Professor Monika Janda

Centre Director

Centre for Health Services Research
Faculty of Medicine

Overview

Professor Monika Janda is the Director, Centre for Health Services Research, and Professor in Behavioural Science, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, and a recent NHMRC Translational Research Fellow (2018-20). Professor Janda leads the NHMRC Centre for Reserch Excellence in Skin Imaging and Precision Diagnosis (2021-2025) and a NHMRC funded Synergy Program of Research (2022-2026). She trained as a health psychologist and is a behavioural scientist with a research background in cancer prevention and quality of life research, with strong clinical collaborations, and a passion for consumer-centered digital interventions that make self-management of health-related issues easier and better for people. Her work focuses on applied health and clinical research problems, making a difference to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment outcomes.

Previousely, until 2017, she led the Health Determinants and Health Systems Theme at The Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Before her NHMRC TRIP Fellowship, research was funded through an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship Level II (2013-2017), Career development fellowship I (2009-12) and early career fellowship (2004-8). She was a research fellow for the Melanoma Screening trial with the Cancer Council Queensland before joining QUT in 2006.

Research Interests

  • Melanoma prevention and early detection
    My research aims to improve the prevention and early detection of melanoma
  • Quality of Life research
    My quality of life research focuses on interventions that can help people with cancer to improve their wellbeing
  • Mobile and digital technology
    I am interested to learn how people can use mobile and digital technology to improve their health behaviours

Research Impacts

Professor Janda has three main research interests i) prevention and early detection of cancer (in particular melanoma); ii) improving clinical and supportive care for cancer patients (in particular gynaecological cancers), as well as iii) innovative methods of health services delivery and digital interventions. During the past 5 years, she has a strong research focus on improving the early detection of melanoma using digital and telehealth methods such as mobile teledermoscopy and enhanced skin self-examination. In her cancer work she contributed essentially to the LACE trial which changed the current standard treatment for early stage endometrial cancer worldwide. She has supervised 24 postgraduate students to completion.

Her research in the field of behavioural oncology has made exceptional contributions to science and impacted how preventive and clinical care is delivered through:

Behavioural and clinical trials: Developed new digital and behavioural interventions, and supported the development of medical interventions. Tested the impact of these interventions on behavioural, health and cost outcomes in individually or cluster randomised. These trials resulted in changes to preventive, medical and supportive care, and resulted in improved quality of life for many patients. In addition, they were cost-effective and resulted in savings for either people themselves or the healthcare system.

Quality of life and psychosocial outcomes assessment tools: Developed internationally used quality of life assessment tools and tested their reliability and validity. Used classical psychometric and item response-theory methods, and developed questionnaires suitable for adaptive testing. Such questionnaires will reduce the burden on respondents when completing them, and save time and costs.

Policy and Practice impact: Research has informed more than 30 clinical practice guidelines globally, and more than 20 international policy documents, resulting in changes to preventive and clinical practice. Research is referenced by special collections produced by Cochran, The US Surgeon General, and NICE, besides many others. Work influenced four position statements endorsed by Medical Colleges and/or Cancer Agencies. Has resulted in skin cancer prevention targets for Queensland.

Privately Monika is passionate about cycling and increasing urban space for cycling, and has founded and co-leads a sustainability initiative in her local suburb.

Publications

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Supervision

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Available Projects

  • Did you know that cervical cancer is one of the most avoidable cancers in the world? Despite this fact, many women, especially in developing countries still die from this disease. Come and work with our team to make cervical cancer history.

  • Gynaecological cancers affect many women in Australia. Our team works on better and kinder treatments, as well as supportive care interventions. Come and work with us to make women's health care experience an even better one.

  • Digital and mobile technology can assit people to improve their health outcomes. Are you interested to investigate why people use mobile devices to imporve their health, how they use them and how they need to be designed and co-designed with the endusers so that maximal behavioural impact is achieved?

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

  • Janda, Monika, Meciar, Stephanie, Horsham, Caitlin, Antrobus, Jodie and Neale, Rachel (2024). Skin cancer awareness in the personal services industry. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Skin Cancer Prevention Queensland and The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/042810d

  • Obermair, Andreas, Gebski, Val, Hanna, George B., Coleman, Mark G., Graves, Nicholas, Tang, Amy, Garrett, Andrea, Walker, Graeme, Larwood, Kelvin and Janda, Monika (2024). Learnings from implementing a surgical training program. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/45c137b

  • Cust, Anne and Janda, Monika (2023). Melanoma screening workshop summary report. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/f76833a

  • Hona, Telena, Neale, Rachael, Antrobus, Jodie, Horsham, Caitlin and Janda, Monika (2023). Skin Cancer Prevention Queensland: Sunscreen Industry Forum Report. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Skin Cancer Prevention Queensland and The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/3d35dc1

  • Neale, Rachel E., Whiteman, David C., Beedle, Victoria, Ebeling, Peter, Francis, David, Girgis, Christian, Gordon, Louisa, Janda, Monika, Jones, Graeme, Lucas, Robyn, Mason, Rebecca, Monnington, Keith, Morahan, Julia, Paxton, Georgia, Sinclair, Craig, Shumack, Stephen and Smith, Jane (2023). Position statement: balancing the harms and benefits of sun exposure. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/17c76bd

  • Neale, Rachel and Janda, Monika (2023). Sun Exposure Summit position statement. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/f9e3744

  • Janda, Monika and Neale, Rachel (2023). Skin Cancer Prevention Queensland: towards a future of reduced skin cancer burden for Queenslanders. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/2753bd0

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Did you know that cervical cancer is one of the most avoidable cancers in the world? Despite this fact, many women, especially in developing countries still die from this disease. Come and work with our team to make cervical cancer history.

  • Gynaecological cancers affect many women in Australia. Our team works on better and kinder treatments, as well as supportive care interventions. Come and work with us to make women's health care experience an even better one.

  • Digital and mobile technology can assit people to improve their health outcomes. Are you interested to investigate why people use mobile devices to imporve their health, how they use them and how they need to be designed and co-designed with the endusers so that maximal behavioural impact is achieved?

  • Come and work with us on many exciting projects within the Centre of Research Excellence. Whether you are a health professional, data manager, engineer or imaging analyst, social media specialist, or statistician, we have data and projects that will excite you.