Michaela Riddell

Dr. Michaela Riddell is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University, affiliated with Monash Health. Her work integrates research and teaching in public health, epidemiology, and global health, with a strong focus on chronic disease management in low-resource settings, particularly rural India.

She holds expertise in epidemiology and biostatistics, having completed a Graduate Diploma and PhD in these fields. Her early career as a diagnostic laboratory scientist specializing in virology at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Hospital provided a strong foundation in clinical diagnostics and data analysis.

• Epidemiology
• Biostatistics
• Chronic Disease Management
• Global Health
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Community-Based Interventions
• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Digital Health
• Cardiometabolic Risk Prediction
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Health Services Research
• Implementation Science

Her recent research focuses on cardiovascular risk prediction, hypertension control, and diabetes management in rural India. She is the Project Manager for the NHMRC-GACD funded CHIRI project, which aims to improve hypertension control in rural India by overcoming barriers to diagnosis and treatment. She previously managed the Australasian Peers for Progress Diabetes Program, evaluating peer support for type 2 diabetes management.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend in community-based epidemiological studies in rural India, particularly focused on cardiometabolic diseases. Her work emphasizes validation of non-laboratory risk tools, adiposity and hypertension links, and healthcare access disparities, contributing significantly to public health policy and practice in resource-limited settings.

• Council Member and Treasurer, Australasian Epidemiological Association (2013 → present)
• Board Member, Deafness Foundation (2008 → July 2016)

Dr. Riddell has led and contributed to major research grants, including NHMRC and Diabetes Australia-funded projects on diabetes self-management and peer support. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Disease Prevention and Control and Global Health, aligning her educational work with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. While specific students are not listed, her role as a Chief Investigator on multiple projects indicates mentorship and collaboration with junior researchers.

She is actively involved in research networks and collaborative projects focused on chronic disease in low- and middle-income countries, particularly through her leadership in the CHIRI project and prior work with Peers for Progress. Her research is conducted across multiple sites in rural India, indicating strong international partnerships and field-based research teams.