Affiliate of Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining
Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Senior Research Fellow
Sustainable Minerals Institute
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Availability:
Available for supervision
John Burton has 35 years’ research experience on the social impacts of resource extraction. His past work was centred on the Pacific region, with long-term field experience in Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and West Papua. He taught at universities in Papua New Guinea 1985-91 and 2015-19. As both a free-lance consultant and an academic, John has done impact assessments and landowner identification studies for many of the large extractive industry companies in our region. John also practises as a Native Title anthropologist in Australia. He served as Senior Anthropologist in the Torres Strait Regional Authority, 2001-2003, and has worked on various Torres Strait issues, including the Regional Sea Claim and Traditional Boundary Mapping, from 2004 to the present. He has contributed to a range of successful Native Title determinations for the Jirrbal, Babaram, Muluridji, Warrungu and other peoples in North Queensland, 2005-2019.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Research Fellow at The University of Queensland specialising in wearable and human movement analytics, with expertise in signal processing, applied machine learning, and real-world validation.
My work focuses on how movement, stress, sleep, and pain interact over time, using longitudinal modelling and wearable sensors to study mechanisms behind chronic pain flare-ups. I build data pipelines and analytical frameworks that make wearable-derived measures more reliable in free-living conditions.
Key areas:
Wearable sensor analytics (IMU, GNSS, heart rate and HRV)
Signal validation and benchmarking in real-world settings
Longitudinal modelling of behaviour and physiology
Field-based biomechanics and endurance movement research
I also lead Metric Trails, a research and standards effort focused on high-precision trail measurement and terrain analytics to improve reproducibility, safety, and fairness in trail and mountain running research.
I collaborate with academic and industry teams interested in wearable validation, study design, and robust modelling for real-world health and performance applications.
