Professor Louisa Jorm

• Biography
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Awards and Recognition
• Publications
• Affiliations
• Contact Details

Biography

Louisa Jorm is the Foundation Professor of Population Health at the University of Western Sydney. She also holds the part-time position of Research Director at the Sax Institute.

She is an epidemiologist who has held senior positions in public health policy and services, as well as working as a researcher and academic. She has been instrumental in the development of major public health research infrastructure, including the NSW Health Survey Program and the NSW Public Health Real-Time Emergency Department Surveillance System.

She played a key role in the establishment of the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL), which carries out linkage of health-related data for NSW and the ACT. In her role at the Sax Institute, she leads the management team for the 45 and Up Study, Australia’s largest study of healthy ageing, which includes more than 250,000 participants.

Her areas of expertise include epidemiologic methods, data linkage, use of large administrative data sets, and facilitating the policy and practice uptake of research. She has authored around 70 papers in peer-reviewed publications and numerous government reports. She is an investigator on research projects that have been awarded more than $10M in peer-reviewed grant funding since 2004.

^ Back to top

Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Health services research
• Data Linkage
• Policy uptake of research
  

^ Back to top

Grants / Current Projects

1. Jorm L, Roberts C, Preen D, Simpson J, Moorin R, Haines
M, Bambrick H, Holman D. OSPREY: Building capacity for
research to improve health services for mothers, babies
and children. NHMRC, 2009 ($2,261,542).

2. Jorm L, Leyland A, Churches T, Haines M, Eades S, Lujic
S. Exploring the contributions of individual-, area-
and service- level factors to Indigenous health
outcomes. NHMRC, 2009 ($469,000).

3. Jorm L, Kendig H, Byles J, Pedlow R, Parkinson L,
Bambrick H. The 45 and Up Study: exploring met and
unmet needs for homecare in NSW. NSW Department of
Ageing, Disability and Home Care, 2008 ($111,951).

4. Banks E, Jorm L, Wutzke S. 45 and Up Study Policy in
Action Roundtable. MBF Foundation, 2008 ($429,000).

5. Raphael B, Jorm L. Burden of Disease Trajectories for
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Problems Current and
Future: Human and Economic Costs. NSW Health, 2008
($106,000).

6. Jorm L, Jalaludin B, Bambrick H, Raphael B.
Acculturation and mental health among older Vietnam
born and Lebanon-born residents of western Sydney. UWS
Sustainability Grants, 2007 ($25,000).

7. Bauman A, Broom D, Redman S … Jorm L et al.
Understanding the impact of social, economic and
geographic disadvantage on the health of Australians in
mid-later life: what are the opportunities for
prevention? NHMRC, 2006 ($1,800,000).

8. Redman S, Bellew B, Jorm L. Costing and economic
evaluation unit. Cancer Institute NSW (Health Services
Research Grant), 2005 ($300,000).

9. Banks E, Armstrong B, Byles J … Jorm L et al. 45 and Up
Study. NSW Cancer Council and National Heart Foundation
(NSW), 2005 ($2,500,000).

10. Armstrong BK, Jorm LR, Taylor RJ et al. HERON: using
population health data to improve health services,
policy and planning. NHMRC, 2004 ($2,500,000).

^ Back to top

Awards and Recognition

Australian Postgraduate Research Award and Jean Walker Trust Scholarship, University of Sydney 1989-1991

Nand Lal and Savitri Devi Prize for the best MSc Epidemiology thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 1988

British Council Commonwealth Scholarship 1987-1988

^ Back to top

Publications

1. Stevens G, Agho K, Taylor M, Barr M, Raphael B, Jorm L.
Terrorism in Australia: factors associated with
perceived threat and incident-critical behaviours. BMC
Public Health 2009, 9:91.

2. Jorm L, Gruszin S, Churches T. A multidimensional
classification of public health activity in Australia.
Aust N Z Health Policy 2009;6:9.

3. Taylor M, Raphael B, Barr M, Agho K, Stevens G, Jorm L.
Public health measures during an anticipated influenza
pandemic: Factors influencing willingness to comply.
Risk Management and Health Care Policy 2009;2: 9–20.

4. Barr M, Raphael B, Taylor M, Stevens G, Jorm L, Giffin
M. Pandemic influenza in Australia: Perceptions of
threat and willingness to comply, BMC Infectious
Diseases 2008; 8:117.

5. Redman S, Jorm L, Haines, M. Increasing the use of
research in health policy: the Sax Institute model.
Australasian Epidemiologist 2008 15(3):15-18.

6. Kardamanidis K, Lim K, Da Cunha C, Taylor LK, Jorm LR.
Hospital costs of older people in New South Wales in
the last year of life. Med J Aust 2007; 187 (7): 383-
386.

7. Banks E, Redman S, Jorm L, Armstrong B et al. Cohort
profile: The 45 and Up Study. Int J Epidemiol 2008; 37
(5):941-947.

8. Muscatello D, Searles A, MacDonald R, Jorm L.
Communicating population health statistics through
graphs: a randomised controlled trial of graph design
interventions. BMC Med 2006; 4:33.

9. Muscatello D, Churches T, Kaldor J, Zheng W, Chiu C,
Correll P, Jorm L. Automated, sustainable, broad-based,
near real-time public health surveillance using
presentations to hospital Emergency Departments in NSW,
Australia. BMC Public Health 2005; 5:141.

10. Owen T, Jorm L. The National Public Health Performance Project: How do we know if Australian public health services are performing? N S W Public Health Bull.
2005;16(2): 2-8.

11. Jorm LR, Thackway SV, Churches TR, Hills MW. Watching the Games: public health surveillance for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003 Feb;57(2):102-8.

12. Indig D, Thackway S, Jorm L, Salmon A, Owen T. Illicit
drug-related harm during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games:
implications for public health surveillance and action.
Addiction. 2003 Jan;98(1):97-102.

13. Blyth FM, March LM, Brnabic AJ, Jorm LR, Williamson M,
Cousins MJ. Chronic pain in Australia: a prevalence
study. Pain. 2001 Jan;89(2-3):127-34.

14. Thackway SV, Delpech VC, Jorm LR, McAnulty JM, Visotina M. Monitoring acute diseases during the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Med J Aust. 2000 Sep
18;173(6):318-21.

15. Roberts L, Jorm L, Patel M, Smith W, Douglas RM,
McGilchrist C. Effect of infection control measures on
the frequency of diarrheal episodes in child care: a
randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2000 Apr;105
(4 Pt 1):743-6.

16. Roberts L, Smith W, Jorm L, Patel M, Douglas RM,
McGilchrist C. Effect of infection control measures on
the frequency of upper respiratory infection in child
care: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2000
Apr;105(4 Pt 1):738-42.

17. Rissel C, Ward JE, Jorm L. Estimates of smoking and
related behaviour in an immigrant Lebanese community:
does survey method matter? Aust N Z J Public Health.
1999 Oct;23(5):534-7.

18. Lister SM, Jorm LR. Parental smoking and respiratory
illnesses in Australian children aged 0-4 years: ABS
1989-90 National Health Survey results. Aust N Z J
Public Health. 1998 Dec;22(7):781-6.

19. Jorm LR, Puech M. Strategy for population health
surveillance in NSW N S W Public Health Bull. 1998 Mar;
9(3):31-32.

20. Shiell A, Jorm LR, Carruthers R, Fitzsimmons GJ. Cost-
effectiveness of measles outbreak intervention
strategies. Aust N Z J Public Health. 1998 Feb;22
(1):126-32.

21. Puech M, Fitzsimmons G, Jorm LR. Evaluation of the 1996 Chief Health Officer's Report. N S W Public Health
Bull. 1997 Sept; 8(8-9): 68.

22. Bell JC, Jorm LR, Williamson M, Shaw NH, Kazandjian DL, Chiew R, Capon AG. Legionellosis linked with a hotel
car park--how many were infected? Epidemiol Infect.
1996 Apr;116(2):185-92.

23. McGilchrist CA, McDonnell LF, Jorm LR, Patel MS.
Loglinear models using capture-recapture methods to
estimate the size of a measles epidemic. J Clin
Epidemiol. 1996 Mar;49(3):293-6.

24. Ferguson JK, Jorm LR, Allen CD, Whitehead PK, Gilbert
GL. Prospective study of diarrhoeal outbreaks in child
long-daycare centres in western Sydney. Med J Aust.
1995 Aug 7;163(3):137-40.

25. McDonnell LF, Jorm LR, Patel MS. Measles outbreak in
western Sydney. Vaccine failure or failure to
vaccinate? Med J Aust. 1995 May 1;162(9):471-5.

26. McDonnell L, Jorm LR. Measles epidemic in Western
Sydney. N S W Public Health Bull. 1994 Jun; 5(6):59-60.

27. Jorm LR, Capon AG. Communicable disease outbreaks in long day care centres in western Sydney: occurrence and
risk factors. J Paediatr Child Health. 1994 Apr;30
(2):151-4.

28. Gilkerson J, Jorm LR, Love DN, Lawrence GL, Whalley JM. Epidemiological investigation of equid herpesvirus-4
(EHV-4) excretion assessed by nasal swabs taken from
thoroughbred foals. Vet Microbiol. 1994 Apr;39(3-4):275-
83.

29. Jorm L, Blyth F, Chapman S, Reynolds C. Smoking in
child family day care homes: policies and practice in
NSW. Med J Aust. 1993 Oct 18;159(8):518-22.

30. Jorm LR, Lightfoot NF, Morgan KL. An epidemiological
study of an outbreak of Q fever in a secondary school.
Epidemiol Infect. 1990 Jun;104(3):467-77.

^ Back to top

Affiliations

Member, Public Health Association of Australia (PHA)

Member, Australasian Epidemiological Association

Chair, NHMRC Project Grant Review Panel, Public Health

Chair, NCRIS Population Health Network NSW Management Committee

Chair, National Public Health Classification Project Reference Group

Chair, Cancer Council NSW Internal Project Peer Review Committee

Chair, Outcomes, Services and Policy for the Reproductive and Early Years (OSPREY) Steering Group

Member, Population Health Research Network Management Council

Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Deployment Health Surveillance Program, Department of Defence

Key Achievements

Leading the establishment of the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL) which provides record linkage services for NSW and the ACT.

Chairing the Expert Advisory Group for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) Population Health and Clinical Data Linkage capability; total funding of $51M is now approved for the NCRIS Population Health Research network.

Assisting in obtaining funds of more than $3.5M to support the 45 and Up Study, Australasia’s largest cohort study, and leading the management team for the Study. The Study completed its recruitment of 250,000 participants in December 2008, one year ahead of schedule.

Leading the establishment of the NSW Biostatistical Officer Training Program, which supports trainees to complete a Masters of Biostatistics; there are now 14 graduates.

Chairing the CI Steering Group for the Health Evaluation Research and Outcomes Network (HERON), an NHMRC Capacity Building Grant program which has developed new methods for research using routinely collected data. HERON Team investigators have produced more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.

Leading the development of the MBF Foundation Policy in Action Roundtable, a mechanism for facilitating policy-relevant research using the 45 and Up Study; the Roundtable has been awarded $430,000 in funds and four research projects addressing priority topics are underway.

Leading the first research studies in NSW to use linked emergency department and linked Home and Community Care program data.

Leading the development and production of Reports of the Chief Health Officer on the Health of the People of NSW, from the first edition in 1996, through to the 2006 edition. The Report is the pre-eminent source of information on population health in NSW, and is by far the most comprehensive such report produced by any Australian state.

Leading the National Public Health Classification Project, which has developed a multidimensional classification that captures the breadth and scope of public health activity. The project has attracted international attention and is contributing to the development of a determinants of health chapter for the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

^ Back to top