Affiliate of Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre
Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Associate Professor
School of the Environment
Faculty of Science
Availability:
Available for supervision
Associate Professor Kelly Johnstone is a certified occupational hygienist (COH) and occupational health and safety (OHS) generalist with a focus on the protection of worker health. She is the Director of the Master of Occupational Hygiene in the School of the Environment, Faculty of Science, UQ. Kelly has experience in various industries, including education, the energy and resource sectors, construction, transport, and agriculture. She plays an active role in the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) and the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH). Kelly is currently Chair of the Rural Industry Sector Standing Committee for Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Kelly's research interests focus on occupational health hazards including evaluating worker exposures to pesticides, respirable crystalline silica dust, and other hazardous chemicals. She has previously worked on applied and academic projects in indoor air quality, exposure to waste anaesthetic gases, thermal risk assessment, dust characterisation, and a range of OHS management-related projects.
Director of Teaching and Learning of School of Veterinary Science
School of Veterinary Science
Faculty of Science
Professor
School of Veterinary Science
Faculty of Science
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Malcolm Jones (BSc Hons PhD Qld) is Professor of Parasitology in the School of Veterinary Sciences. His research interest lie in the biology and control of helminth parasites of humans. His major research interests lie in investigations of shistosomiasis, food-borne trematodiases and echinococcosis.
Human schistosomes are a major scourge of tropical and developing nations. Currently, over 260 million people are infected with schistosomes, and the diseases caused by these parasites lead to chronic morbidity and death. Professor Jones investigates novel control stratgies for schistosomiasis, including vaccines, parasite biology and host interactions and better diagnostic methods.
Professor Jones is a former Deputy Editor of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases and is currently Editor-in-Chief of One Health. He is President-elect of the International Federation for Tropical Medicine.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Global health researcher and practitioner specialising in HIV, STIs, sexual and reproductive health, humanitarian emergencies and health equity for conflict affected, marginalised populations and First Nations communities. My work bridges academic research and frontline health and wellbeing action.
Key areas of expertise include:
Human rights approaches
Disaster preparedness and response
Policy for migrants, refugees and host communities
Humanitarian–development–peace nexus
Community-led monitoring and participatory research methods
Capacity strengthening and experiential learning
I hold a PhD in HIV and Resilience among Young People (James Cook University), a Master of Arts with Distinction in Participatory Social Development (University of Reading) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Applied Social Studies (Coventry University).
I spent 14 years as Senior Humanitarian and Security Advisor at UNAIDS, leading evidence-based programming and strategic information in fragile and conflict-affected states. Prior roles with UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, and leading NGOs provided operational grounding across Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Kenya, the Horn of Africa, the Caribbean, South-east Asia, Eastern and Western Europe.
Work experience also includes Cohort Mentor for PhD students at JCU, Senior Policy Advisor at CQU developing a university-wide Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan and Senior Research Fellow at UQ Poche Centre. I have worked in the private sector as an international consultant and manage a study abroad programme linked with Kenyan universities.
Natalie is an applied anthropologist that is dedicated to advancing the role of social science in natural resource management and agriculture within interdisciplinary teams. Her research interests involve understanding how people perceive and interact with environmental systems.
Natalie has established a strong track record in applying cognitive constructs, including mental models and values, to explore how people make sense of and relate to their environment. She has an interest in designing and implementing participatory processes to support decision-making.
She is currently leading the social component of an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research project in Fiji which aims to develop a value chain for converting senile coconut trees into engineered wood products. This will reduce reliance on native forest harvesting, provide new income opportunities for landholders and make more productive use of agricultural landscapes.
Natalie has conducted applied social science research within a number of interdisciplinary teams involving governments, research organisations, non-governmental organisations and Indigenous groups. She has published more than 25 academic papers and book chapters.
Natalie is a Senior Lecturer within the School of the Environment. Prior to taking up her position at UQ, Natalie was a Researcher at the Australian National University working in the Resource Management of the Asia Pacific Program. This involved working as a social scientist in an international collaboration with CIRAD – Agricultural Research for Development, to evaluate 34 participatory modelling projects globally. She has undertaken consultancies with various natural resource management groups within Australia, including Healthy Land and Water and Seqwater.
Classes taught within the School of the Enviroment:
- Regulatory Frameworks for Environmental Management and Planning
I am an Associate Professor of Management at UQ Business School with expertise in human resource management, specialising in talent management, global mobility, and the future of work. My research explores how organisations can build sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready workforces that address skills shortages and strengthen leadership capability.
A key focus of my work is workforce transformation, examining how digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping jobs, skills, and careers. I am particularly interested in the digital transformation of HRM, the rise of talent marketplaces, and the emergence of skills-based and algorithmic approaches to talent management. This research provides insights into how organisations can balance innovation, ethics, and inclusion in the evolving world of work.
My work has been published in leading international journals, including Human Resource Management, Human Resource Management Journal, Human Resource Management Review, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, International Business Review, Journal of Vocational Behavior, MIT Sloan Management Review, and the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Through collaborations with industry, government, and international research partners, my research delivers evidence-based insights to help organisations and policymakers navigate ongoing workforce and technological transformation.
Ree's research focus explores the broad theme of organisational outliers, constructively challenging dominant belief structures and impact on leadership practice. Specific topics include mavericks and maverickism (beneficial non-conformity), game-changers, innovation, entrepreneurship, decision-making, and leadership (including Indigenous womens leadership) in enacting effective, responsive, and adaptive change in a rapidly changing world.
Ree has extensive professional experience in leading organisational change and leadership development initiatives across whole-of-organisations, as well as teams. She has worked with government departments, universities, not-for-profit organisations, and industry.
Affiliate of ARC COE for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture
ARC COE for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture
Faculty of Science
Professorial Research Fellow
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Availability:
Available for supervision
Prof. David Jordan is a sorghum breeder and geneticist with more than 20 years experience working in both the public and private sector.
For the last decade he has led the public sorghum pre-breeding program in Australia which is a partnership between the University of Queensland (UQ), The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and the Grains research and Develop Corporation (GRDC). This is a long running and successful research effort with a reputation for integrating across disciplines and linking research efforts from the strategic to the applied. Breeding lines from this program are widely used commercially in Australia and internationally with 100% of the commercial sorghum grown in Australia having genetics from the program. At the same time the research group continues to produce research papers at the forefront of sorghum research.
In recent years he had led projects focused on improving the lives of resource poor farmers in Africa that rely on sorghum.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Affiliate of Australian Women's and Girls' Health Research Centre
Australian Women and Girls' Health Research Centre
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Dr Jordan is a medically trained cancer epidemiologist who is currently Professor of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health. Before starting her PhD, she worked in rural and urban general practice for over 10 years and brings that clinical experience to her research. She is currently a NHMRC Leadership Fellow and leads projects on ovarian and thyroid cancers, examining aetiology, patterns of care and survival. Her research employs a broad range of methods including individual patient and clinician surveys, molecular epidemiology and pooling of consortia data, but she has particular expertise in large-scale data linkage.
Qualifications: 1988 - BA Hons (First Class), University of Western Australia 1998 - PhD (Southeast Asian History), Australian National University
Employment History
1995 - 2001: Department of Asian Studies, University of Western Australia 2001 - 2009: Regional Studies Program (Southeast Asia), Walailak University, Thailand 2011- : School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, University of Queensland
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Not available for supervision
I completed my PhD at the Institute for Molecular Biology at UQ and have ~10 years experience in biochemistry and cell biology. I am currently a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the lab of A Prof Fiona Simpson at UQ Frazer Institute, TRI. My current research interests are focussed on intracellular protein trafficking, in particular how this relates to monoclonal antibody therapies and biomarkers for cancer treatment with overall aspirations to improve patient outcomes. I lead Simpson lab teams involved in translating this work into clinical trials and analysing how drug pharmacokinetics can be improved.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Not available for supervision
Media expert
Dr. Vaibhavi Joshi is a postdoctoral research fellow at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research. She is part of the Molecular Breast Pathology Lab alongside Prof. Sunil Lakhani, A/Prof Amy McCart Reed, and A/Prof Peter Simpson. Currently, she is working with with A/Prof Peter Simpson to investigate the molecular basis of breast cancer in young women, focusing on identifying novel biomarkers and potential targets to improve outcomes for this high-risk group.
Her research explores the hallmarks of metastasis, including tumor invasion,colonisation, and the tumor microenvironment. Dr. Joshi employs advanced molecular biology techniques to study cancer progression and uncover clinically relevant targets.
Dr. Joshi welcomes students and collaborators interested in cancer biology, metastasis, and innovative therapeutic strategies to join her in exploring cutting-edge projects.
I am fascinated by the intricate and dynamic cellular processes that occur constantly within the human body. To understand this, my research amalgamates fields of molecular biology, mechanobiology, 3D models and multimodal quantitative live-cell microscopy. This amalgamation of the techniques permits insight into addressing challenging biological questions.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
The research focuses on the evaluation and management of neck pain from a physical therapy perspective
The research in the Cervical Spine and Whiplash Research Unit in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has an applied clinical focus. Two models of neck pain are being investigated, idiopathic neck pain and neck pain following trauma. The research questions and investigates the possible physical and psychological processes underlying the pain and functional disturbances associated with neck disorders to better identify and quantify the impairments or disturbances in the sensory, muscle, sensorimotor and psychological systems.
Whiplash associated disorders
Processes associated with chronic whiplash associated disorders have been researched, identifying problems in the sensory, motor and postural control systems. A prospective study of prognostic indicators for whiplash from within 4 weeks of injury to recovery or chronicity (6 months post injury) identified sensory, motor and psychological processes associated with recovery and non recovery. A multicentre, international collaborative project is underway to test the sensitivity and specificity of these indicators. This research questions the current classification system for whiplash associated disorders. One RCT of management of chronic whiplash associated disorders has been completed. Currently an RCT is underway to test whether a pragmatic multi-professional management program for acute whiplash will lessen the incidence of transition to chronicity.
Cervicogenic headache
Research into cervicogenic headache has established the physical criteria which characterise cervicogenic headache. A specific pattern of articular and muscle impairment clearly identifies cervicogenic headache from other types of benign intermittent frequent headache with symptomatic overlap (eg tension-type headache and frequent migraine without aura). An RCT has been conducted to investigate the efficacy of physiotherapy treatment methods designed to address these impairments. Current research is investigating cervicogenic headache in the elderly.
Impairment in the neck muscle system and sensorimotor control
The nature of impairments in the cervical muscle system associated with neck pain is being researched. Impairments in the motor control of the deep and superficial neck muscles have been identified in cognitive, functional and automatic tasks. The changes appear to be generic reactions to neck pain syndromes regardless of aetiology. Two randomised controlled trials have been conducted testing the effectiveness of a specific exercise regime developed from this research. The possible physiological mechanisms underlying the effectives of different therapeutic exercise strategies are currently being researched to ensure best evidence-based practice in the field of therapeutic exercise for cervical disorders.