Dr Katrina King

Biography

Dr Katrina King is a research academic with the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. She trained as a research scientist with particular expertise in amino acid biochemistry and chronic illness at the University of Newcastle and received her PhD in Biological Sciences in 1999.

Since commencing with the Department of Medicine and Public Health, Katrina has become involved in a number of projects associated with colorectal cancer screening including an assessment of the effectiveness of community based faecal occult screening programs for colorectal cancer and an evaluation of the follow-up referral patterns, health care utilisation and clinical outcomes for patients with a positive faecal occult blood tests.

She has also been involved in the design and conduct of the Retirement Health and Lifestyle Study, a large multidisciplinary research project conducted by the University of Newcastle in association with researchers from the Central Coast Local Health District Public Health Unit, Urbis Pty Ltd and Hunter Valley Research Foundation. The Retirement Health and Lifestyle study is an on-going cross-sectional study of how older people’s (>65 years of age) homes and neighbourhoods influence their health, well-being and lifestyle.

Dr Katrina King’s current research interests include the investigation of factors that influence the health and lifestyle of older Australians, in particular, understanding the role of facility provision, built environment and social factors in improving health outcomes, and the development of preventative health strategies to promote healthy ageing.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Newcastle, 1999
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Newcastle, 1992
• Bachelor of Science, University of Newcastle, 1991

Research

Research keywords

• Built Environment
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Colorectal Cancer
• Gerontology
• Health
• Physical Activity
• Preventative Medicine

Research expertise

Dr Katrina King has been involved in clinical research for a number of years. Over this time she has developed considerable experience working with large multi-disciplinary and collaborative research projects investigating various aspects of human health and disease. She has also developed expertise in all areas of study management, including study administration, study design, the selection and development of research tools, and the management of staff, and the management and analysis of large multifactorial data sets.

Throughout her career she has gained research expertise in the areas of chronic fatigue syndrome, colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, preventative and population health and the role of amino acids in disease pathophysiology.

Collaboration

Katrina has worked with several large, multi-disciplinary research teams and has formed collaborations with researchers from the:

• School of Environmental and Life Sciences and School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle;

• School of Population Health, University of Queensland;

• School of Design, Queensland University of Technology;

• Public Health Unit, Central Coast Local Health District;

• Hunter Valley Research Foundation;

• UnitingCare Ageing NSW.ACT;

• Urbis Pty Ltd; and

• Department of Health Promotion & Education and Department of Endocrinology, Royal North Shore Hospital.

Languages

• English

Fields of Research