Dr Melissa Harris
Research Academic
Faculty of Health and Medicine
- Email:melissa.harris@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 40420621
Career Summary
Biography
Research overview and current appointment: Dr Melissa Harris is a Centre for Research Excellence in Women’s Health in the 21st Century (CREWH21) Research Fellow at the Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing. She has a background in psychology and a strong interest in understanding factors that influence women’s health across the lifecourse. Dr Harris has a particular interest in chronic disease management, including the impact of psychosocial factors on physical health and healthcare outcomes for women with chronic disease. As part of the CREWH21 program her current research involves the examination of drivers of hospitalisation for older women using nationally representative survey data linked with administrative healthcare data.
Research highlights: Dr Harris has expertise in understanding the contribution of stress (including stress perception, life histories and coping practices), and mental health to onset and burden of disease using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Her PhD research concentrated on understanding the links between psychological stress and disease onset using women with arthritis as the case study. Using complex statistical modelling of longitudinal data, she was able to demonstrate that perceived stress preceded the onset of arthritis in women and conferred a high risk than obesity, a known modifiable risk factor. In a commissioned commentary it was suggested that this research had “the potential for enlightening the field of rheumatology and the care of patients who may be at risk for arthritis-related illnesses”. From this research she was invited to contribute a sole author book chapter on the contribution of psychological factors to the burden and onset of arthritis, alongside international arthritis experts.
Dr Harris also has experience in innovative cohort recruitment methods, leading the establishment of the Contraceptive Use, Pregnancy Intention and Decisions (CUPID) cohort. In an invited commentary it was suggested that this research laid the groundwork for innovative strategies applied to epidemiological research that takes advantage of 21st century technology.
Publications and grants: In her short academic career, Dr Harris has made a substantial contribution to the field of public health. She has attracted over $90,000 in funding from awards and grants, including one grant as lead Chief Investigator. She has published 12 journal articles (80% of which are first/second author) in high ranking public health journals, with 2 (published in top 10 journals for epidemiology and psychology) receiving invited commentaries in which the quality, innovation and substantial impact to the field was commended. In addition, Dr Harris has 1 invited sole author book chapter, co-authored 3 government reports, contributed to 16 national/international conference presentations and 1 clinical manual (The “Parenting with Feeling” program which has been implemented throughout Australia and New Zealand).
Peer review and professional activities: Since submission of her PhD, Dr Harris has acted as the RHD Support Coordinator for 55 students at the Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing. Dr Harris is currently co-supervising 1 PhD student and 4 honours students. She has taught into a number of psychology and public health subjects including experimental methodology, and understanding sensitive issues such as abuse and mental health disorders. Dr Harris has contributed to conference organisation and regularly acts as a reviewer for high impact factor international journals such as the BMJ, American Journal of Epidemiology, Annals of Behavioral Medicine and the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In addition, she has acted as a grant reviewer for the 2015 NHMRC Project Grant Scheme.
Qualifications
- PhD (Gender and Health), University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) Honours, University of Newcastle
Keywords
- ageing
- anxiety
- arthritis
- chronic disease
- chronic disease management
- cohort studies
- comorbidity
- contraceptive use
- coping
- depression
- diabetes
- disease onset
- health services research
- health trajectories
- hopsitalisation
- linked data
- longitudinal data
- longitudinal models
- mental health
- morbidity
- mortality
- multimorbidity
- musculoskeletal disorders
- psychological medicine
- psychosocial factors
- psychosomatics
- qualitative methods
- quality of life
- stress and health
- women's health
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 111714 | Mental Health | 45 |
| 119999 | Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified | 45 |
| 170199 | Psychology not elsewhere classified | 10 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Research Academic | University of Newcastle Faculty of Health and Medicine Australia |
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/01/2015 - 13/08/2015 | Research Academic | Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing Australia |
| 20/08/2012 - 31/12/2014 | Research Academic | Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing Australia |
| 2/04/2012 - 30/11/2012 | Research Assistant | Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Australia |
| 5/10/2009 - 8/02/2011 | Research Associate | Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing Australia |
| 8/10/2007 - 5/10/2009 | Research Associate | Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle Australia |
Awards
Scholarship
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2011 |
University of Newcastle Postgraduate Research Scholarship The University of Newcastle |
Invitations
Keynote Speaker
| Year | Title / Rationale |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Chronic disease onset and women: does stress hold the key? |
Organiser
| Year | Title / Rationale |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9th National Conference of Emerging Researchers in Ageing "Getting the right skill mix" |
Speaker
| Year | Title / Rationale |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Make love not war: the CUPID collaboration |
Grant Reviews
| Year | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 |
NHMRC Project Grant Aust Competitive - Commonwealth - 1CS, Aust Competitive - Commonwealth - 1CS |
$617,536 |
Prestigious works
| Year Commenced | Year Finished | Prestigious Work | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2015 | Recruiting online: lessons from a longitudinal survey of contraception and pregnancy intentions of young Australian women American Journal of Epidemiology | Author |
| 2014 | 2014 | Health and wellbeing of women aged 18 to 23 in 2013 and 1996: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womenâs Health Report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health | Author |
| 2013 | 2013 | Mental Health: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womenâs Health Report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing | Author |
| 2013 | 2013 | The influence of perceived stress on the onset of arthritis in women: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Author |
| 2009 | 2009 | The Parenting with Feeling Program Clinical manual | Author |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFO1010 |
Introduction to Information Systems Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 2/03/2009 - 5/06/2009 |
| INFO1010 |
Introduction to Information Systems Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle Coordinated and lectured into the understanding data and spreadsheets module for 220 students. |
Lecturer/Tutor | 27/07/2009 - 18/12/2009 |
| PUBH2300 |
Personal Development and Health Issues in the Primary School Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 17/07/2006 - 24/11/2006 |
| PUBH2020 |
Foundation Studs in Early Childhood Health and Policy Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 20/02/2006 - 30/06/2006 |
| PUBH1080 |
Studies in Population Health and Health Promotion Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle |
Exam marking | 17/07/2006 - 24/11/2006 |
| PSYC2500 |
Introduction to Abnormal Behaviour Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 14/07/2003 - 28/11/2003 |
| PSYC2070 |
Experimental Methodology Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle |
Tutor | 24/02/2003 - 30/06/2003 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (16 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
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| 2016 |
Harris ML, Dolja-Gore X, Kendig H, Byles JE, 'First incident hospitalisation for Australian women aged 70 and beyond: A 10 year examination using competing risks', Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 64 29-37 (2016) © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.There are increasing concerns regarding high hospital use among older adults and the capacity to manage the economic impact of the ageing population t... [more] © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.There are increasing concerns regarding high hospital use among older adults and the capacity to manage the economic impact of the ageing population trend on healthcare systems. First hospitalisation in old age may act as a catalyst for ongoing intensification of health problems and acute care use. This study examined factors associated with first incident hospitalisation in women aged over 70, accounting for the health inequalities associated with geographic location. Survey data from 3780 women from the 1921 to 1926 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were matched with the Admitted Patients Data Collection and National Death Index. Days to first event (hospitalisation or death) were modelled using competing risks methods. A total of 3065 (80.3%) women had at least one hospital admission. More than half of the top 15 reasons for first hospitalisation were related to cardiovascular disease, with atrial fibrillation the most common. Proportional subdistribution hazards models showed that first hospital admission was driven by enabling and need factors including asthma/bronchitis diagnosis (HR = 1.16; p = 0.047), private health insurance (HR = 1.16; p = 0.004) more than two prescribed medications in previous month (HR = 1.31; p = 0.001), more than four general practitioner visits in previous year (HR = 1.50; p = 0.034), lower physical functioning (HR = 0.99; p < 0.001) and living in an inner regional area (HR = 1.17; p = 0.003). First overnight hospitalisation was primarily related with potentially preventable and treatable chronic diseases. Primary and secondary strategies aimed at chronic disease generally, and better chronic disease management particularly for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, may play a vital role in disease prevention or delay in readmissions among this population.
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| 2016 |
Harris ML, Byles JE, Townsend N, Loxton D, 'Perceptions of coping with non-disease-related life stress for women with osteoarthritis: a qualitative analysis.', BMJ Open, 6 e010630 (2016)
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| 2016 |
Dolja-Gore X, Harris ML, Kendig H, Byles JE, 'Patterns of Hospitalization Risk for Women Surviving Into Very Old Age: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.', Med Care, (2016)
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| 2016 |
Wigginton B, Harris ML, Loxton D, Lucke JC, 'A qualitative analysis of women's explanations for changing contraception: the importance of non-contraceptive effects.', J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care, (2016)
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| 2016 |
Wigginton B, Moran C, Harris ML, Loxton D, Lucke J, 'Young Australian women explain their contraceptive choices', Culture, Health and Sexuality, 18 727-741 (2016) [C1] © 2015 Taylor & Francis.New developments in female contraceptives allow women increased options for preventing pregnancy, while men¿s options for reversible contraception have n... [more] © 2015 Taylor & Francis.New developments in female contraceptives allow women increased options for preventing pregnancy, while men¿s options for reversible contraception have not advanced beyond the condom. There has been little discursive exploration of how neoliberal and postfeminist discourses shape women¿s accounts of choosing whether or not to use contraception. Our thematic discourse analysis of 760 free-text responses to a question about contraceptive choice considers the social and political climate that promotes the self-governed woman who freely chooses contraception. We examine the ways in which women formulated and defended their accounts of choice, focusing on the theme of free contraceptive choice that constructed women¿s choices as unconstrained by material, social and political forces. We identify two discursive strategies that underpinned this theme: a woman¿s body, a woman¿s choice and planning parenthood, and explore the ways in which choice was understood as a gendered entitlement and how contraceptive choices were shaped (and constrained) by women¿s plans for parenthood. We discuss the implications of these discursive strategies, and neoliberal and postfeminist discourses, in terms of the disallowance of any contextual, social and structural factors, including the absence of men in the ¿contraceptive economy¿.
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| 2016 |
Harris ML, Dolja-Gore X, Kendig H, Byles JE, 'End of life hospitalisations differ for older Australian women according to death trajectory: a longitudinal data linkage study.', BMC Health Serv Res, 16 484 (2016)
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| 2015 |
Loxton D, Powers J, Anderson AE, Townsend N, Harris ML, Tuckerman R, et al., 'Online and Offline Recruitment of Young Women for a Longitudinal Health Survey: Findings From the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health 1989-95 Cohort.', J Med Internet Res, 17 e109 (2015) [C1]
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| 2015 |
Harris ML, Loxton D, Wigginton B, Lucke JC, 'Harris et al. respond to "social media recruitment"', American Journal of Epidemiology, 181 750-751 (2015) [C3]
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| 2015 |
Harris ML, Loxton D, Wigginton B, Lucke JC, 'Recruiting online: Lessons from a longitudinal survey of contraception and pregnancy intentions of young Australian women', American Journal of Epidemiology, 181 737-746 (2015) [C1] © 2015 The Author.Recruitment of young people for epidemiologic research remains challenging, with marked decreases in the effectiveness of face-to-face, mail, and telephone recr... [more] © 2015 The Author.Recruitment of young people for epidemiologic research remains challenging, with marked decreases in the effectiveness of face-to-face, mail, and telephone recruitment methods. We report on the implementation and feasibility of an innovative and flexible approach used to recruit participants for a longitudinal cohort study about contraceptive use and pregnancy (the Contraceptive Use, Pregnancy Intention, and Decisions (CUPID) Study). Australian women aged 18-23 years were recruited using a range of online, networking, and offline methods, including social media (primarily Facebook (Facebook Inc., Menlo Park, California; http://www.facebook.com)), face-to-face events, distribution of promotional material, and media releases. Over the course of the 1-year recruitment period (beginning in September 2012), a total of 3,795 eligible women were recruited to complete the online survey, at a cost of approximately A$11 per participant. This sample was found to be broadly representative of the Australian population of women aged 18-23 years in terms of demographic characteristics, with the exception of an overrepresentation of tertiary-educated women (88.7% compared with 72.6%). This study demonstrated that although current recruitment strategies are required to be innovative and flexible in order to engage young people in epidemiologic research, representative samples can be achieved online at reasonable cost.
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| 2015 |
Wigginton B, Harris ML, Loxton D, Herbert D, Lucke J, 'The feminisation of contraceptive use: Australian women's accounts of accessing contraception', FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY, 25 178-198 (2015) [C1]
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| 2014 |
Harris ML, Herbert D, Loxton D, Dobson A, Wigginton B, Lucke JC, 'Recruiting young women for health surveys: Traditional random sampling methods are not cost-effective', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 38 495 (2014) [C3]
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| 2013 |
Harris ML, Loxton D, Sibbritt DW, Byles JE, 'The Influence of Perceived Stress on the Onset of Arthritis in Women: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health', ANNALS OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE, 46 9-18 (2013) [C1]
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| 2013 |
Allen J, Inder KJ, Harris ML, Lewin TJ, Attia JR, Kelly BJ, 'Quality of life impact of cardiovascular and affective conditions among older residents from urban and rural communities', HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES, 11 (2013) [C1]
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| 2012 |
Harris ML, Loxton DJ, Sibbritt DW, Byles JE, 'The relative importance of psychosocial factors in arthritis: Findings from 10,509 Australian women', Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 73 251-256 (2012) [C1]
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| 2011 |
Newman LK, Harris ML, Allen J, 'Neurobiological basis of parenting disturbance', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45 109-122 (2011) [C1]
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| Show 13 more journal articles | |||||||||||
Conference (16 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 |
Dolja-Gore X, Harris ML, Kendig H, Byles J, 'Determinants of overnight hospital admissions for Australians aged 85+ in their last year of life' (2015) [O1]
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| 2015 |
Harris ML, Oldmeadow C, Hure A, Loxton D, Luu J, Attia J, 'Increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women: does perceived stress hold the key?' (2015) [O1]
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| 2015 |
Patrick K, Ezer P, Loxton D, Harris ML, Lucke J, 'Rural-urban differences in use and access to contraception for young Australian women' (2015) [E3]
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| 2015 |
Rich J, Inder K, Harris ML, Perkins D, Byles J, 'Who cares for whom? Giving and receiving healthcare for women over 70 in remote Australian places' (2015) [O1]
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| 2013 |
Herbert D, Harris ML, Loxton D, Lucke J, 'Contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy among 18-23 year old women in Australia: the first findings of the CUPID study', European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care (2013) [E3]
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| 2010 |
Harris ML, Loxton DJ, Sibbritt DW, Byles JE, 'Psychosocial characteristics of midlife women with arthritis: Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health', 2010 National Conference of Emerging Researchers in Ageing: (2010) [E3]
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Report (3 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |
Mishra G, Loxton DJ, Anderson A, Hockey R, Powers J, Brown W, et al., 'Health and wellbeing of women aged 18 to 23 in 2013 and 1996: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women¿s Health', Department of Health, 183 (2014)
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| 2013 |
Holden L, Dobson A, Byles J, Loxton D, Dolja-Gore X, Hockey R, et al., 'Mental Health: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health', Department of Health and Ageing (2013)
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| 2010 |
Parkinson L, Harris ML, 'Effective population health interventions for the primary prevention of musculoskeletal conditions: an evidence check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute (http://www.saxinstitute.org.au) for the Victorian Department of Health', Victorian Department of Health, 101 (2010)
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Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 5 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $66,394 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20151 grants / $1,500
Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, Dublin, Ireland, 18-21 October 2015$1,500
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Health and Medicine
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Health and Medicine |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Melissa Harris |
| Scheme | Travel Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1501124 |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | Y |
20141 grants / $21,500
The role of perceived stress on the onset of type 2 diabetes in women.$21,500
Funding body: John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust
| Funding body | John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Melissa Harris, Professor John Attia, Doctor Judy Luu, Professor Deb Loxton |
| Scheme | Research Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | G1301440 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - State |
| Category | 2OPS |
| UON | Y |
20131 grants / $23,994
A life course perspective on the identification of risk factors for low birth weight$23,994
Funding body: Hunter Medical Research Institute
| Funding body | Hunter Medical Research Institute |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Alexis Hure, Professor Deb Loxton, Doctor Catherine Chojenta, Ms Amy Anderson, Doctor Melissa Harris |
| Scheme | Project Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2013 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | G1300904 |
| Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
| Category | 3AFG |
| UON | Y |
20121 grants / $5,000
When life's a pain: perceived stress and psychosocial factors in women with arthritis transitioning from midlife to older age$5,000
Funding body: Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Grants-in-aid |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2013 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20101 grants / $14,400
Effective population health interventions for the primary prevention of musculoskeletal conditions$14,400
Funding body: Victorian Department of Health
| Funding body | Victorian Department of Health |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Conjoint Associate Professor Lynne Parkinson, Doctor Melissa Harris |
| Scheme | Project Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2010 |
| Funding Finish | 2010 |
| GNo | G1000770 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - State |
| Category | 2OPS |
| UON | Y |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Total current UON EFTSL
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | PhD |
Contraception, Fertility and Under-Five Child Mortality in Women Living with HIV in Western Ethiopia PhD (Gender & Health), Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
| 2016 | PhD |
When does Curative become Palliative - Evidence from Australia and Vietnam PhD (Gender & Health), Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
| 2014 | PhD |
Exploring the use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in a Cohort of Young, Australian Women PhD (Gender & Health), Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
| 2013 | PhD |
Asthma Quality Care in Australian Older Women PhD (Gender & Health), Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
Past Supervision
| Year | Level of Study | Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Honours |
Lifestyle variables as a major correlate of depression among young Australian women Psychology, Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
| 2015 | Honours |
Factors associated with suicidal ideation in young Australian women aged 18-23 Psychology, Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
| 2015 | Honours |
Factors contributing to diagnosed anxiety among Australian females aged between 18-23 Psychology, Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
| 2015 | Honours |
Contributing factors of self-harm in young Australia women Psychology, Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle Co-Supervisor |
News
PhD Opportunity - Hospital use at the end of life
October 13, 2015
A PhD opportunity is available to investigate hospital use at the end of life under the supervision of Professor Julie Byles and Dr Melissa Harris.
Dr Melissa Harris
Position
Research Academic
Research Centre for Gender, Health & Ageing
Faculty of Health and Medicine
Contact Details
| melissa.harris@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | (02) 40420621 |
| Fax | (02) 40420044 |
Office
| Room | Level 4 West Wing 116 |
|---|---|
| Building | HMRI |
News
PhD Opportunity - Hospital use at the end of life
A PhD opportunity is available to investigate hospital use at the end of li...
