New grants/funding

China In the World Strategic Research Spoke - Urban Sustainability Transition in China (RSPH Vardoulakis; Fenner: Bai), $120k for two years 

Other conference presentations

Sotiris Vardoulakis participated in the roundtable discussion on climate change and public health organised by the University of Indonesia on 16.03.2021

Outreach and engagement

Sotiris Vardoulakis presented the HEAL research network proposal to the Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) on 18.03.2021

Media releases/interest

Sotiris Vardoulakis gave interviews to:

• Medicine Today on wildfire smoke, 10.03.2021
• City News on toxic waste fires, 17.03.2021

Papers accepted/published:

Nichols G.L., Gillingham E.L., Macintyre H.L., Vardoulakis S., Hajat S., Sarran C.E., Amankwaah D., Phalkey R. 2021. Coronavirus seasonality, respiratory infections and weather. BMC Infectious Diseases (accepted)

Progress on research projects

The PFAS Health Study –Analysis for the cross-sectional survey study, blood serum study and data linkage study (including linked perinatal data for NSW, Qld and NT, and national mortality, cancer and early childhood development data) is ongoing.

Climate Change and Health Policy and 5-Year Action plan for the Marshall Islands – project completed (Sotiris Vardoulakis, Amelia Joshy, Aparna Lal, Robyn Lucas)

https://rsph.anu.edu.au/research/projects/developing-national-climate-change-and-health-policy-and-action-plan-marshall 

Cross-college bushfire smoke children's book project – literature review ongoing. https://rsph.anu.edu.au/phxchange/-science/bushfire-smoke-childrens-book 

(RSPH involvement: Sotiris Vardoulakis, Erin Walsh, Ginny Sargent, and Liz Drummond)

COVID-19 airborne transmission systematic review – 2^nd round of bibliographic searches and title and abstract screening completed. Full-text screening and data extraction ongoing (Sotiris Vardoulakis, Daniela Espinoza, and Amelia Joshy). 

Washroom infections systematic review – full-text screening and data extraction completed. Synthesis of findings and analysis ongoing. (Sotiris Vardoulakis, Daniela Espinoza, and Amelia Joshy).

NHMRC Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change – multi-centre network proposal submitted, led by ANU/CHM (Sotiris Vardoulakis)

https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/find-funding/nhmrc-special-initiative-human-health-and-environmental-change