Melissa Haswell

Professor Melissa Haswell is a part-time academic (0.2 FTE) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), based in the School of Public Health & Social Work, Faculty of Health. Her roles include research in Climate Change Adaptation, Empowerment and Wellbeing, Environmental Health, and Aboriginal Health. Formerly, she served as Discipline Lead for Health, Safety, and Environment at UNSW and Course Coordinator for postgraduate programs in Occupational Health and Safety and Health, Safety, and Environment.

Haswell holds a Ph.D. in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Imperial College of Science and Technology (University of London, UK), an M.Sc. in Bacteriology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA), and a B.A. in Biology from Hiram College (USA). Additional credentials include certificates in Trauma and Resilience (Hebrew University), Family Well Being Empowerment (Cairns TAFE/James Cook University), and Mental Health Outcomes Training (Queensland Health). She also completed a National Short Course in Environmental Health Risk Assessment (Flinders University).

Research Interests: Professor Haswell focuses on public health challenges intersecting climate change, environmental health, and Indigenous health equity. Her work emphasizes community-based solutions for vulnerable populations, including Torres Strait Islander communities and remote Aboriginal regions. She explores mental health promotion, psychosocial trauma responses, and culturally appropriate healthcare systems.

Awards:

• QUT Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence (2021)
• CAPHIA Award for Excellence in Public Health Teaching (2018)
• UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2014)
• Post-Graduate Supervision Award (UNSW, 2013)

Teaching and Grants: Haswell has coordinated courses in Environmental Health, Sustainability, and Occupational Health. She led a successful Torres Strait Island micro-campus program (1998–2002) producing over 20 Indigenous graduates. Her recent Sector Adaptation Planning (SAP+) project (2022) funded by the Department of Environment and Science focused on climate change health impact assessments in the Torres Strait Islands. She collaborates with global institutions on environmental epidemiology and Indigenous health initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with QUT’s Centre for the Environment. Collaborates with Torres Strait governance organizations, the University of Sydney, and international partners on interdisciplinary health projects.