Rosanne Freak-Poli

Rosanne Freak-Poli is a Senior Research Fellow at Monash University, affiliated with the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology and specializes in life-course epidemiology, focusing on social determinants of health, aging, and cardiovascular disease. Her work emphasizes social prescribing, health equity, and translating research into policy.

Education: PhD in Epidemiology (Monash University), BSc and BHSc (not explicitly detailed but inferred from career trajectory).

Research Interests: Social isolation, loneliness, cardiovascular disease risk, dementia prevention, and the impact of social determinants on health outcomes. She has pioneered studies on sexual activity in later life and co-led projects on social health's role in chronic disease.

Awards: NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2013–2018), National Heart Foundation Fellowship (2018–2022), and recognition in global policy documents (WHO, World Bank). Media engagements include national interviews on ABC, SBS, and Studio10.

Key Projects: Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme evaluation, digital stroke prevention platforms, and AI-driven CVD risk prediction models. Collaborates internationally, including with Erasmus MC (Netherlands) and UN agencies.

Labs/Teams: Involved in the Monash Health Victorian Heart Institute and interdisciplinary teams addressing social health and aging.