Maxine A. Whittaker, MBBS,  MPH , PhD, FAFPHM is the Dean of the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences at James Cook University (Feb 2016), She is also co-Director of the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Vector Borne Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases. In 2017 she was awarded the Royal Australasian College of Physicians International Medal. In recognition of outstanding service in developing countries. 

She was previously (2008-2016) Professor of International and Tropical  Health and Co-Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Information Systems, Director of the Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub, Program Director of the Australian Initiative on Control and Elimination of Malaria/Pacific Malaria Initiative Support Centre and co-Secretariat of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network.

Maxine Whittaker has lived and worked in Bangladesh, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guniea and worked extensively in China, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Thailand , Tonga, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.  She has extensive experience in project and programme design in health and development, especially in infectious diseases, One Health, and sexual and reproductive health and gender analysis, and using rapid formative research and anthropological methods and for a variety of international development partner and NGO organizations. She has developed local research teams in social sciences methods in Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Northern Queensland remote communities, and Vanuatu, and participated in the development of training materials and activities to support this capacity development.

From 2006-2009 she was the Senior Technical Health Adviser to the National Department of Health in Papua New Guinea where she was involved in health and development policy work, technical programme support especially in disease control and family health services, and a member of several national committees to advise the Ministry of Health (Child health, Maternal Health Ministerial Taskforce, family planning, Tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/STIs).

Maxine Whittaker research interests are in fields of operational and health services research and medical anthropology, with a primary focus on sexual and reproductive health, health seeking behaviour and quality of care. She has a special interest in the issue of scaling-up pilot programmes into policy and practice, and as a founding member of Expandnet has contributed to a body of work published by WHO on this topic.She is presently leading the Malaria Elimination Research Agenda work on social sciences and co-chairing the Health Systems panel (http://www.malariaeradication.org/malera-refresh) and is recognized as one of the leaders in re-invigorating social sciences and community participation  in the malaria research agenda. 

Since 2009 has been CI on research and project grants in the Asia Pacific region worth more than $A80 million including several from DFAT published more than 70 peer reviewed publications, and several project documents for development partners and countries, policy briefings, briefing papers, book chapters and commissioned papers.

She is the Chair of the Board of Trustees and member of the Scientific Advisory Group of icddr,b which brings together a range of global scientific leaders to: build capacity in the training and mentorship of young scientists on their career pathways; increase the involvement of international scientists on site at icddr,b; increase partnership opportunities with other world-class organisations; increase icddr,b’s ability to undertake research outside of Bangladesh, and align icddr,b’s research focus with our research priorities. 

Maxine is the Co- Chair of the WHO Research Project Review Panel (RP2) of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research including the WHO Special Programme Of Research, Development And Research Training In Human Reproduction. IN 2018 she was invited to be a member of the 10 member Technical Reference Group of the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Secuitry (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia).. 

She is an active member of the Public Health Association of Australia especially the special interest groups of international health, One Health and women’s health.

Other professional activities:

• Section Editor for Health Systems and Social Science of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Associate Editor for Malaria Journal and of Public Health Action
• Senior Editor for Biomedicine Hub
• Co-chair of the Health systems strengthening panel for the malERA refresh (http://www.malariaeradication.org/malera-refresh): Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance malERA Refresh updates the malaria eradication research and development agenda ( malERA) first published in 2011. The overarching goal is to update the multi-disciplinary R&D agenda for malaria elimination and eradication, which can be acted upon by the malaria community, scientific community, and funders to accelerate progress.
• member of the RBM Country and Regional Support Partners Committee
• Member of the Australian Anthropological Society

Media Events

Radio:

• The Health Report - Guest profile   
• The Health Report: Reducing death in childbirth (Aired: Monday 8 November 2010 8:39AM)

YouTube

• Open Access (JCU Open Access Week 2019)

Teaching

• TM5501: Tropical Medicine (Level 5; TSV)
• TM5529: Applied Health Economics (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Professional

• Global health advocacy
• Co-Chair WHO Research panel for Reproductive program of the Human reproduction program (HRP)
• Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network
• capacity building and development

Research

• Global health policy
• Medical anthropology
• Malaria and other infectious diseases
• One Health
• Health systems research
• Operational and implementation research

Teaching

• global public health
• health systems
• One Health

Experience

• 2009 to 2015 - Professor, University of Queensland School of Public Health (Brisbane, Australia)
• 2009 to 2014 - Director, Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health (Brisbane, Australia)
• 1994 to 2001 - Senior Lecturer/Lecturer, University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia)
• 1991 to 1992 - Visiting Fellow, Child Survival Project, Department of Demography and National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, (Canberra)
• 1989 to 1990 - Operations Research Scientist,, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
• 1986 to 1988 - Resident Associate,, The Population Council, (Lusaka, Zambia)

Research Disciplines

• Public Health and Health Services (1117)
• Medical Microbiology (1108)
• Clinical Sciences (1103)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Public Health (9204)
• Clinical Health (9201)
• Health and Support Services (9202)

Awards

• 2017 - Royal College of Physicians International Medal
• 1985 - • 1985 Life Member International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA)
• 1984 - Honorary Life Member, Australian Medical Students Association
• 2001 - Dr Jerusha Jhirad Oration Award. Presented at the Silver Jubilee Conference of Medical Women International Association (MWIA)

Fellowships

• 1998 - University of Queensland Short Fellowship

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

• Heard E, Fitzgerald L, Vaai S, Whittaker M, Aiolupotea T, Collins F and Mutch A (2019) Intimate partner violence prevention: using interactive drama for intimate relationship education with young people in Samoa. Sex Education, 19 (6). pp. 691-705
• Heard E, Fitzgerald L, Va'ai S, Collins F, Whittaker M and Mutch A (2019) 'In the Islands people don’t really talk about this stuff, so you go through life on your own': an arts-based study exploring intimate relationships with young people in Samoa. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 21 (5). pp. 526-542
• Quah Y, Waltmann A, Karl S, White M, Vahi V, Darcy A, Pitakaka F, Whittaker M, Tisch D, Barry A, Barnadas C, Kazura J and Mueller I (2019) Molecular epidemiology of residual Plasmodium vivax transmission in a paediatric cohort in Solomon Islands. Malaria Journal, 18.
• Beknazarova M, Whiley H, Judd J, Shield J, Page W, Miller A, Whittaker M and Ross K (2018) Argument for Inclusion of Strongyloidiasis in the Australian National Notifiable Disease List. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 3 (2). pp. 61-70
• Fazleen N, Whittaker M and Mamun A (2018) Risk of metabolic syndrome in adolescents with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: clinical research & reviews, 12. pp. 1083-1090
• Heard E, Fitzgerald L, Whittaker M, Va'ai S and Mutch A (in press) Exploring intimate partner violence in Polynesia: a scoping review. Trauma, Violence & Abuse,
• Herdiana H, Sari J and Whittaker M (2018) Intersectoral collaboration for the prevention and control of vector borne diseases to support the implementation of a global strategy: a systematic review. PLoS ONE, 13 (10).
• Mactaggart F, McDermott L, Tynan A and Whittaker M (2018) Exploring the broader health and well-being outcomes of mining communities in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. Global Public Health, 13 (7). pp. 899-913
• Naing C, Whittaker M and Tanner M (2018) Inter-sectoral approaches for the prevention and control of malaria among the mobile and migrant populations: a scoping review. Malaria Journal, 17.
• Naing C and Whittaker M (2018) Severe thrombocytopaenia in patients with vivax malaria compared to falciparum malaria: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 7 (10).
• Waltmann A, Koepfli C, Tessier N, Karl S, Fola A, Darcy A, Wini L, Harrison G, Barnadas C, Jennison C, Karunajeewa H, Boyd S, Whittaker M, Kazura J, Bahlo M, Mueller I and Barry A (2018) Increasingly inbred and fragmented populations of Plasmodium vivax associated with the eastward decline in malaria transmission across the Southwest Pacific. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 12 (1).
• Canavati S, Quintero C, Haller B, Lek D, Yok S, Richards J and Whittaker M (2017) Maximizing research study effectiveness in malaria elimination settings: a mixed methods study to capture the experiences of field-based staff. Malaria Journal, 16.

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 66+ research outputs authored by Prof Maxine Whittaker from 2007 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

• Developing Local Models to Strengthen and Improve Capacity in Health Research in Melanesia (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Assessing primary health service capacity to prevent and control non-communicable diseases in the Kingdom of Bhutan; a healthy policy and systems analysis (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Strengthening community empowerment approaches to Aedes species mosquito management in a high-income country setting: comparative case studies within Queensland, Australia. (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Transition from Girlhood to Womanhood: Experiences of Adolescent Females in Papua New Guinea. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Mapping the actors and factors in the private fertility decision making process in Zambia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• An investigation of the barriers to infectious disease interventions in Indigenous Australian communities (2019, 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.