EXPERTS SEARCH

Stephanie is a Biostatistician within the School of Psychology and Deakin Lifespan Institute (DLI), with over 8 years' experience in study design, data management and advanced statistical analysis across large-scale longitudinal and intergenerational cohorts.

Her methodological expertise includes the design and analysis of observational studies (including multi-cohort studies), descriptive epidemiology, causal inference, missing data methods, and systematic reviews and meta-analysis. She is particularly interested in the application of statistical methods to strengthen the design, analysis, and interpretation of observational research. Her substantive research interests include child and adolescent health and development, mental health and substance use.

She is the lead biostatistician for major nationally funded research programs and biostatistical lead of the Evidence Innovation Hub within DLI. She is also actively involved in research capacity building through statistical supervision of HDR students, training and workshop development.

Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Deputy Co-Chair HSD Academic Progress and Integrity Committee, and Course Director for Honours in Bachelor of Health Science and Honours in Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion. 

As an econometrician specialising in agricultural and development economics, I was drawn to health economics due to its intersection with economic development in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). I apply my statistical and modelling expertise to understand factors impacting health service utilisation in resource-poor settings and disadvantaged populations, and to develop burden of disease models in chronic disease. 

Over the last ten years, my research has included modelling chronic disease burden in osteoporosis, Parkinson’s Disease and HIV/AIDS within both the Australian and LMIC contexts. Currently, I am providing economic input to evaluations of prevention interventions in youth alcohol consumption using community initiatives in Australia, endometriosis in young women and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, I am contributing economic input to interventions in maternal and child health focussing on disadvantaged populations, including people living with HIV/AIDS, people with disabilities, and women, including teenagers, to improve their health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. My research utilises data sets such as Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), Household Income and Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA), Australian arm of the International Cost and Utility Related to Osteoporotic Fractures (AusICUROS) for statistical and modelling analysis.

My academic identity is grounded in the belief that excellent teaching, impactful research and meaningful professional engagement are mutually reinforcing. With 10 years of teaching experience in Medical Imaging across the UAE "Fatima College of Health Sciences" (2015–2019), Monash University (2019–2022) and Deakin University (since 2022) Australia. I am continuously committed to preparing graduates who are not only clinically competent but also critical thinkers, evidence-informed practitioners and future leaders of the profession.

During this time, I have also being employed clinically nation-wide (Australia) in various public and private hospitals and clinics since then, including positions in Metropolitan Perth and Melbourne. 

Jessie Adams is an Associate Research Fellow at Deakin University's National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH), where her research focuses on improving the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers, their families, and rural communities through applied, collaborative and translational research.

Growing up on a family farm provided Jessie with firsthand insight into the opportunities and challenges of rural life and continues to shape her research priorities. Since joining the NCFH in 2018, she has contributed to various research projects addressing child farm safety, farmer suicide prevention, agricultural health and medicine education, the health impacts of extreme heat, chronic kidney disease, needlestick injuries, tailored farmer health and wellbeing assessments and agricultural community resilience. Her research has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, research reports and industry resources, contributing to the evidence base for agricultural and rural health.

Jessie completed her PhD at Deakin University investigating the injury risk and safety behaviours among children on Victorian farms, establishing expertise in child farm safety and agricultural injury prevention. In recognition of her growing contribution to the field, she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2024 to investigate international approaches to child farm safety across Ireland, Canada and the United States. This work strengthened her international research networks and will inform future directions for child farm safety research, policy and practice in Australia. A key focus of Jessie's work is ensuring research findings translate into meaningful outcomes for the communities they are intended to benefit.

Alongside her role at Deakin, Jessie is the Western Alliance Research Translation Coordinator across Western District Health Service and South West Healthcare. In this role, she supports research capacity building, research translation and collaboration between researchers, clinicians, health services and communities across western Victoria. This work complements her research activities by strengthening pathways between evidence generation and real-world implementation, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes for rural and regional communities.

A/Prof. Paul Agius is an internationally recognised nationally accredited senior biostatistician and public health researcher with experience in complex statistical modelling in the fields of microbiology, infectious disease epidemiology, maternal, infant and adolescent health, perinatal epidemiology and alcohol and other drugs. Paul is Associate Professor, Biostatistics in the Faculty of Health, Deakin University and collaborates across Faculty schools and affiliated Institutes/centres providing biostatistical/methodological expertise and collaboration. A/Prof. Agius has honorary principal research fellow and research fellow appointments at the Burnet Institute and School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University. A/Prof. Agius is also an adjunct Fellow of the Australian Centre for Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination and is a professionally accredited member (AStat) of the Statistical Society of Australia. A/Prof. Agius is also the senior biostatistician in the Melbourne Genital Microbiota Group consortium, which facilitates capacity for collaborative genital microbiome research between academics from several Universities and MRIs, nationally.

Dr. Eslam Ahmed is a Lecturer in Medical Sciences with over 15 years of experience in medical education across national and international institutions. He contributes extensively to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, delivering content that integrates problem-based learning (PBL), clinical case-based discussions, and medical imaging to strengthen students’ clinical reasoning and diagnostic interpretation.

I’m proud to lead the Rural Training Stream (RTS) at the Ararat Campus, where I’m deeply passionate about supporting rural students to study medicine within their own communities and family support systems. My goal is to ensure that every rural student feels connected, confident, and well supported — developing teaching and learning strategies that create an experience equivalent to their peers studying in metropolitan campuses, not isolated but fully integrated into Deakin’s vibrant medical learning community.

Dr. Ahmed has significant experience in anatomical and pathological sciences, teaching with cadaveric and donor bodies, 3D digital anatomy and pathology models, and high-fidelity synthetic models such as the Syndaver. His teaching practice emphasizes an integrated, student-centered approach that bridges biomedical science with clinical relevance, enhancing student engagement and understanding of human structure and disease mechanisms.

His research interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience and molecular psychiatry, particularly exploring the neuroimmune mechanisms underlying lung-brain interactions and their relevance to mental health disorders. His work focuses on gene expression profiling and neuroinflammatory signaling pathways within key brain regions, contributing to the growing field of translational neurobiology and psychoneuroimmunology.

I am a clinical optometrist and educator committed to preparing graduates for contemporary and evolving optometry practice. My work focuses on developing core employability capabilities through authentic learning experiences that foster clinical reasoning, patient-centred communication, and culturally responsive care. I am committed to advancing culturally responsive education and improving outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples through respectful partnerships with Indigenous colleagues, communities, and knowledge holders. I have a particular interest in the use of innovative digital technologies to create realistic simulations that enable students to practise complex clinical skills and clinical decision-making within psychologically safe learning environments.

I manage the Lorne branch of the Deakin Collaborative Eyecare Clinic, which delivers community eye care while creating unique rural placement opportunities that support student learning, workforce readiness, and engagement with regional practice.