JCU > Research Portfolio > Dr Stephanie Topp

About

Stephanie is a Senior Lecturer in Global Health and Development in the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences. Her current work focuses on the application of systems-thinking and a primary health care approach to researching and designing health system strengthening interventions.

Steph lived and worked abroad between 2007 - 2015 based in Zambia but also working in South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi, India and Papua New Guinea. She is the Health Systems Technical Adviser and co-Primary Investigator for an EU funded health system strengthening grant in Zambian prisons, and co-investigator on several large studies examining both supply and demand-side challenges to HIV service delivery in the Zambian health system.

Steph is the Associate Editor for Health Systems with BMJ Global Health and current co-chair of the Health Systems Global thematic working group on Social Science approaches for health systems research. She was previously a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Health Care Organization and Policy unit, School of Public Health, University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB), and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne. She has a PhD in Global Health from the University of Melbourne, Masters in Development Studies from Oxford University and a Masters in International Public Health from the University of Sydney.

Steph welcomes enquiries regarding PhD supervision in the field of health systems and policy research and global health.

Teaching

TM5501: Tropical Medicine (Level 5; TSV)
TM5502: Tropical Public Health (Level 5; TSV)
TM5552: Global Health and Development (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Professional

Using systems-thinking to develop new approaches to health systems strengthening

Research

Health systems and policy research
Primary-level service delivery
Health workforce in low- and middle-income settings
Prisoner health

Teaching

Global public health
Health policy analysis
Sociology of health care
Qualitative research methods
Systems-thinking for health systems strengthening

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

Honours

Awards

2004 to 2006 - NSW Rhodes Scholar

Fellowships

2013 - Emerging Voices for Global Health, Institute for Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp.
2011 to 2012 - Doctoral Fellowship, Population Council Zambia
2007 to 2008 - HIVCorps Fellow, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia

Memberships

2016 - Scientific Committee, 4th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research
2012 to 2015 - Health Systems Global
2008 to 2015 - International AIDS Society

Other

2014 to 2015 - Associate Research Fellow, Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne

Publications

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

Mwanza M, Zulu J, Topp S, Musonda P, Mutale W and Chilengi R (2017) Use of lot quality assurance sampling surveys to evaluate community health worker performance in rural Zambia: a case of Luangwa district. BMC Health Services Research, 17. pp. 1-8
Schaaf M, Topp S and Ngulube M (in press) From favours to entitlements: community voice and action and health service quality in Zambia. Health Policy and Planning, pp. 1-13
Topp S, Moonga C, Luo N, Kaingu M, Chileshe C, Magwende G and Henostroza G (2017) Mapping the Zambian prison health system: an analysis of key structural determinants. Global Public Health, 12 (7). pp. 858-475
Telisinghe L, Charalambous S, Topp S, Herce M, Hoffmann C, Barron P, Schouten E, Jahn A, Zachariah R, Harries A, Beyrer C and Amon J (2016) HIV and tuberculosis in prisons in sub-Saharan Africa. Lancet, 388 (10050). pp. 1215-1227
Topp S, Moonga C, Mudenda C, Luo N, Kaingu M, Chileshe C, Magwende G, Heymann J and Henostroza G (2016) Health and healthcare access among Zambia's female prisoners: a health systems analysis. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15 (157). pp. 1-14
Topp S and Chipukuma J (2016) How did rapid scale-up of HIV services impact on workplace and interpersonal trust in Zambian primary health centres: a case-based health systems analysis. BMJ Global Health, 1 (4). pp. 1-13
Topp S, Moonga C, Luo N, Kaingu M, Chileshe C, Magwende G, Heymann S and Henostroza G (2016) Exploring the drivers of health and healthcare access in Zambian prisons: a health systems approach. Health Policy and Planning, 31 (9). pp. 1250-1261
Topp S and Chipukuma J (2016) A qualitative study of the role of workplace and interpersonal trust in shaping service quality and responsiveness in Zambian primary health centres. Health Policy and Planning, 31 (2). pp. 192-204
Maggard K, Hatwiinda S, Harris J, Phiri W, Krüüner A, Kaunda K, Topp S, Kapata N, Ayles H, Chileshe C, Henostroza G and Reid S (2015) Screening for tuberculosis and testing for human immunodeficiency virus in Zambian prisons. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 93. pp. 93-101
Topp S, Price J, Nanyangwe-Moyo T, Mulenga D, Dennis M and Ngunga M (2015) Motivations for entering and remaining in volunteer service: findings from a mixed-method survey among HIV caregivers in Zambia. Human Resources for Health, 13 (72). pp. 1-14
Topp S, Chipukuma J and Hanefeld J (2015) Understanding the dynamic interactions driving Zambian health centre performance: a case-based health systems analysis. Health Policy and Planning, 30 (4). pp. 485-499
Topp S, Black J, Morrow M, Chipukuma J and Van Damme W (2015) The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) service scale-up on mechanisms of accountability in Zambian primary health centres: a case-based health systems analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 15 (67). pp. 1-14

Current Funding

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

Cancer Council NSW - Strategic Research Partnership Grant

Identifying the Out of Pocket costs of cancer care and the impact on healthcare access and patient outcomes

Indicative Funding: $121,160 (administered by Menzies School of Health Research)
Summary: AIM 1: Quantify the out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure of individuals who are diagnosed with cancer and compare it with their clinical outcomes. This will be done by building Australia?s first model of the out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure of cancer patients using administrative data. AIM 2: Identify the impact of out-of-pocket costs on decisions about health care utilisation. This qualitative research component will be undertaken, which aims to explore and explain how out-of-pocket costs (both anticipated and unanticipated) affect the health seeking decisions and behaviours of cancer patients and their families.
Investigators: Emily Callander, Sarah Larkins, Stephanie Topp and Sabe Sabesan (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, College of Medicine & Dentistry, College of Public Health and Medical & Vet Sciences)
Keywords: Health Economics; Patient costs; Cancer; Indigenous; Rural Health; Access

Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia - Contract Research

Treatment as Prevention in Correctional Facilities in Southern Africa (TasP Prisons)

Indicative Funding: $64,205
Summary: Limited data from Southern Africa suggest that concentration of HIV-infected individuals and high-risk sexual behaviours in correctional facilities may be driving HIV transmission in incarcerated populations. Despite the implications of incarceration - related HIV transmission on individual and public health, little evidence exists to guide implementation of HIV prevention strategies in these settings. One such strategy, Treatment as Prevention (TasP), offers promise to: (1) prevent HIV transmission among incarcerated men having sex with men and people who use drugs; and (2) improve inmate health and tuberculosis control. In this project we will implement TasP in three correctional facilities - one in Zambia and two in South Africa - and evaluate TasP implementation as a strategy to coordinate the HIV care continuum and assure appropriate TB assessment among HIV-infected inmates.
Investigators: Stephanie Topp, Stewart Reid and Monde Myoyeta in collaboration with Michael Herce, Crispin Moyo, Chileshe Chisela, Sisa Hatwiinda, German Henostroza, Salome Charalambous and Katherine Fielding (College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Ministry of Health, GRZ, Zambia Prisons Service, University of Alabama - Birmingham, The Aurum Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
Keywords: HIV Care & Treatment; Prison Health Services; Service Delivery; Antiretroviral Therapy; Anti-Tuberculosis Therapy

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Grant

Differentiated care for improved health systems efficiency and health outcomes in Zambia (Efficient Health)

Indicative Funding: $87,831 over 3 years (administered by Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia)
Summary: Over the last decade, successful roll out of antiretroviral theraph (ART) for HIV infected individuals in Zambia has resulted in over 600,000 adults and children accessing treatment. However, continued scale-up of treatment services is severely straining already overburdened health centres and hospitals. Working with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, this project will conduct formative and operations research to build a body of evidence on the needs for preferences perceptions and feasibility of further decentralised, community-based ART services.
Investigators: Charles Holmes, Izukanji Sikazwe and Stephanie Topp in collaboration with Carolyn Bolton, Crispin Moyo, Bushimbwa Tambatamba, Mwanza wa Mwanza, Arianna Zanolini, Richard Mutemwa, Elvin Geng, Nancy Padian, Monika Roy, Henry Epino and Nancy Czaicki (Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Ministry of Health, GRZ, University of California - San Francisco, Harvard University, College of Public Health and Medical & Vet Sciences)
Keywords: HIV care and treatment; Health Services; Service delivery; Antiretroviral therapy; Engagement in care

Supervision

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

Measuring performance in mental health care with a focus on vulnerable groups in Australia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The role of Academic Health Science Centres in driving translational research to improve the health of underserved populations worldwide (PhD , Primary Advisor)
The Know-do gap: Exploringfactors Influencing the Integration of Risk Communication Principles into Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response in a High and Low Income Setting (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Collaboration

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.