cleary, Anne, Charlson, Fiona and Pell, Jill P. (2025). Concern about the health effects of climate change according to experiences of climate events: international comparison of UK and Australian adults. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 9 100324, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.wss.2025.100324
2025
Journal Article
Is objectively measured exposure to built and natural environment associated with population-level cardiovascular disease mortality in Great Britain?
Macdonald, Laura, Nicholls, Natalie, Caryl, Fiona, Olsen, Jonathan R., Fecht, Daniela and Mitchell, Richard (2025). Is objectively measured exposure to built and natural environment associated with population-level cardiovascular disease mortality in Great Britain?. SSM - Population Health, 32 101875, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2025.101875
2025
Journal Article
Transition towards healthcare ‘net zero’: modelling condition-specific patient travel carbon emission estimations by transport mode in a retrospective population-based cohort study, Greater Glasgow, UK
Olsen, Jonathan R, Nicholls, Natalie, Tran, Tran Quoc Bao, Pell, Jill, Lewsey, Jim, Dundas, Ruth, Friday, Jocelyn, Du Toit, Clea, Lip, Stefanie, Mackay, Daniel, Stevenson, Alan, Mitchell, Richard and Padmanabhan, Sandosh (2025). Transition towards healthcare ‘net zero’: modelling condition-specific patient travel carbon emission estimations by transport mode in a retrospective population-based cohort study, Greater Glasgow, UK. BMJ Open, 15 (11) e107016, e107016. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107016
2025
Journal Article
Walkable by nature? Adding green and blue space to walkability indices and assessment of socioeconomic inequalities
Del Rosario, Lauren, Astell-Burt, Thomas, Olsen, Jonathan R., Thompson, Susan, Mitchell, Richard and Feng, Xiaoqi (2025). Walkable by nature? Adding green and blue space to walkability indices and assessment of socioeconomic inequalities. Environmental Research, 284 122278, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.122278
2025
Journal Article
Park types and equity: Who has access to what? A national assessment of multidimensional park qualities and socioeconomic disparities across Local Authorities in Great Britain
Hepburn, Jess, Olsen, Jonathan R., Mitchell, Richard, Astell-Burt, Thomas, Feng, Xiaoqi and Caryl, Fiona (2025). Park types and equity: Who has access to what? A national assessment of multidimensional park qualities and socioeconomic disparities across Local Authorities in Great Britain. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 112 128930, 128930-112. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128930
2025
Conference Publication
Climate anxiety by occupation: multilevel analysis across 20 European countries over eight years
Niedzwiedz, C., Olsen, J., Balogh, R., Katikireddi, S. V., Leyland, A., Pell, J, Meier, P.., Raza, A. and Demou, E. (2025). Climate anxiety by occupation: multilevel analysis across 20 European countries over eight years. 18th European Public Health Conference 2025, Helsinki, Finland, 12-14 November 2025. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf161.653
2025
Conference Publication
Payments for ecosystem services and their impacts on health and wellbeing: a systematic review
Calderon, M, Campbell, M, Kopasker, D, Borbor-Cordova, M J, Niedzwiedz, C, Rojeab Bravo, B, Firmino de SousaFilho, J, Broadbent, P, Olsen, J R and Vittal Katikireddi, S (2025). Payments for ecosystem services and their impacts on health and wellbeing: a systematic review. 18th European Public Health Conference 2025 Investing for Sustainable Health and Well-being, Helsinki, Finland, 12–14 November 2025. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf161.1330
2025
Journal Article
From the compact city to the x-minute neighborhood: a systematic review of the health and wellbeing impacts of sustainable urban development models (SUDMs) on women
Stevenson, Amy, Ponce Hardy, Vicki, Bailey, Nick, Toney, Jaime, Olsen, Jonathan R. and Meier, Petra (2025). From the compact city to the x-minute neighborhood: a systematic review of the health and wellbeing impacts of sustainable urban development models (SUDMs) on women. Journal of Urban Health, 102 (4), 883-904. doi: 10.1007/s11524-025-00990-z
2025
Journal Article
Physical activity, air pollution, and incident long-term conditions: a prospective cohort study
Huang, Minshan, Olsen, Jonathan R., Trost, Stewart G., Celis-Morales, Carlos, Pell, Jill P. and Ho, Frederick K. (2025). Physical activity, air pollution, and incident long-term conditions: a prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 23 (1) 491, 491-1. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04338-x
2025
Conference Publication
P17 Socioeconomic health inequalities in teenage pregnancy in Ecuador: a population-based study
Ortiz, Diego Andrade, Dundas, Ruth, Olsen, Jonathan R and Ster, Irina Chis (2025). P17 Socioeconomic health inequalities in teenage pregnancy in Ecuador: a population-based study. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025, Bradford, United Kingdom, 10 - 12 September 2025. London, United Kingdom: BMJ Publishing Group. doi: 10.1136/jech-2025-ssmabstracts.94
2025
Journal Article
The impacts of Payment for Ecosystem Services programmes on health and wellbeing: a systematic review protocol
Calderon, Micaela, Campbell, Mhairi, Kopasker, Daniel, Borbor-Cordova, Mercy J., Wells, Valerie, Niedzwiedz, Claire, Rojeab Bravo, Batul, de Sousa Filho, J. Firmino, Broadbent, Philip, Olsen, Jonathan R. and Katikireddi, S. Vittal (2025). The impacts of Payment for Ecosystem Services programmes on health and wellbeing: a systematic review protocol. NIHR Open Research, 5, 1-14. doi: 10.3310/nihropenres.13928.1
2025
Conference Publication
Healthy ageing in place: perspectives on ‘local’ and age-friendliness in the built environment
Tadrous, R., Palmer, V., Olsen, J. R., Anderson, M., Lewis, R., Mitchell, K., Thomson, M., Rigby, B., Moore, L. A. R. and Simpson, S. A. (2025). Healthy ageing in place: perspectives on ‘local’ and age-friendliness in the built environment. British Geriatrics Society Spring Meeting 2025, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 9-11 April 2025. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaf133.093
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Jonathan Olsen is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Jonathan Olsen directly for media enquiries about:
- 20-minute neighbourhoods
- brisbane health inequalities
- global health inequalities
- health geography
- health inequalities
- health inequities
- place-based planning
- queensland health inequalities
- spatial data
- urban liveability
- walkable neighbourhoods
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