I am a field epidemiologist with 28 years experience in 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 high-risk population. I am the Director and Principal Research Fellow of  JCU's Skin Cancer Research Unit (located Ground floor of the Townsville Hospital), and hold an Adjunct Associate Professor position in the University of Southern Queensland's 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 melanoma), and culminated in manuscripts that were pulished in The Lancet and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Over the past 17 years, I have directed several RCTs and community-based skin cancer prevention interventions. I have attracted over $5 million in research funding and have 100 peer-reviewed publications depite 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).

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

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

• Barrett F, Usher K, Woods C, Harrison S, Nikles J and Conway J (2018) Sun protective behaviors at an outdoor entertainment event in Australia. Nursing and Health Sciences, 20 (1). pp. 132-138
• Downs N and Harrison S (2018) A comprehensive approach to evaluating and classifying sun-protective clothing. British Journal of Dermatology, 178 (4). pp. 958-964
• Garźon-Chavez D, Quentin E, Harrison S, Parisi A, Butler H and Downs N (in press) The geospatial relationship of pterygium and senile cataract to ambient solar ultraviolet in tropical Ecuador. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences,
• King L, Xiang F, Swaminathan A, Dear K, Harrison S, Van der Mei I, Kimlin M, D'Este C and Lucas R (2017) Validation of sun exposure reported annually against interim self-report and daily sun diaries. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 93 (5). pp. 1294-1302
• Djaja N, Janda M, Lucas R, Harrison S, Van der Mei I, Ebeling P, Neale R, Whiteman D, Nowak M and Kimlin M (2016) Self-reported changes in sun-protection behaviors at different latitudes in Australia. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 92 (3). pp. 495-502
• Downs N, Harrison S, Garzon Chavez D and Parisi A (2016) Solar ultraviolet and the occupational radiant exposure of Queensland school teachers: a comparative study between teaching classifications and behavior patterns . Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 158. pp. 105-112
• Harrison S, Garzón-Chavez D and Nikles C (2016) Sun protection policies of Australian primary schools in a region of high sun exposure. Health Education Research, 31 (3). pp. 416-428
• King L, Dear K, Harrison S, Van der Mei I, Brodie A, Kimlin M and Lucas R (2016) Investigating the patterns and determinants of seasonal variation in vitamin D status in Australian adults: the Seasonal D Cohort Study. BMC Public Health, 16. pp. 1-6
• Turner D, Harrison S and Bates N (2016) Sun-protective behaviors of student spectators at inter-school swimming carnivals in a tropical region experiencing high ambient solar ultraviolet radiation. Frontiers in Public Health, 4. pp. 1-11
• Harrison S and Downs N (2015) Development of a reproducible rating system for sun protective clothing that incorporates body surface coverage. World Journal of Engineering and Technology , 3. pp. 208-214
• Xiang F, Harrison S, Nowak M, Kimlin M, Van der Mei I, Neale R, Sinclair C, Lucas R and AusD Study Investigator Group (2015) Weekend personal ultraviolet radiation exposure in four cities in Australia: influence of temperature, humidity and ambient ultraviolet radiation. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 143. pp. 74-81
• Jiandong S, Lucas R, Harrison S, Van der Mei I, Whiteman D, Mason R, Nowak M, Brodie A and Kimlin M (2014) Measuring exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation using a dosimetric technique: understanding participant compliance issues. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 90 (4). pp. 919-924

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 71+ research outputs authored by Dr Simone Harrison from 2000 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.

Completed

• Living life in the sun: using the Prototype Willingness Model to explain incidental sun exposure in a high-risk environment (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• A cross-sectional analysis of the sun-protective behaviours and policies at primary schools in north and far north Queensland (2017, PhD , Primary 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.