Associate Professor Watt (PhD; BSc(Hons)) is an Epidemiologist with a background in research methods and evidence-based practice, with specific content expertise in injury epidemiology & the prehospital/emergency sector. She is Team Leader of the Research Methods team in the Discipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Her career goal is to increase the capacity of health professionals to conduct, engage with and interpret high quality research to improve clinical practice, ultimately improving health of the community. Her focus is on developing, evaluating & translating evidence, and applying innovative T&L practices that promote high quality application of research methods skills in the workplace. She is driven by commitment to increase capacity within the health sector to conduct rigorous, high quality research that translates to action.

 Her current research interests are defined by her methodological expertise, rather than content. She contributes methodological oversight to a vast array of research conducted within the health setting that directly translates to improved health/wellbeing of people in the tropics, to ensure that health care is informed by high quality evidence.

 She has 80+ peer-reviewed publications (+several in press), which have attracted numerous citations (GoogleScholar: 19258); 9 monographs; 1 Encyclopaedia entry; and 90+ conference presentations (3 awards). Her H-index is 12. Her research has a strong translational focus, in line with her ethos to increase the evidence-base with high-quality research to improve health. She is a leading Investigator on several grants via competitively-funded schemes, & regularly engages in consultations. 

Associate Professor Watt was President of the Australian Injury Prevention Network (AIPN) for 4 years, and remains on the Executive. She was Co-Editor for the journal of the Australasian Epidemiology Association for 2 years. She has been a Board Member of Kidsafe QLD since 2016.

 

Past PhD Students

As well as current PhD students (see "Supervision" tab for more details), Kerrianne has supervised students from other universities. These include:

• The Epidemiology and Characteristics of Low Speed Vehicle Run Over Incidents in Queensland Children aged 0-15 years, Between 1999-2009 (Secondary Advisor; UQ)
• The Psycho-social Impact of fatal Child Drowning in Queensland and the Availability and Use of Support (Secondary Advisor, UQ)
• Drowning In Queensland Children and Adolescents 0-19yrs 2002-2008: Incidence, Risk Factors and Interventions (Secondary Advisor, UQ)
• Environmentally-related health impacts of coal seam gas development: An impact assessment approach in Queensland, Australia (Secondary Advisor, UQ)
• Feedback and self-rated driving abilities among older adults: the impact of advanced driver assistance systems (Secondary Advisor, QUT). Recommended for Outstanding Thesis Award.  
• Preventing paediatric hot beverage scalds (Secondary Advisor. UQ). (Under Examination) 

Teaching

• HS2402: Health Professional Research 1 (Level 2; CNS & TSV)
• RM8301: Research Planning in Tropical Health and Medicine (Level 8; CNS & TSV)
• RM8302: Research Project in Tropical Health and Medicine (Level 8; CNS & TSV)
• TM5310: Dissertation 2 (Level 5; TSV)
• TM5516: Biostatistics for Public Health (Level 5; TSV)
• TM5527: Project (Level 5; TSV)
• TM5549: Dissertation 1 (Level 5; TSV)
• TM6013: Doctoral Attachment (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6014: Extended Doctoral Attachment (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6015: Doctoral Conference Presentations (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6016: Doctoral Specialisation 1 (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6017: Doctoral Specialisation 2 (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6018: Doctoral Project 1 (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6019: Doctoral Project 2 (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6020: Doctoral Project 3 (Level 6; TSV)
• TM6021: Literature Review (Level 6; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Injury Prevention/Epidemiology
• Prehospital/Emergency
• Epidemiology/Statistics
• Research Methods
• Alcohol/Substance Use
• Mental Health
• Paediatrics (especially injury)
• Public Health
• Factors Associated with Performance and Anxiety in Learning Research Methods subjects

Teaching

• Epidemiology
• Statistics
• Research Methods
• Injury Epidemiology / Prevention

Experience

• 2016 to present - Associate Dean, Research Education, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2011 to present - Associate Professor, Injury Epidemiology/Research Methods, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2012 to 2014 - Director, Research Training, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook Univeristy (Townsville)
• 2009 to 2011 - Senior Lecturer, Injury Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Queensland (Brisbane)
• 2005 to 2009 - Clinical Research Co-ordinator, Australian Centre for Prehospital Research (Brisbane)
• 2003 to 2004 - Research Fellow, Violence Research Group; Department of Oral Surgery, Medicine and Pathology University of Wales College of Medicine (Cardiff, Wales, UK)

Research Disciplines

• Public Health and Health Services (1117)
• Clinical Sciences (1103)
• Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine (1114)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Public Health (9204)
• Health and Support Services (9202)
• Indigenous Health (9203)

Awards

• 2014 - Nominated for Australian Road Safety Community Program Award (Low speed vehicle run over multimedia education campaign)
• 2013 - National Road Safety Award – “”Low Speed Vehicle Runover project”
• 2012 - Ambassador, Kidsafe Queensland
• 2009 - • Queensland Emergency Medicine Research Foundation, Grant Review Panel
• 2008 - Australia Day Achievement Medallion for “Exemplary contribution to the research activity of the Australian Centre for Prehospital Research”
• 2004 - Joint Winner, Best Poster. Annual Symposium for the Society for the Study of Addiction, York, United Kingdom.
• 2003 - Runner up, Best Poster. Annual Symposium for the Society for the Study of Addiction, Leeds, United Kingdom
• 2001 - Student Bursary, Australian Injury Prevention Network, for attendance at National Injury Prevention Conference, Warrnambool, 2001
• 1996 - Finalist in Australian Red Cross Young Ambassador Awards

Memberships

• 2016 - Director, Kidsafe QLD Board (Social Inclusion Portfolio & Deputy Chair, Clinical Advisory Board, from August 2017)
• 2013 - Member, Ethics Committee, Townsville Hospital and Health Services
• 2012 - Global Burden of Disease, Injury Expert Group
• 2010 - ICE (International Collaboration on Injury Research Methods)
• 1999 - Australian Injury Prevention Network
• 2009 to 2014 - • Public Health Association of Australia (Injury Prevention Special Interest Group; & Executive Committee, QLD Branch)

Other

• 2013 to 2016 - President, Australian Injury Prevention Network
• 2013 to 2014 - Co-Editor, Journal for Australasian Epidemiological Association

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Land H, Gordon S and Watt K (in press) Effect of manual physiotherapy in homogeneous individuals with subacromial shoulder impingement: a randomized controlled trial. Physiotherapy Research International,
• Alele F, Emeto T, Callander E and Watt K (2018) Non-urgent paediatric emergency department presentation: a systematic review. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 55 (3). pp. 271-277
• Alele F, Callander E, Emeto T, Mills J and Watt K (in press) Socio‐economic composition of low‐acuity paediatric presentation at a regional hospital emergency department. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health,
• Bates N, Callander E, Lindsay D and Watt K (2018) Labour force participation and the cost of lost productivity due to cancer in Australia. BMC Public Health, 18.
• Burgess J, Watt K, Kimble R and Cameron C (in press) Knowledge of childhood burn risks and burn first aid: cool runnings. Injury Prevention, 0. pp. 1-6
• Furyk J, McBain-Rigg K, Renison B, Watt K, Franklin R, Emeto T, Ray R, Babl F and Dalziel S (2018) A comprehensive systematic review of stakeholder attitudes to alternatives to prospective informed consent in paediatric acute care research. BMC Medical Ethics, 19.
• Furyk J, Franklin R, Watt K, Emeto T, Dalziel S, McBain-Rigg K, Stepanov N and Babl F (2018) Community attitudes to emergency research without prospective informed consent: a survey of the general population. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 30 (4). pp. 547-555
• Furyk J, Ray R, Watt K, Dalziel S, Oakely E, Mackay M, Dabscheck G, Riney K and Babl F (2018) Consensus research priorities for paediatric status epilepticus: a Delphi study of health consumers, researchers and clinicians. Seizure: European Journal of Epileps, 56. pp. 104-109
• Griffin B, Watt K, Kimble R and Shields L (2018) Development, implementation and evaluation of an educational intervention to prevent low Speed vehicle run-over events: lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15 (4).
• Griffin B, Kimble R, Watt K and Shields L (2018) Incidence and characteristics of low-speed vehicle run over events in rural and remote children aged 0–14 years in Queensland: an eleven year (1999–2009) retrospective analysis. Rural and Remote Health, 18.
• McFarlane K, Judd J, Wapau H, Nichols N, Watt K and Devine S (2018) How primary health care staff working in rural and remote areas access skill development and expertise to support health promotion practice. Rural and Remote Health, 18.
• Ryan B, Franklin R, Burkle F, Smith E, Aitken P, Watt K and Leggat P (2018) Ranking and prioritizing strategies for reducing mortality and morbidity from noncommunicable diseases post disaster: an Australian perspective. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 27. pp. 223-238

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 81+ research outputs authored by A/Prof Kerrianne Watt from 2012 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Quantifying the cost of cancer in Australia, and the distribution of these costs by Indigenous status, remoteness, and socioeconomic disadvantage (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Health management practices tha empower high performing residential aged care facilities (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Epidemiology of Tourist Injuries in QLD (Masters , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Patient Safety: Risk Management of Paramedic Initiated Non-Transport Cases. (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Risk Factors for Lower Limb Running-Related Injuries. (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Discovering Faecal Microbiome Associated with Pre-Term Birth (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Performance and Health Economic Assessment of Motion Tracking fpr Prostrate Cancer Radiation Therapy (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Study into the disposal of deceased persons as a result of violent crime (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Variance in Policy Adoption in the Pacific: The case for Context-Specific NCD Prevention and Control Measures and the role of the NCD Best Buys (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Resuscitation Strategies for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) and Improving Patient Outcomes. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• An investigation of harm reduction approaches to alcohol use in context of chonic disease management (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Features of Primary Health Care Services in Remote Indigenous Communities that Contribute to Hospital Avoidance for Ambulatory Sensitive Chronic Conditions (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Psychological intervention for reducing emergency department (ED) representations – A randomised controlled trial (RCT) (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• The Paradox of Informed Consent Issues in Paediatric Status Epilepticus Research (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Cannabis Withdrawal Among Indigenous Detainees/Inmates. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Gender Equity in Health Services and the Economics of Childbearing (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Measuring performance in mental health care with a focus on vulnerable groups in Australia (PhD , Advisor Mentor)

Completed

• Strengthening health promotion and research in practice: the experiences of an Aboriginal community controlled health service (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Preventing intrauterine growth restriction and improving infant growth outcomes in Bangladesh (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Addressing the impact of disasters on public health infrastructure and noncommunicable diseases (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Specific physiotherapy management for subacromial shoulder impingement (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Chronic low back pain: diagnostic classification, physical assessment and ultrasound imaging (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Making salient messages for Indigenous tobacco control (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.