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

• Public Health and Health Services (1117)
• Policy and Administration (1605)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Health and Support Services (9202)
• Public Health (9204)
• Specific Population Health (9205)

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

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

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 28+ research outputs authored by Dr Stephanie Topp from 2010 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

• The role of Academic Health Science Centres in driving translational research to improve the health of underserved populations worldwide (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Measuring performance in mental health care with a focus on vulnerable groups in Australia (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.