Research Higher Degrees
Current topics being supervised/Postgraduate Profiles:
Joyce Cooper
PhD
Topic: GISETTO (Genes in Serotonin Toxicity)
Brief Biography
Joyce Cooper has many years of experience as a registered pharmacist since completing her Pharmacy degree in the UK. She has worked as a clinical pharmacist and a pharmacy manager in England and throughout Australia, including time spent in rural areas of WA and NSW, both in the community and public hospital settings. In 2008 she joined the University of Newcastle as a lecturer teaching into the Master of Pharmacy Program, and commenced a PhD researching the genetic link with serotonin toxicity.
Tharaka Dassanayake
PhD
Topic: Neurocognitive effects of sedative psychotropic drug overdose
Brief Biography
Tharaka Dassanayake was born in Sri Lanka. He completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) degree in 2002. After a completing his medical internship he joined the Department of Physiology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Peradeniya in 2004 as a Lecturer. He completed his Master of Philosophy (Physiology) degree in 2007. The MPhil thesis titled 'Cognitive effects of organophosphorus insecticide poisoning studied using reaction time, evoked potentials and event-related potentials' focuses on long-lasting subclinical neurocognitive effects of organophosphate insecticide poisoning which is a major health problem in the developing countries. Presently, he is on study leave from his academic position in Sri Lanka and is a PhD candidate in the University of Newcastle.
Clare Hogue
PhD
Topic: Pharmaceutical Promotion: productive or problematic
Brief Biography
Clare is currently undertaking her PhD with the topic of her thesis entitled "Pharmaceutical Promotion: Productive or Problematic for Public Health". She has a Bachelor of Social Science, Graduate Diploma in Education and a Master of Medical Science (Health Social Science) Clare has worked as a Research Fellow at the Hunter Valley Research Foundation for the past eight years, with a primary focus on health related research.
Andrew Searles
PhD
Topic: The impact of the Australian-United States Free Trade Agreement on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Brief Biography
Andrew Searles initially studied economics at Macquarie University and then worked full-time as an economist with the Hunter Valley Research Foundation where he is an economic consultant specialising in regional economics. Andrew's academic pathway shifted to medical statistics when he undertook post-graduate qualifications in medical statistics through the University of Newcastle. Andrew's PhD topic is "The impact of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement on prescription medicines in Australia".
Amanda Wilson
PhD
Topic: Assessing the quality of health news reporting in the Australian general media and it's impact on public health: Can it be improved?
Brief Biography
Amanda Wilson has worked in both clinical and public health research for many years before starting her PhD. She has worked on the Media Doctor website (www.mediadoctor.org.au) since its inception in 2002. In 2005, Amanda and Professor David Henry were awarded the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Critical Thinking for their work on Media Doctor. In her thesis Amanda examines how the media deals with various aspects of health and the impact of the website on this reporting. Her thesis is one of only a handful worldwide in the area of health reporting and, probably the only one which uses an evidence-based appraisal of the quality of content. Amanda’s parallel areas of expertise in the humanities and health environment make her well placed to traverse the pathway between the media and academia and engage both sides in the research.
Victor Hallvist
Masters
Topic: Genetic risk for serotonin syndrome