معرفی
Associate Professor Leesa Costello is the Discipline Lead for Public Health and Health Science programs at Edith Cowan University's School of Medical and Health Sciences. A qualitative research methodologist, her work bridges health promotion, health communication, behavior change, and social marketing.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University
- Master of Business, Edith Cowan University (2004)
- Bachelor of Business (Marketing), Edith Cowan University (2000)
Her research explores public health interventions, particularly in early childhood nutrition, residential aged care transitions, and online health communities. She investigates how social marketing can enhance health literacy and longitudinal study retention. Google Scholar articles highlight collaborations in aviation safety, gerontology, and pediatric dietary practices.
Her recent publications analyze trends in health communication, nutritional epidemiology, and digital tools for wellbeing. These span qualitative methodologies, scoping reviews, and community engagement frameworks.
Grants & Projects
- Co-designing Playful Health-Arts (Healthway, $259,923, 2023–2026)
- Physical Activity in Aged Care (Fresh Fields, $50,000, 2021–2026)
- Emotional Literacy Mindfulness Academy (JobsDept, $47,086, 2023–2024)
- DRUMBEAT© Program for Arthritis (Healthway, $5,000, 2019–2020)
- Online Communities for Heart Patients (ARC Linkage, $311,000, 2009–2014)
Supervision includes PhD and MPH students working on topics like digital social connectedness for children with chronic conditions, personalized exercise interventions for aged care residents, and planetary health literacy for young children. Completed theses address nutrition policy in childcare and body image education for educators.
Research Teams & Labs involve collaborations with the Supporting Nutrition for Australian Childcare (SNAC) initiative, the Raine Study for cohort retention strategies, and ECU Survey Research Centre for community outreach.
