Dr Oliver Canfell is a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Queensland, an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and transdisciplinary leader dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of children, young people and adults.
Oliver is working as a Research Fellow in Digital Health across UQ Business School, Centre for Health Services Research (CHSR) (Faculty of Medicine) and the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre. Oliver is an Affiliate Research Fellow with the Faculty of Medicine and holds an Honorary Appointment with Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
Oliver's current program of research focuses on using data and digital technology to innovate public health action against chronic diseases. As part of the Queensland Digital Health Research Network, Oliver has established a national-first evidence-base for precision public health of chronic diseases.
Oliver has built a nationally-recognised profile in obesity prevention and management. After graduating from UQ with a Master of Dietetics Studies (2016), Oliver gained experience as a clinician-researcher in Queensland's healthcare system, specifically in preventing and managing childhood obesity. As a paediatric dietitian, his prior work focused on co-designing and implementing community, clinical and public health programs to prevent and manage obesity in Queensland.
Oliver is Chair of the UQ Digital Health PhD Cohort (>15 PhD candidates) and directly supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students in digital health.
Oliver was awarded his PhD (UQ) in November 2020. Oliver's PhD developed and validated i-PATHWAY - a clinical model to predict childhood obesity from the first 1,000 days to help guide its prevention. This was the first model of its kind to be developed in Australia.
Journal Article: Machine learning models for diabetes management in acute care using electronic medical records: a systematic review
Kamel Rahimi, Amir, Canfell, Oliver J., Chan, Wilkin, Sly, Benjamin, Pole, Jason D., Sullivan, Clair and Shrapnel, Sally (2022). Machine learning models for diabetes management in acute care using electronic medical records: a systematic review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 162 104758, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104758
Journal Article: Precision Public Health for Non-communicable Diseases: An Emerging Strategic Roadmap and Multinational Use Cases
Canfell, Oliver J., Davidson, Kamila, Woods, Leanna, Sullivan, Clair, Cocoros, Noelle M., Klompas, Michael, Zambarano, Bob, Eakin, Elizabeth, Littlewood, Robyn and Burton-Jones, Andrew (2022). Precision Public Health for Non-communicable Diseases: An Emerging Strategic Roadmap and Multinational Use Cases. Frontiers in Public Health, 10 854525, 1-10. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.854525
Journal Article: i‐PATHWAY : Development and validation of a prediction model for childhood obesity in an Australian prospective birth cohort
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Wright, Olivia R. L. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2021). i‐PATHWAY : Development and validation of a prediction model for childhood obesity in an Australian prospective birth cohort. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57 (8), 1250-1258. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15436
digital hospital benefits: a shift to value
Doctor Philosophy
Integrating Wearables into the Patient-Centred Digital Healthcare Environment
Doctor Philosophy
Applied predictive algorithms in clinical care in Australian hospitals
Doctor Philosophy
Canfell, Oliver J., Davidson, Kamila, Woods, Leanna, Sullivan, Clair, Cocoros, Noelle M., Klompas, Michael, Zambarano, Bob, Eakin, Elizabeth, Littlewood, Robyn and Burton-Jones, Andrew (2022). Precision Public Health for Non-communicable Diseases: An Emerging Strategic Roadmap and Multinational Use Cases. Frontiers in Public Health, 10 854525, 1-10. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.854525
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Wright, Olivia R. L. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2021). i‐PATHWAY : Development and validation of a prediction model for childhood obesity in an Australian prospective birth cohort. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57 (8), 1250-1258. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15436
Kamel Rahimi, Amir, Canfell, Oliver J., Chan, Wilkin, Sly, Benjamin, Pole, Jason D., Sullivan, Clair and Shrapnel, Sally (2022). Machine learning models for diabetes management in acute care using electronic medical records: a systematic review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 162 104758, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104758
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Wright, Olivia R. L. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2022). “We’d be really motivated to do something about it”: a qualitative study of parent and clinician attitudes towards predicting childhood obesity in practice. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. doi: 10.1002/hpja.611
Canfell, Oliver J., Davidson, Kamila, Woods, Leanna, Sullivan, Clair, Cocoros, Noelle M., Klompas, Michael, Zambarano, Bob, Eakin, Elizabeth, Littlewood, Robyn and Burton-Jones, Andrew (2022). Precision Public Health for Non-communicable Diseases: An Emerging Strategic Roadmap and Multinational Use Cases. Frontiers in Public Health, 10 854525, 1-10. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.854525
Canfell, Oliver J., Davidson, Kamila, Sullivan, Clair, Eakin, Elizabeth and Burton-Jones, Andrew (2022). Data sources for precision public health of obesity: a scoping review, evidence map and use case in Queensland, Australia. BMC Public Health, 22 (1) 584, 584. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-12939-x
Lim, Han Chang, Austin, Jodie A., van der Vegt, Anton H., Rahimi, Amir Kamel, Canfell, Oliver J., Mifsud, Jayden, Pole, Jason D., Barras, Michael A., Hodgson, Tobias, Shrapnel, Sally and Sullivan, Clair M. (2022). Toward a learning health care system: a systematic review and evidence-based conceptual framework for implementation of clinical analytics in a digital hospital. Applied Clinical Informatics, 13 (02), 339-354. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1743243
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Burton-Jones, Andrew and Sullivan, Clair (2021). Digital health and precision prevention: shifting from disease-centred care to consumer-centred health. Australian Health Review. doi: 10.1071/ah21063
Littlewood, Robyn, Canfell, Oliver J. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2021). Response to ‘Systematic reviews do not always capture context of real-world intervention programmes for childhood obesity’ by Wild et al., 2021 in BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health, 21 (1) 500, 500. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10487-4
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Wright, Olivia R. L. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2021). i‐PATHWAY : Development and validation of a prediction model for childhood obesity in an Australian prospective birth cohort. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57 (8), 1250-1258. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15436
Hardt, Jessica, Canfell, Oliver J., Walker, Jacqueline L., Webb, Kerri-Lyn, Brignano, Sebastien, Peu, Tevita, Santos, Daphne and Littlewood, Robyn (2021). Healthier together: co-design of a culturally-tailored childhood obesity community prevention program for Māori and Pacific Islander children and families. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 32 Suppl 1 (S1), 143-154. doi: 10.1002/hpja.438
Littlewood, Robyn, Canfell, Oliver J. and Tracey, Frank (2020). Correction to: Building a Children's Health Service and System Research Strategy: development and integration in an Australian paediatric healthcare setting (BMC health services research (2020) 20 1 (589)). BMC health services research, 20 (1) 620, 620. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05509-7
Littlewood, Robyn, Canfell, Oliver J. and Tracey, Frank (2020). Building a Children’s Health Service and System Research Strategy: development and integration in an Australian paediatric healthcare setting. BMC Health Services Research, 20 (1) 589, 589. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05267-6
Littlewood, Robyn, Canfell, Oliver J. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2020). Interventions to prevent or treat childhood obesity in Māori & Pacific Islanders: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 20 (1) 725, 725. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08848-6
Response to 'Clinical relevance and validity of obesity risk prediction tools' by Redsell et al
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Wright, Olivia R. L. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2018). Response to 'Clinical relevance and validity of obesity risk prediction tools' by Redsell et al. Public Health Nutrition, 21 (17), 1-2. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018002471
Canfell, Oliver J., Littlewood, Robyn, Wright, Olivia R. L. and Walker, Jacqueline L. (2018). Clinical relevance and validity of tools to predict infant, childhood and adulthood obesity: a systematic review. Public Health Nutrition, 21 (17), 1-13. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018001684
i-PATHWAY: a clinical prediction model to prevent childhood obesity
Canfell, Oliver (2020). i-PATHWAY: a clinical prediction model to prevent childhood obesity. PhD Thesis, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/29964bd
digital hospital benefits: a shift to value
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Integrating Wearables into the Patient-Centred Digital Healthcare Environment
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Applied predictive algorithms in clinical care in Australian hospitals
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: