Sandra Downing is a registered nurse, midwife and field epidemiologist with particular interests in public health in emergency humanitarian settings, women’s and children’s health in low resource settings and sexual and reproductive health.  These interests align with Sandra's teaching responsiblities.  

Recently Sandra's research interests have expanded to include human animal interactions.  In mid 2020 she founded the JCU Animals on Campus Research Group, creating an institution wide forum for discussion and collaboration between JCU staff and students focused on exploring animal assisted interventions to promote student learning, academic performance and JCU community well being.

Sandra completed a two year placement in the Centre for Population Health at the Burnet Institute for her Master of Applied Epidemiology.  During this time she was responsible for implementation of the National Family Planning Network as part of the Australian Collaboration for Chlamydia Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance (ACCESS), conducted a study for the World Health Organisation (WHO) into the barriers to the delivery of the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose in five major Papua New Guinea Hospitals and conducted a review and analysis of regional tuberculosis data for the Secretariat of Pacific Communities.

Moving to Cairns, Sandra spent three years as Research Coordinator at the Cairns Sexual Health Service (CSHS) managing clinical trials, conducting local research and fostering research capacity within the clinical setting.   Sandra continues to maintain a strong mentoring and capacity building role within CSHS.   In 2014 she was formative in securing funding for a clinic led demonstration project across multiple Queensland sites to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the model for delivery of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection in high risk men who have sex with men.    She is also involved in research activities around  termination of pregnancy services.

As a field epidemiologist Sandra has worked in a variety of international settings with Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) implementing mortality and morbidity surveillance in emergency settings, responding to outbreaks and conducting nutrition and food and livelihood security surveys.     She works with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in outbreak responses and training/capacity building through the Global Outbreak and Response Network (GOARN) and belongs to the ARM – Australian Response MAE Network.    

Sandra commenced her tenure at JCU in 2012.  She is a Senior Lecturer in the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences and a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Education and Research Capacity Building and the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine.

 

Teaching

• TM5502: Tropical Public Health (Level 5; TSV)
• TM5525: Communicable Disease Control (Level 5; TSV)
• TM5536: Public Health in Humanitarian Emergencies (Level 5; CNS)
• TM5557: Disaster Health Management (Level 5; CNS)
• TM5562: Reproductive Health in Developing Countries (Level 5; CNS)

Interests

Professional

• public health
• humanitarian emergencies
• field epidemiology

Research

• reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health
• disaster health preparedness, response and recovery

Research Disciplines

• Public health (4206)
• Health services and systems (4203)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• health (2099)
• Teaching and curriculum (1603)

Awards

• 2018 - JCU Certificate of Recognition: Teaching Excellence - TM5536 Refugee Health
• 2018 - JCU Certificate of Recognition: Subject Excellence - TM5536 Refugee Health
• 2017 - Australian Award for University Teaching - Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
• 2017 - JCU Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
• 2016 - JCU Certificate of Recognition: Subject Excellence - TM5536 Refugee Health
• 2015 - JCU Certificate of Recognition: Teaching Excellence - TM5536 Refugee Health
• 2011 - Australian Sexual Health and HIV Nurses Association Kendra Sunquist Nurses Award for best poster. Australasian Sexual Health Conference. Canberra.
• 2009 - Sexual Health Society of Victoria award for best poster in social/behavioural research. Australian Sexual Health and HIV Nurses Association Kendra Sunquist Nurses Award for best poster. Australian Sexual Health Conference. Brisbane.

Memberships

• Australasian Epidemiological Association
• Public Health Assocation of Australia
• MSF Australia Association Member and Coordinator of the Far North Queensland MSF Association Network
• Australian Red Cross Emergency Services Member and Volunteer Trainer

Other

• 2018 - Learning and Teaching Grant - (Lead) - $9,814 - Embedding Career Development in Curriculum
• 2017 - Learning and Teaching Grant - (Lead) - $2,650 - External Peer Review of Teaching, TM5502 Tropical Public Health
• 2017 - HIV Foundation Qld Research Grant - (Co-investigator) - $36,124 - Improving monitoring and management of cardiovascular and renal risk factors in HIV positive clients attending the Cairns Sexual Health Service
• 2017 - Learning and Teaching Grant - (Lead) - $9,572 - Mapping the First Year Post Graduate Journey: supporting the transition into higher education
• 2017 - Learning and Teaching Grant - (Lead) - $9,857 - Transforming Assessment Practice
• 2013 - HIV Foundation Qld Grant - (Co-investigator) - $90,000 - Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Demonstration Project

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

• Cashman C, Downing S and Russell D (2021) Women’s experiences of accessing a medical termination of pregnancy through a Queensland regional sexual health service: a qualitative study. Sexual Health, 18 (3). pp. 232-238
• Downing S, Benjimen S, Natoli L and Bell V (2021) Menstrual hygiene management in disasters: the concerns, needs, and preferences of women and girls in Vanuatu. Waterlines, 40 (3). pp. 144-159
• Lazarou M, Fitzgerald L, Warner M, Downing S, Williams O, Gilks C, Russell D and Dean J (2020) Australian interdisciplinary healthcare providers’ perspectives on the effects of broader pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) access on uptake and service delivery: a qualitative study. Sexual Health, 17 (6). pp. 485-492
• Downing S, Wright R, Marquardt T and Callander E (2019) Use of fetal fibronectin testing in women transferred for threatened preterm labour in remote far north Queensland. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 59. pp. 403-407
• Downing S, cashman c and Russell D (2017) Ten years on: a review of medical terminations of pregnancy performed in a sexual health clinic. Sexual Health, 14 (3). pp. 208-212
• Downing S, Cashman C, McNamee H, Penney D, Russell D and Hellard M (2013) Increasing chlamydia test of re-infection rates using SMS reminders and incentives. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 89 (1). pp. 16-19
• Fagan P, Downing S, McCall B, Carroll H, Howard T and Palmer C (2013) Enhanced surveillance for gonorrhoea in two diverse settings in Queensland in the 2000s: comparative epidemology and selected management outcomes. Communicable Diseases Intelligence, 37 (3). pp. E253-E259
• Lyne K, Downing S and Russell D (2013) Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection among HIV-infected clients in Far North Queensland: use of an interferon-gamma release assay. Sexual Health, 10 (4). pp. 389-390
• Wright S, Petoumenos K, Boyd M, Carr A, Downing S, O'Connor C, Grotowski M and Law M (2013) Ageing and long-term CD4 cell count trends in HIV-positive patients with 5 years or more combination antiretroviral therapy experience. HIV Medicine, 14 (4). pp. 208-216
• Downing S, Payze C, Doyle-Adams S and Gorton C (2011) Emergency contraception over-the-counter: practices and attitudes of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants in far North Queensland. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 51 (6). pp. 527-531
• Downing S, McNamee H, Penney D, Leamy J, de Costa C and Russell D (2010) Three years on: a review of medical terminations of pregnancy performed in a sexual health service. Sexual Health, 7 (2). pp. 212-215
• Viney K, O'Connor J, Wiegandt A, Lambert M, Cox H and Downing S (2010) Tuberculosis trends in the Pacific: 2000-2006. Pacific Health Dialog, 16 (1). pp. 157-171

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 27+ research outputs authored by Ms Sandra Downing from 2008 onwards.

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

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.