Dr Sarah Larkins is an academic general practitioner and Associate Dean, Research in the College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University.  Sarah has particular skills and experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and health services and workforce research and is an internationally recognised expert in social accountability in health professional education. Sarah is also Co-Director of the Anton Breinl Research Centre for Health Systems Strengthening, a centre of the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine.

To date, Sarah has around 85 published peer-reviewed journal articles with an h-index of 19, more than 1000 citations and well over $5m in grant funding.  This includes two current NHMRC grants, investigating rural community participation in oral health service development and variations in quality improvement in Indigenous primary health care centres.  Sarah is also Chief Investigator D on an NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement in Indigenous  Primary Health Care. She currently supervises 15 students at HDR level (13 internal and 2 external) and 3 Honours students. 

Sarah's particular focus is on collaborating to improve equity in health care services for underserved populations, particularly rural, remote, Indigenous and tropical populations, and on training a health workforce with appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills for this purpose.  She is a current Director, Northern Australian Primary Health and member of  the World Health Organisation Technical Working Group on Health Workforce Education Assessment Tools and past member of the National Technical Advisory Group for Health Workforce Australia. 

Teaching

• MD1020: Introduction to Integrated Medical Studies Part 2 of 2 (Level 1; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Health systems strengthening
• Rural health workforce
• Socially accountable health professional education
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
• Primary health care
• Maternal and child health

Teaching

• Research methods
• General Practice
• Sociology of health care and social determinants of health

Experience

• 2014 to present - Associate Dean, Research, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2012 to present - Director of Research and Postgraduate Education, School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2011 to present - Associate Professor, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2007 to present - General Practitioner, Health and Wellbeing North Ward (Townsville)
• 2010 to 2012 - School of Medicine and Dentistry Honours coordinator, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 2008 to 2010 - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
• 1998 to 2007 - General Practitioner, Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Services (Townsville)

Research Disciplines

• Public Health and Health Services (1117)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Specific Population Health (9205)
• Health and Support Services (9202)
• Indigenous Health (9203)

Awards

• 2013 - Office of Learning and Teaching National Program Award. JCU MBBS Program in the category "Widening Participation"
• 2012 - Finalist, Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education International Award – Presented for THEnet on development and piloting of the common evaluation framework
• 2011 - Co-author of Australian Family Physician best research paper for 2011. Cheffins T, Spillman M, Larkins S Heal C (2011) “Recommending vaccination: General practice intervention with new parents” Australian Family Physician 40 (6) 437-439
• 2003 - Royal Australian College of General Practitioners National Registrar Research Prize
• 2003 - MBBS (Dean's Honour List)
• 1989 - Bachelor of Medical Science Prize, University of Melbourne, BMedSci
• 2009 to 2011 - 2009 Brisbane Initiative – 8 emerging Primary Health Care Research Leaders selected from around the world for 3 year program of mentoring and support with residential periods in Oxford, UK.
• 2003 to 2007 - National Health and Medical Research Council Public Health Postgraduate PhD Scholarship

Fellowships

• 2012 - Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors course
• 2004 - FARGP
• 2004 - Fellow, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Memberships

• 2013 - Queensland Representative , Australian Association of Academic Primary Care Executive
• 2012 - Health Workforce Australia, National Technical Advisory Group
• 2003 to 2005 - National Research Advisory Board, Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute

Other

• 2013 - "Strength of Mind: 125 years of women in medicine". Invited to be one of 60 women graduates of University of Melbourne Medical School over the last 125 years featured in exhibition and book.
• 2011 - Board Member, Townsville Mackay Medicare Local
• 2008 - PhD
• 2000 - MPH&TM

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

• Berger M, Leicht A, Slatcher A, Kraeuter A, Ketheesan S, Larkins S and Sarnyai Z (2017) Cortisol awakening response and acute stress reactivity in First Nations people. Scientific Reports, 7. pp. 1-10
• Callander E, Larkins S and Corscadden L (2017) Variations in out-of-pocket costs for primary care services across Australia: a regional analysis. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 23 (4). pp. 379-385
• Carlisle K, Larkins S and Croker F (2017) Disparities in dental health of rural Australians: hospitalisation rates and utilisation of public dental services in three communities in North Queensland. Rural and Remote Health, 17 (4). pp. 1-9
• Crinall B, Boyle J, Gibson-Helm M, Esler D, Larkins S and Bailie R (in press) Cardiovascular disease risk in young Indigenous Australians: a snapshot of current preventive health care. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, pp. 1-7
• Egedovo A, Ho Y, Larkins S, Mushuya C, Ashraf M, Nyandowe M, Emeto T and Vangaveti V (2017) Awareness of surgeons and surgical trainees of online web-based techniques for teaching laparoscopic surgery in north Queensland. International Surgery Journal, 4 (7). pp. 2131-2138
• Evans R, Larkins S, Cheffins T, Fleming R, Johnston K and Tennant M (2017) Mapping access to health services as a strategy for planning: access to primary care for older people in regional Queensland. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 23. pp. 114-122
• Woods C, Carlisle K, Larkins S, Thompson S, Tsey K, Matthews V and Bailie R (2017) Exploring systems that support good clinical care in Indigenous primary health-care services: a retrospective analysis of longitudinal systems assessment tool data from high-improving services. Frontiers in Public Health, 2017 (5). pp. 1-17
• Woods C, Carlisle K, Larkins S, Thompson S, Tsey K, Matthews V and Bailie R (2017) Exploring systems that support good clinical care in Indigenous primary health care services: a retrospective analysis of longitudinal Systems Assessment Tool data from high improving services. Frontiers in Public Health, 5. pp. 1-17
• Bailie C, Matthews V, Bailie J, Burgess P, Copley K, Kennedy C, Moore L, Larkins S, Thompson S and Bailie R (2016) Determinants and gaps in preventive care delivery for Indigenous Australians: a cross-sectional analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 4. pp. 1-11
• Chen K, Evans R and Larkins S (2016) Why are hospital doctors not referring to Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry? – a systemic review. BMC Psychiatry, 16 (390). pp. 1-12
• Glasson N, Crossland L and Larkins S (2016) An innovative Australian outreach model of diabetic retinopathy screening in remote communities. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2016. pp. 1-10
• Jeyaruban A, Soden M and Larkins S (2016) Prevalence of comorbidities and management of gout in a tropical city in Australia. Rheumatology International, 36 (12). pp. 1753-1758

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 89+ research outputs authored by Prof Sarah Larkins from 1990 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

• An investigation of harm reduction approaches to alcohol use in context of chonic disease management (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The role of Academic Health Science Centres in driving translational research to improve the health of underserved populations worldwide (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Transition from Girlhood to Womanhood: Experiences of Adolescent Females in Papua New Guinea. (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Evaluating the Processes and Impact of Teletrial Model for Improving Access for Rural and Regional Patients to Novel Therapies (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• Interns' Learning in the 21st Century. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Understanding the Development of Clinical Reasoning Skills Among Doctors in Training in Northern Queensland (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• What InfluencesThe Provision Of Care To Periviable Babies In North Queensland And What Are The Consequences Of The Provision Of This Care. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Exploring the Effectiveness and Sustainability, of a Systems Approach to Whole of Organisation Quality Management. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• View of Older Residents in Rural Australia and Their Social Networks on Their Planned Approach to Healthy Ageing in Place: A Series of Case Studies. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Developing Local Models to Strengthen and Improve Capacity in Health Research in Melanesia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Ultrasound Assessment of the Perineal Body (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• What is the economic and social impacts of Monash University, School of Rural Health - Bairnsdale, on the East Gippsland Community - Victoria (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Development and Implementation of a Breast Cancer Care Pathway in Townsville Region - A Study Looking into Feasibility, Governance, Patient Centred Outcomes and Economics (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Is There a Role for L-Arginine Supplementation in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in a North Queensland Community Diabetics Clinic? (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Effect of Topical Sodium Thiosulphate on Healing of Chronic Foot Ulcers in Patients with Diabetic Foot Syndrome: A Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Pilot Study. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Birthing on Mornington Island: Culture, Identity and our Aspirations for the Future. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Staff Turnovers of Remote Health Professionals: Impact and Community Perspectives. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Investigating dementia in Fiji: access to dementia care for sufferers, caregivers and service providers (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Shifting the Lens: Indigenous Research into Mainstream Australian Culture. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• An exploration of the academic and early career professional practice for James Cook University medical students who have experienced academic difficulty (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• Fathers who watch their spouses give birth.....are they at risk of developing PTSD?? (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• Health System Capacity to Provide Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Papua New Guinea. (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• International Approaches to Rural Medical Generalism (PhD , Advsor Mentor)

Completed

• How do contextual issues influence socially accountable medical schools? (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Access to care and benefits for cancer patients in rural and remote locations using telemedicine (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Responding to local needs: implementing research and evaluation in general practice in North Queensland (2013, 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.