Professor Elizabeth Eakin

Head of School

School of Public Health
Faculty of Medicine
e.eakin@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 55280

Overview

Professor Elizabeth Eakin is Head of School and Principal Research Fellow in the School of Public Health, University of Queensland. As a behavioural scientist working in the field of population health, she has developed an internationally recognised program of research in health behaviour interventions in chronic disease prevention and management. Her research emphasises CONSORT-designed, pragmatic randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of physical activity, dietary behaviour and weight loss interventions, using broad-reach delivery modalities (telephone and text messaging) to maximise population reach. Attention is given to rigorous measurement of health behaviours and biomarkers of disease risk; development of intervention protocols guided by and contributing to the science of behaviour change and maintenance; and systematic evaluation of outcomes important to informing translation into practice, including cost-effectiveness. She has developed numerous partnerships across the cancer control community – including with consumers, clinicians, researchers nationally and internationally and cancer control organisations - which have facilitated the uptake her team’s work on telephone health coaching by state-level organisations across Australia.

Elizabeth has been awarded 15 years of continuous NHMRC Research Fellowship funding and is a Thompson-Reuters Highly Cited Scholar for 2016, 2017 and 2018. She has been Associate Dean (Research) Faculty of Medicine (2017 - 2020), Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Centre in the School of Public Health (2011 - 2019), Head of the School’s Division of Disease Prevention and Control from 2013 - 2016, Deputy Head of School from 2016 - 2017 and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Research Interests

  • Chronic disease prevention and management
    Professor Elizabeth Eakin has built a program of research around behavioural approaches to chronic disease prevention and management, focusing on telephone-delivered lifestyle interventions. This program emphasises physical activity (newer work on too much sitting) and dietary behaviour/weight loss interventions in a wide range of population subgroups, including office-based workers, and those with type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Publications

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Supervision

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Publications

Book Chapter

  • Owen, Neville, Goode, Ana, Sugiyama, Takemi, Koohsari, Mohammad Javad, Healy, Genevieve, Fjeldsoe, Brianna and Eakin, Elizabeth (2017). Designing for dissemination in chronic disease prevention and management. Dissemination and implementation research in health: translating science to practice. (pp. 107-120) edited by Ross C. Brownson, Graham A. Colditz and Enola K. Proctor. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780190683214.003.0007

  • Vallance, Jeff, Spark, Lauren and Eakin, Elizabeth (2013). Exercise behavior, motivation, and maintenance among cancer survivors. Exercise, Energy Balance, and Cancer. (pp. 215-232) edited by Cornelia M. Ulrich, Karen Steindorf and Nathan A. Berger. New York, NY, United States: Springer New York. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4493-0_13

  • Owen, Neville, Goode, Ana, Fjeldsoe, Brianna, Sugiyama, Takemi and Eakin, Elizabeth (2012). Designing for dissemination of environmental and policy initiativess and programs for high-risk groups. Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health: Translating Science to Practice. (pp. 114-127) edited by Ross C. Brownson, Graham A. Colditz and Enola K. Proctor. New York, NY, UNited States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199751877.003.0006

  • Schofield, Grant, Mummery, Kerry, Brown, Wendy, Eakin, Elizabeth, Trost, Stewart and Abernethy, Peter (2004). Using the internet in a physical activity health promotion campaign: the 10,000 Steps Rockhampton Project. Using Community Informatics to Transform Regions. (pp. 238-251) edited by Stewart Marshall, Wal Taylor and Xinghuo Yu. Hershey, PA, United States: Idea Group Publishing. doi: 10.4018/978-1-59140-132-2.ch016

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision