A NSW Government website
A key role of the Public Health Unit relates to our statutory responsibilities under the NSW Public Health Act 2010 and associated regulations to protect the health of the population.
In addition, the Public Health Unit conducts applied and translational research across a range of areas of public health. We collaborate with researchers at NSW Health, public health units in other districts, universities, laboratories, hospitals, and other government agencies. Much of the Public Health Unit's applied research relates to investigations of public health incidents or outbreaks.
The Public Health Unit is comprised of a multidisciplinary workforce that works together to research public health issues. The team consists of staff specialists, public health nurses, public health registrars, public health officers, epidemiologists, environmental health officers and our administrative team. The team collaborates across Sydney Local Health District and with our external partners to improve the health and wellbeing of the population.
| Amount awarded | Grant and project details |
|---|---|
| $10,000,000 | NHMRC Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change, 2021-2026 Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) - National Research Network on Human Health and Environmental Change. Investigators: Vardoulakis, S., et al (incl. Knibbs, L,D.) |
| Self, A., McNeill, T., Ingleton, A., Browne, T. R., & Gupta, L. (2025). Rabies Post-Exposure Treatment in Metropolitan Sydney Residents, 2013-2023: A Retrospective Case-Series Analysis. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 102856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102856 |
| Hsiao, K. H., Quinn, E., Johnstone, T., Gomez, M., Ingleton, A., Parasuraman, A., Najjar, Z., & Gupta, L. (2024). A Novel Web-Based Application for Influenza and COVID-19 Outbreak Detection and Response in Residential Aged Care Facilities. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 10, e37625–e37625. https://doi.org/10.2196/37625 |
| Torres, R., Tee, E., Harper, S., Chan, L., Ng, J., & Lee, A. (2024). Severe tetanus infections across New South Wales in 2023. Medical Journal of Australia, 221(4), 188–191. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52380 |
| Van Buskirk, J., Maduka, C., Kennedy, D. S., Burns, W., Johnson, G., Gupta, L., & Knibbs, L. D. (2024). The Small Area Health Indicators Project: Findings and challenges. ISEE Conference Abstracts, 2024(1), isee.2024.0733. https://doi.org/10.1289/isee.2024.0733 |
| Burdon, R. M., Atefi, D., Rana, J., Parasuraman, A., Lee, A. S., & Nield, B. (2023). Sustained Mpox Proctitis with Primary Syphilis and HIV Seroconversion, Australia. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2903.221845 |
| Giddings, H. L., Ng, K., Solomon, M. J., Steffens, D., Van Buskirk, J., & Young, J. (2023a). Population outcomes, trends and the future of pouch surgery for ulcerative colitis: A 19‐year New South Wales data linkage study. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 93(11), 2686–2696. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.18588 |
| Giddings, H. L., Ng, K., Solomon, M. J., Steffens, D., Van Buskirk, J., & Young, J. (2023b). Reducing rate of total colectomies for ulcerative colitis but higher morbidity in the biologic era: An 18‐year linked data study from New South Wales Australia. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 93(12), 2928–2938. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.18713 |
| Jegasothy, E., Hanigan, I. C., Van Buskirk, J., Morgan, G. G., Jalaludin, B., Johnston, F. H., Guo, Y., & Broome, R. A. (2023). Acute health effects of bushfire smoke on mortality in Sydney, Australia. Environment International, 171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2022.107684 |
| O’Connor, C. M. C., Poulos, R. G., Sharma, A., Preti, C., Reynolds, N. L., Rowlands, A. C., Flakelar, K., Raguz, A., Valpiani, P., Faux, S. G., Boyer, M., Close, J. C. T., Gupta, L., & Poulos, C. J. (2023). An Australian aged care home for people subject to homelessness: health, wellbeing and cost–benefit. BMC Geriatrics, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-03920-3 |
| Quinn, E., Hsiao, K. H., Johnstone, T., Gomez, M., Parasuraman, A., Ingleton, A., Hirst, N., Najjar, Z., & Gupta, L. (2023). Protecting Older Adult Residents in Care Facilities Against Influenza and COVID-19 Using the Influenza Communication, Advice and Reporting (FluCARE) App: Prospective Cohort Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Formative Research, 7. https://doi.org/10.2196/38080 |
| Self, A., Van Buskirk, J., Clark, J., Cochrane, J. E., Knibbs, L., Cass-Verco, J., & Gupta, L. (2023). Respiratory syncytial virus disease morbidity in Australian infants aged 0 to 6 months: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 2560. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17474-x |
| Smith, S., & Johnson, G. (2023). A systematic review of the barriers, enablers and strategies to embedding translational research within the public hospital system focusing on nursing and allied health professions. PLoS ONE, 18(2 February). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281819 |
| Stubbs, A., Dawson, E., Campbell, E., Van Buskirk, J., Johnson, G., Spalding, N., Cullen, J., Chee, K., McLeod, J., Knibbs, L. D., O’Callaghan, J., Jones, C., Maduka, C., Fleming, P., Haupt, R., & Penman, A. (2023). Factors impacting resident outcomes from COVID-19 outbreaks in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Sydney Local Health District: testing an infection prevention and control scoring system. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1763. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16634-3 |
| Ioannides, S., Hess, I., Lamberton, C., & Luisi, B. (2022). Engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse communities during a COVID-19 outbreak: a NSW Health interagency public health campaign. Public Health Research & Practice. https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp32342215 |
| Lovell, R. C., Greenfield, D., Johnson, G., Eljiz, K., & Amanatidis, S. (2022). Optimising outcomes for complex trauma survivors: assessing the motivators, barriers and enablers for implementing trauma informed practice within a multidisciplinary health setting. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07812-x |
| Mistry, S. K., Shaw, M., Raffan, F., Johnson, G., Perren, K., Shoko, S., Harris-Roxas, B., & Haigh, F. (2022). Inequity in Access and Delivery of Virtual Care Interventions: A Scoping Review. In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (Vol. 19, Issue 15). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159411 |
| Capon, A., Ousta, D., Ferson, M., Ingleton, A., & Sheppeard, V. (2021). A multiple site community outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney, Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13081 |
| Fotheringham, P., Anderson, T., Shaw, M., Jewitt, J., Storey, H., Hutchings, O., Cartwright, J., & Gupta, L. (2021). Control of COVID-19 in Australia through quarantine: the role of special health accommodation (SHA) in New South Wales, Australia. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10244-7 |
| Gupta, L., & Anderson, T. (2021, June 14). Greater risks than airborne transmission when it comes to quarantine. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/greater-risks-than-airborne-transmi… |
| Jain, N., Moore, C. B., Quinn, E., Liu, H. M., Liu, D., Heaton, M., Gehlot, P., Dhakal, Y., Gupta, L., Hogbin, R., & Eastwood, J. G. (2021). Audit of the Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit notification and contact tracing system during the first wave of COVID-19. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13145 |
| O’Neill, C., Najjar, Z., Ingleton, A., Edwards, A., Dawson, A., & Gupta, L. (2021). Methaemoglobinaemia associated with the atypical use of sodium nitrite as a food additive. Medical Journal of Australia, 215(6). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51233 |
| Quinn, E., Hsiao, K. H., Maitland-Scott, I., Gomez, M., Baysari, M. T., Najjar, Z., & Gupta, L. (2021). Web-based apps for responding to acute infectious disease outbreaks in the community: Systematic review. In JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (Vol. 7, Issue 4). https://doi.org/10.2196/24330 |
| Sahar, B., Hess, I., Hanford, J., & Webb, C. (2021). Mosquitoes associated with an urban estuary and implications for the management of pest and public health risks in Sydney, Australia. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 29(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-021-09820-w |
| Skinner, J., Dimitropoulos, Y., Moir, R., Johnson, G., McCowen, D., Rambaldini, B., Yaacoub, A., & Gwynne, K. (2021). A graduate oral health therapist program to support dental service delivery and oral health promotion in Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, Australia. Rural and Remote Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH5789 |
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Tennant, E., Fletcher, S., Kakar, S., Najjar, Z., Lord, H., Clark, P., & Gupta, L. (2020). Factors associated with adverse outcomes during influenza outbreaks in aged care facilities. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12933 |
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Cavanagh, K., Quinn, E., Stephens, A. S., Najjar, Z., Huhtinen, E., & Gupta, L. (2019). Evaluation of enhanced follow-up for pertussis in children aged 5–9 years in Sydney Local Health District, NSW. Communicable Diseases Intelligence (2018), 43. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2019.43.24 |
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Dowsett, M., Islam, M. M., Ganora, C., Day, C., Lee, K. S. K., Dawson, A., Joseph, T., White, A., Freeburn, B., & Conigrave, K. M. (2019). Asking young Aboriginal people who use illicit drugs about their healthcare preferences using audio-computer-assisted self-interviewing. Drug and Alcohol Review, 38(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12957 |
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Hsiao, K. H., & Egerton-Warburton, D. (2019). An example of public health training in emergency medicine. EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 31(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.13277 |
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Huhtinen, E., Quinn, E., Hess, I., Najjar, Z., & Gupta, L. (2019). Understanding barriers to effective management of influenza outbreaks by residential aged care facilities. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12595 |
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Najjar, Z., Quinn, E., Anderson, T., Sheppeard, V., & Gupta, L. (2019). Surveillance methods to detect the impact of a significant cold chain breach. Vaccine, 37(30). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.05.091 |
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Quinn, E., Girgis, S., Van Buskirk, J., Matthews, V., & Ward, J. E. (2019). Clinic factors associated with better delivery of secondary prophylaxis in acute rheumatic fever management. Australian Journal of General Practice, 48(12). https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-07-19-4987 |
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Quinn, E., Hsiao, K., Truman, G., Rose, N., & Broome, R. (2019). Lessons Learnt From Exercise Celestial Navigation: The Application of a Geographic Information System to Inform Legionnaires’ Disease Control Activity. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2018.40 |
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Quinn, E., Najjar, Z., Huhtinen, E., Jegasothy, E., & Gupta, L. (2019). Culture-positive shigellosis cases are epidemiologically different to culture-negative/PCR-positive cases. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 43(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12844 |
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Johnstone, T., Quinn, E., Tobin, S., Davis, R., Najjar, Z., Battye, B., & Gupta, L. (2018). Seven cases of probable endotoxin poisoning related to contaminated glutathione infusions. Epidemiology and Infection, 146(7). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268818000420 |
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Quinn, E., Johnstone, T., Najjar, Z., Cains, T., Tan, G., Huhtinen, E., Nilsson, S., Burgess, S., Dunn, M., & Gupta, L. (2018). Lessons Learned from Implementing an Incident Command System during a Local Multiagency Response to a Legionnaires’ Disease Cluster in Sydney, NSW. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2017.102 |
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Stephens, A. S., Blyth, F., Gupta, L., & Broome, R. A. (2018). Age and cause-of-death contributions to area socioeconomic, sex and remoteness differences in life expectancy in New South Wales, 2010–2012. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 42(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12753 |
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Cavanagh, K., Johnstone, T., Huhtinen, E., Najjar, Z., Lorentzos, P., Shadbolt, C., Shields, J., & Gupta, L. (2017). Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation in a High-Profile Sports Club. Sports Medicine - Open, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-017-0088-x |
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Dowsett, M., Quinn, E., & Gupta, L. (2017). Legionnaires’ disease cluster investigation in Sydney. In Medical Journal of Australia (Vol. 206, Issue 7). https://doi.org/10.5694/MJA16.01144 |
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Matenge, S., Freeman, B., Quinn, E., & Gupta, L. (2017). Print media coverage of Ebola Virus Disease, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and pertussis. In Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (Vol. 41, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12637 |
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Najjar, Z., Pritchard-Jones, J., Liaw, S. T., & Gupta, L. (2017). Barriers to optimal screening and vaccination of hepatitis B contacts: A survey of general practitioners in NSW, Australia. In Public Health Research and Practice (Vol. 27, Issue 5). https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp2751749 |
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Quinn, E., O’Hara, B. J., Ahmed, N., Winch, S., McGill, B., Banovic, D., Maxwell, M., & Rissel, C. (2017). Enhancing the get healthy information and coaching service for Aboriginal adults: Evaluation of the process and impact of the program. International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0641-8 |
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Broome, R. A., Cope, M. E., Goldsworthy, B., Goldsworthy, L., Emmerson, K., Jegasothy, E., & Morgan, G. G. (2016). The mortality effect of ship-related fine particulate matter in the Sydney greater metropolitan region of NSW, Australia. Environment International, 87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.11.012 |
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Broome, R. A., Johnston, F. H., Horsley, J., & Morgan, G. G. (2016). A rapid assessment of the impact of hazard reduction burning around Sydney, May 2016. Medical Journal of Australia, 205(9). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja16.00895 |
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Ingleton, A., Hope, K., Najjar, Z., Templeton, D. J., & Gupta, L. (2016). Characteristics of gonorrhoea cases notified in inner and south-western Sydney, Australia: Results of population-based enhanced surveillance. Sexual Health, 13(5). https://doi.org/10.1071/SH15183 |
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Merritt, T., Hope, K., Butler, M., Durrheim, D., Gupta, L., Najjar, Z., Conaty, S., Boonwatt, L., & Fletcher, S. (2016). Effect of antiviral prophylaxis on influenza outbreaks in aged care facilities in three local health districts in New South Wales, Australia, 2014. Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal : WPSAR, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2015.6.3.005 |
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Najjar, Z., Gupta, L., Pritchard-Jones, J., Strasser, S. I., Levy, M. T., Liaw, S. T., & Cowie, B. C. (2016). A survey of Sydney general practitioners’ management of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Medical Journal of Australia, 204(2). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja15.00524 |
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Bateman-Steel, C. R., Vyas, A., & Gupta, L. (2015). General practitioner management of notifiable diseases is central to communicable disease control. In Medical Journal of Australia (Vol. 202, Issue 10). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja14.01391 |
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Broome, R. A., Fann, N., Cristina, T. J. N., Fulcher, C., Duc, H., & Morgan, G. G. (2015). The health benefits of reducing air pollution in Sydney, Australia. Environmental Research, 143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2015.09.007 |
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Najjar, Z., Gupta, L., Sintchenko, V., Shadbolt, C., Wang, Q., & Bansal, N. (2015). Listeriosis cluster in sydney linked to hospital food. Medical Journal of Australia, 202(8). https://doi.org/10.5694/mja14.00913 |
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Vyas, A., Ingleton, A., Huhtinen, E., Hope, K., Najjar, Z., & Gupta, L. (2015). Influenza outbreak preparedness: lessons from outbreaks in residential care facilities in 2014. Communicable Diseases Intelligence Quarterly Report, 39(2). |
| Elenor Kerr. (2024a, June). Diagnosing clinician trends in infectious syphilis, Sydney Local Health District, 2016-2023. |
| Elenor Kerr. (2024b, June). Salmonella Reading outbreak in New South Wales associated with dried bovine meat. |
| Haylee Sneesby. (2024, May 23). Environmental Health field response during public health outbreaks: Three case studies in Sydney. |
| Isabel Hess. (2024, May 23). Implementation and evaluation of the Graduate Environmental Health Officer Traineeship at SLHD. |
| Jody Houston. (2024, May 24). Vape retail sales and accessibility in urban Sydney – opening and closing pandora’s box. |
| Leena Gupta. (2024, July 5). Vaping – The World Watches Australia. |
| Therese Marfori. (2024, July 5). RSV – and the Vulnerable Babies Program. |
| Cavanagh, K., & McNeill, T. (2023, June). Hepatitis B Pathways to Care: Collaboration between Public Health and Specialist Services. Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference. |
| Jody Houston. (2023). Boarding houses and shared accommodations: Support and regulation partnerships. |
| Knibbs, L. D. (2023). An overview of recent environmental epidemiological studies, in Australia and beyond, and future opportunities. |
| Knibbs, L. D. (2023). A longitudinal analysis of residential greenspace and anxiety symptoms among a cohort of Australian women living in cities. |
| Knibbs, L. D. (2023). A snapshot of recent environmental exposure studies, in Australia and beyond, and future opportunities. |
| Knibbs, L. D. (2023). Climate change, outdoor and indoor environmental exposures, and health. |
| Knibbs, L., & Van Buskirk, J. (2023, July). Local Health Matters – Mapping Health. Sydney Innovation & Research Symposium. |
| Knibbs, L. D. (2023). Public Health Research Analytics and Methods for Evidence (PHRAME). |
| Knibbs, L. D. (2023). Public Health Research Analytics and Methods for Evidence (PHRAME) – what is it and what does it do? |
| Leena Gupta. (2023, July). Vaping: How do we Prevent the Next Public Health Emergency? Sydney Innovation & Research Symposium. |
| McNeill, T. (2023, June). Epidemiology of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (IPD). Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference. |
| Sylvia Tang & Catherine Stevens. (2023). Hepatitis B Pathways to Care. |
| Parasath Montfort Parasuraman, A. (2022, November 29). Monkeypox: A proactive approach. HARP Forum. |
| Cavanagh, K., & McNeill, T. (2021, April). Introduction, Wrap up and Evaluation. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Figg, F. (2021, April). Cold Chain Management. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Fleming, P., & Maduka, C. (2021, April). COVID-19 outbreaks and cases in Australian RACF’s; Lessons Learned. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Kingston, R. (2021, April). Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop . Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Knibbs, L. (2021, November). Connections between outdoor and indoor exposures and health impacts. Environmental Research. |
| Nash, A. (2021, April). The Mental Health of older adults; Managing challenging behaviour of residents during outbreaks. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Parasath Montfort Parasuraman, A., & Gomez, M. (2021, April). FluCARE update. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Pun, J. (2021, April). Case definitions and Notification; ARI/ILI/Gastro/ COVID-19. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Soultani, M. (2021, April). Antiviral use during influenza outbreaks. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Tickle, A. (2021, April). Antimicrobial stewardship for RACF. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |
| Turner, C. (2021, April). Adverse Events After Immunisation (AEFI); Influenza/pneumococcal/COVID-19. Public Health Unit Residential Aged Care Facility Outbreak Management Workshop. |