About

Human Factors is a blog focusing on public health, immunisation, human behaviour, health communication and academia. 

I am a social scientist specialising in vaccination. My research has mostly focused on vaccine uptake, policy and programmes and I have done some research and teaching in health risk communication. I have a background in public health, nursing and midwifery with a Master of Public Health (1998) and PhD (2003) from the University of Sydney. My PhD  focused on how different parties to debates about vaccination advance their arguments.

I am professor at the University of Sydney in the School of Public Health and a member of the Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases. I am also a visiting professorial fellow at the National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance where I previously worked between 2002 and 2014. Currently I lead a program of research focused on closing gaps in immunisation coverage and strengthening programs globally. I work with agencies including the World Health Organization, UNICEF and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I am married with two adult children. We live in Dharug country in Western Sydney. I have done some opera singing and have sung in various bands over the years including rock and jazz. I play guitar and mountain dulcimer and love cycling, roller-skating and bush-walking.

You can find me on Twitter @JulieLeask and LinkedIn here. My full professional biography is here.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which I write this blog, the Gadigal and Dharug peoples, and pay respect to elders past, present and future.