Keynote and invited presentations

Vardoulakis S, 2021. Impact of Climate Change on Global Lung Health:

The Australian Perspective. American Thoracic Society Annual Conference. 14-19 April 2021.

Vardoulakis S, 2021. COVID-19 pandemic lessons for air quality management. Indian International Conference on Air Quality Management (IICAQM). 23 April 2021

Media releases/interest

Sotiris Vardoulakis gave interviews to:

• Air pollution and COVID-19, for The Caller, 24 April 2021

Student news

The effects of climate variability on infectious disease transmission in Pacific Island Countries, a scoping review of quantitative epidemiological literature – (Rose Hosking (PhD student), Simon Hales, Aparna Lal) – submitted.

Other news

NHMRC Ideas grants submitted (5^th May):

What impact will climate change have on health and on health systems in Australia?

Led by Burnet Institute (RSPH involvement: Sotiris Vardoulakis)

Health impacts of life-course exposure to future atmospheric CO2 levels: a critically under-estimated risk of climate change.

Led by Curtin University (RSPH involvement: Sotiris Vardoulakis)

Papers accepted/published:

Niu Y., Li Z., Gao Y., Liu X., Xu L., Vardoulakis S., Yue Y., Wang J., Liu Q., 2021. A systematic review of the development and validation of the heat vulnerability index: major factors, methods, and spatial units. Current Climate Change Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40641-021-00173-3

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.

Cross-college bushfire smoke children's book project – literature review and book design 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 completed. (Sotiris Vardoulakis, Daniela Espinoza, and Amelia Joshy).