Professor Wendy Brown
BSc(Hons)(Birmingham), GradDip PhysEd, MSc(Loughborough), PhD (Newcastle), FASMF
- Professor of Physical Activity and Health
Contact details
Rm 529
Phone: (+61) 7 3365 6446
Fax: (+61) 7 3365 6877
E-mail: wbrown@hms.uq.edu.au
Background
Wendy Brown joined the School in 2000 as the first professor of physical activity and health. Since training as a teacher in physical and health education many years ago, Professor Brown has had a diverse career path which has involved working in secondary and tertiary education in both the UK and Australia, and in private and public health sector health promotion. She has an honours degree in Biological Sciences (human physiology) from the University of Birmingham and a masters degree in Human Biology, as well as teaching qualifications in health and physical education from Loughborough in the UK. Her PhD in exercise physiology was completed at the University of Newcastle (NSW).
Prior to her move to Queensland she was the Director of the Research Institute for Gender and Health at the University of Newcastle, where she managed the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.
Research Interests
Professor Brown's current research interests focus on health promotion and on the prevention and management of chronic illness, from a population health perspective. The current high burden of illness which is attributable to inactivity and overweight in Australia is the major target of her work. To date, much of her research has focussed on women, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who typically have very low levels of physical activity. Measurement of physical activity, and the links between physical activity and all aspects of health and well-being are a strong focus of her work. Professor Brown was a principal investigator on the Queensland Health-funded, 10,000 Steps Rockhampton project, which aimed to increase the levels of physical activity in an entire community of about 60,000 people.
Professor Brown is also a principal investigator for the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, which is tracking the health of about 40,000 women from all walks of life in all Australian States and Territories. Her main focus in this study is on issues relating to the role of physical activity and weight management in the prevention and management of chronic disease.
Publications and Research Projects
For a full list of Prof. Brown's publications (prior to 2007) and current and past research projects, please refer to the UQreSEARCHers website.
Mishra GD, Carrigan, G, Brown WJ, Barnett AG, Dobson AJ. (in press). Short term weight change and the incidence of diabetes in midlife: results from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health. Diabetes Care.
Gilson N, McKenna J, Cook C, Brown W. (in press). Walking towards health in a university community – a feasibility study. Preventive Medicine.
Baines S, Powers J & Brown WJ. (in press). How does the health and well being of young Australian vegetarian and semi-vegetarian women compare with non-vegetarians? Public Health Nutrition.
Spence L, Brown WJ, Pyne, DB, Nissen, MD, Sloots, TP, McCormack, JG, Locke, AS, Fricker, PA. (in press) Incidence, aetiology and symptomatology of upper respiratory illness in elite athletes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(4), 577-586.
Heesch KC, Miller YD, Brown WJ. (2007). Relationship between physical activity and stiff or painful joints in mid-aged and older women: A 3 year prospective study. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 9:R34. (doi:10.1186/ar2154)
Proper KI, Cerin E, Brown WJ, Owen N. (2007). Sitting time and socio-economic differences in overweight and obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 31, 169-176.
Eakin, E., Brown, W.J., Mummery, K., Schofield, G., & Reeves, M. (2007). General practitioner advice on physical activity - who gets it? American Journal of Health Promotion, 21(4), 225-228.
Xin, L., Miller Y., & Brown, W. (in press). A qualitative review of the role of qigong in the management of diabetes. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Research Students
Further details on theses topics can be found on the UQreSEARCHers website.
Doctor of Philosophy (Principal)
- Elizabeth Cyarto (submitted)
- Rachelle Foreman
- Luke Spence
- Liu Xin (Richard)
- Siobhan O'Dwyer
- Ng Tiong Meng
- Rosalind Smith
Doctor of Philosophy (Associate)
- Shannon Ferney
- Roxanne Egeskov