Dr Simone Harrison ~ Principal Research Fellow

Research Profile: I am a field epidemiologist with 30 years of experience conducting applied public health research. I have a particular interest in the epidemiology and prevention of skin cancer (particularly pigmented moles and melanoma) and finding "real-world" solutions to public health problems with a view to reducing morbidity and mortality in Queensland's highly susceptible population. I am the Director and Principal Research Fellow of JCU's Skin Cancer Research Unit and hold an Adjunct Associate Professor position in the University of Southern Queensland's UV Laboratory in the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences.

My doctoral research focused primarily on the relevance of childhood sun exposure in the aetiology of pigmented moles (the major phenotypic risk-factor for cutaneous melanoma), and culminated in manuscripts that were published in The Lancet and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI). I have directed several RCTs and large community-based skin cancer prevention interventions. I have attracted over $5 million in research funding and have 100 peer-reviewed publications despite having worked mainly part-time for family reasons since 2002. I am a member of several influential committees including the Queensland Skin Cancer Prevention Alliance, Queensland Health; School uniform advisory panel, Procurement Branch, Education Queensland; and the Australian Standards Technical Committee TX-021, responsible for revising the Australian and New Zealand Standard for the Evaluation and Classification of sun-protective clothing (AS/NZ 4399:2017).

Research Opportunities in Skin Cancer suitable for Grad.Cert/Grad.Dip Research Methods, Hons, MPhil & PhD students, MPH student projects (TM5527/TM5549) Potential Honours, MSc and PhD candidates are welcome to join us to undertake higher research degrees. We also have a range of projects available suitable for Research Methods certificate/diploma students and post-graduate students looking to undertake a supervised research project or lit review project such as TM5527 (3 units) or TM5549 (6 units). Alternatively health professionals interested in gaining research experience with an opportunity to publish are invited to contact Simone on simone.harrison@jcu.edu.au. For possible scholarships and other funding opportunities (internal and external), see JCU’s scholarships database. Students interested in undertaking a PhD or Masters project should contact me on simone.harrison@jcu.edu.au to discuss potential projects. Funding can be applied for through the Research Training Program (RTP), the James Cook University Postgraduate Research Scholarships, or an equivalent national or international scheme. Information and application forms can be obtained from the Graduate Research School. Closing Dates: 30th September of each year.

Interests

Professional

• Epidemiology

Research

• Melanocytic naevi (pigmented moles)
• Health Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation
• Population-based studies of Vitamin D levels
• reproducibility and accuracy of serum vitamin D assays
• sun-protective clothing
• Shade estimation
• Marine envenomation
• Box jellyfish
• Carukia Barnesi
• Chironex fleckeri
• Coastal drowning
• Surf lifesaving resuscitation success
• marine envenomation
• evaluation and classification schemes for personal sun-protection products
• sunscreen
• photoprotection
• non-melanocytic skin cancers
• melanoma
• sun-protection
• melanogenesis
• cancer epidemiology
• translational research
• child health
• midwifery
• population health
• longitudinal studies
• RCT

Research Disciplines

• Epidemiology (4202)
• Public health (4206)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Public health (2004)

Awards

• 2009 - Regional (NQ) Winner of Queensland Government’s inaugural Healthy Queensland Awards (Healthy Communities)
• 2007 - Cancer Council Queensland International travel fellowship
• 2000 - Cancer Council Queensland Allied Health Professionals Oncology Group International travel fellowship
• 1995 - Queensland Cancer Fund International travel fellowship
• 2007 to 2009 - Cancer Council Queensland John McCaffrey Cancer Prevention & Control Research NQ Fellowship

Fellowships

• 1999 - Fellow of the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine

Memberships

• 2014 - Australian Health Promotion Association
• 2012 - Centre for Research Excellence in Sun and Health Research Affiliate
• 2007 - International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Other

• 2015 - Associate Professor (Adjunct), University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science.
• 2014 - Associate Editor, Frontiers in Public Health (Radiation & Health Section)
• 2012 to 2015 - Associate Professor QUT (Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation - Sun and Health Lab)
• 1994 to 2002 - Consultant Epidemiologist/ Biostatistician for Surf Lifesaving Australia

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

• Dexter B, Smith A, King R, Downs N, Nikles C, Parisi A, Ho Y and Harrison S (in press) Serial Cross-Sectional Observations of Sun-Protective Behaviors at an Annual Outdoor Motorsport Event in Tropical Queensland, Australia. Photochemistry and Photobiology,
• Morton S and Harrison S (2022) Slip, Slop, Slap, Slide, Seek and Sport: A Systematic Scoping Review of Sun Protection in Sport in Australasia. Current Oncology, 30 (1). pp. 401-415
• Dexter B, King R, Parisi A, Harrison S, Igoe D and Downs N (2021) Electronic Sun Journal versus self-report sun diary: a comparison of recording personal sunlight exposure methods. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 97 (3). pp. 641-649
• Barsoum R and Harrison S (2020) Clinical characteristics in early childhood associated with a nevus-prone phenotype in adults from tropical Australia: two decades of follow-up of the Townsville preschool cohort study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (22).
• Briceno L, Harrison S, Heal C, Kimlin M and Paul G (2020) Parametric human modelling to determine body surface area covered by sun-protective clothing. Ergonomics, 63 (3). pp. 293-306
• Dexter B, King R, Parisi A, Harrison S, Konovalov D and Downs N (2020) Keratinocyte skin cancer risks for working school teachers: scenarios and implications of the timing of scheduled duty periods in Queensland, Australia. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 213.
• Dexter B, King R, Harrison S, Parisi A and Downs N (2019) A pilot observational study of environmental summertime health risk behavior in central Brisbane, Queensland: opportunities to raise sun protection awareness in Australia's sunshine state. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 95 (2). pp. 650-655
• Downs N, Butler H, Baldwin L, Parisi A, Amar A, Vanos J and Harrison S (2019) A site-specific standard for comparing dynamic solar ultraviolet protection characteristics of established tree canopies. MethodsX, 6. pp. 1683-1693
• Downs N, Baldwin L, Parisi A, Butler H, Vanos J, Beckman M and Harrison S (2019) Comparing the annualised dynamic shade characteristics of twenty-one tree canopies across twenty-six municipalities in a high ambient UV climate, Queensland - Australia. Applied Geography, 108. pp. 74-82
• Downs N, Igoe D, Parisi A, Taylor O, Lazzaroni S, Rawlings A, Garzón-Chavez D and Harrison S (2019) Seasonal minimum and maximum solar ultraviolet exposure measurements of classroom teachers residing in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 95 (4). pp. 1083-1093
• Parisi A, Amar A, Downs N, Igoe D, Harrison S and Turner J (2019) Development of a model for calculating the solar ultraviolet protection factor of small to medium sized built shade structures. Building and Environment, 147. pp. 415-421
• Serna-Higuita L, Harrison S, Buttner P, Glasby M, Raasch B, Iftner A, Garbe C, Martus P and Iftner T (2019) Modifiable risk-factors for keratinocyte cancers in Australia: a case-control study. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 99 (4). pp. 404-411

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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 86+ research outputs authored by Dr Simone Harrison from 2000 onwards.

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
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