ANU Experts on COVID-19

The Australian National University has experts who can comment on all aspects of the COVID-19 crisis, including the core issues around the health and economic impacts of the spread of the virus and all the subsequent issues relating to the public policy responses many of which are emerging day by day.

This list of experts covers topics such as infectious diseases, epidemiology and virology; clinical response; economics and trade; history; public policy; social and mental health; law; Indigenous communities; political commentary; business and marketing implications; national security, geopolitical implications; and, international response (region specific).

They can be contacted directly, or through the ANU media hotline on 6125 7979.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES, EPIDEMIOLOGY, VIROLOGY

Sanjaya Senanayake
Expertise: Infectious Diseases Specialist
Associate Professor, Medical School
Expertise: Infectious diseases
M: 0409 245 731 
E: sanj971@gmail.com

Professor Peter Collignon AM
Expertise: Infectious Diseases Physician & Microbiologist, Canberra Hospital
Executive Director, ACT Pathology, Canberra Hospital
Professor, ANU Medical School
Expertise: Virology, infection prevention and control, antibiotic resistance, low income countries, past pandemics
M:0410 669 711
E:peter.collignon@act.gov.au

Benjamin Schwessinger
Expertise: New COVID variants, evolution of viruses and biosecurity
Group leader, Schwessinger Group -- plants, fungi, evolution, Research School of Biology
M: 0405 919 737
E: benjamin.schwessinger@anu.edu.au

Gaetan Burgio
Expertise: Virology, host response (why some people get sicker than others), drug trials and clinical trials
Group leader and head of the transgenesis facility, John Curtin School of Medical Research
T:  02 6125 7979
E: gaetan.burgio@anu.edu.au
@/GaetanBurgio

David Tscharke
Expertise: Immunology and infectious disease
Professor at the John Curtin School of Medical Research
T: 02 6125 7979
E: david.tscharke@anu.edu.au

CLINICAL RESPONSE

David Caldicott
Expertise: Medical management of mass casualties, disaster response, emergency departments
Dr at the ANU Medical School, Calvary Hospital campus
M: 0478 906 634
E: david.caldicott@calvary-act.com.au
@/ACTINOSProject

Peter Collignon AM
Expertise: Planning, international responses, ICU deaths in low income countries due to secondary infections
Executive Director, ACT Pathology, Canberra Hospital
Professor, ANU Medical School
M: 0410 669 711
E: peter.collignon@act.gov.au

Louise Stone
Expertise: Primary care, doctors, health care
Clinical Associate Professor, ANU Medical School
M: 0432 409 974
E: louise.stone@anu.edu.au
@/GPSwampWarrior

Professor Darren Gray
Expertise: Infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health interventions, and tropical diseases
Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology
Head of the Department of Global Health
M: 0419775767
E: darren.gray@anu.edu.au

Russell Gruen
Expertise: Clinical response
Dean of the College of Health and Medicine.
M: 0408883198
E:Russell.GRUEN@anu.edu.au
@RussellGruen

ECONOMICS AND TRADE 

Bruce Chapman
Expertise: Economics and public policy, the economics of education (higher education student financing)
Professor at the ANU College of Business and Economics
M: 0424 589 728
E: Bruce.Chapman@anu.edu.au

Jane Golley
Expertise: Economics and trade particularly relating to China
Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 02 61257979
E: jane.golley@anu.edu.au
@/golleyjane

John Hewson
Expertise: Economics, trade, public policy and Politics
Dr at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0412 261 463
E: John.Hewson@anu.edu.au

Miranda Stewart
Expertise: Economics, budgeting, tax
Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy
M: 0423 175 883
E: miranda.stewart@anu.edu.au
@/AusTaxProf

Mike Price
Expertise: Fieldwork economics (RCTs), environmental economics, behavioural economics, translating research into policy
Professor, Research School of Economics
M: 0402491106
E: michael.price@anu.edu.au

Professor Rohan Pitchford
Expertise: Game Theory, law and economics and contract theory
Professor at Research School of Economics
T: 02 6125 7979
E: rohan.pitchford@anu.edu.au
@PitchfordRohan

HISTORY

Joan Beaumont
Expertise: Resilience and survival in the 1919 pandemic and the Great Depression
Professor Emerita at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs
M: 0418 376 909
E: joan.beaumont@anu.edu.au
@/BeaumontJoan

Frank Bongiorno
Expertise: History, previous pandemics, history of economics, war time response
Professor at the ANU School of History
M: 0437 216 149
E: frank.bongiorno@anu.edu.au
@fbongiornoanu

PUBLIC POLICY

Liz Allen
Expertise: Socioeconomic and population related policy
Dr at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
M: 0401 358 091
E: liz.allen@anu.edu.au
@/DrDemography

Bruce Chapman
Expertise: Economic impacts on public policy
Professor at the ANU College of Business and Economics
M: 0424 589 728
E: Bruce.Chapman@anu.edu.au

Frank Jotzo
Expertise: Greenhouse gas emissions and options for low-carbon fiscal spending
Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy
M: 0400 357 252
E: frank.jotzo@anu.edu.au
@/frankjotzo

Robert McMahon
Expertise: Public service, health policy
Research School of Management
M: 0423 001 177
E: robert.mcmahon@anu.edu.au

Miranda Stewart
Expertise: Economic and tax impacts on public policy
Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy
M: 0423 175 883
E: miranda.stewart@anu.edu.au
@/AusTaxProf

Peter Whiteford
Expertise: Social security and related public policy, sick leave, welfare payments, social policy
Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy
M:0403 050 371
E: peter.whiteford@anu.edu.au
@WhitefordPeter

Glenn Withers
Expertise: Policy for economic recovery and reconstruction
Professor at the Research School of Economics
M: 0416 249 350
E: Glenn.Withers@anu.edu.au

SOCIAL AND MENTAL HEALTH 

Nicola Palfrey
Expertise: Children and young adult mental health and wellbeing, trauma response and education
ANU Medical School
M: 0405 267 476
E: nicola.palfrey@anu.edu.au
@/npalfrey

Sharon Friel
Expertise: healthy public policy, governance, inequalities, social determinants of health, intersection with climate change
Professor of Health Equity, School of Regulation and Global Governance
M: 0410 356 194
E: sharon.friel@anu.edu.au
@SharonFrielOz

Kate Reynolds
Expertise: Social and mental health, compliance with pro-health behaviours, social norms, school/education impacts
Professor at the ANU College of Health and Medicine
M: 0418 601 495
E: katherine.reynolds@anu.edu.au
@/ReynKJ

Sebastian Rosenberg
Expertise: Mental health, Mental health services, effects of isolation
Dr at the ANU College of Health and Medicine
M:0417 289 913
E: sebastian.rosenberg@anu.edu.au
@/RosenbergSeb

Gavin Smith
Expertise: Social and Cultural implications
Associate Professor at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
M: 0450 210 090
E: Gavin.Smith@anu.edu.au
@/gavin_jd_smith

Louise Stone
Expertise: Mental health
Clinical Associate Professor, ANU Medical School
M: 0432 409 974
E: louise.stone@anu.edu.au
@/GPSwampWarrior

Professor Philip Batterham
Expertise: Mental Health and epidemiology of mental illness
Centre for Mental Health Research, College of Health and Medicine
E: Philip.Batterham@anu.edu.au
M: 0410283210

Dr Lou Farrer
Expertise: Common mental disorders and e-mental health
Psychologist and Researcher
Centre for Mental Health Research, College of Health and Medicine
E: Louise.Farrer@anu.edu.au
M: 0415163468

Dr Alison Calear
Expertise: Mental health from a public health perspective and e-health
Youth Mental Health, Suicide Prevention
Centre for Mental Health Research, College of Health and Medicine
E: Alison.Calear@anu.edu.au
M: 0408414544

Assa Doron
Expertise: India, public health, governance, cultural and social inequalities, social determinants of health, 
Professor of Anthropology and South Asian Studies, School of Culture, History and Language, CAP. 
M: 0423926990
E: Assa.Doron@anu.edu.au
@AssaDoron

LAW

Lorana Bartels
Expertise: Criminal Justice
Professor at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
M: 0422 729 283
E: lorana.bartels@anu.edu.au
@/LoranaBartels

Kate Ogg
Expertise: Refugees, international law
Dr at the ANU College of Law
M: 02 6125 1718
E: kate.ogg@anu.edu.au

Donald Rothwell
Expertise: International law, legal and policy issues (cruise ships and people stranded overseas)
Professor at the ANU College of Law
M: 0414 546 830
E: Donald.Rothwell@anu.edu.au

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Jason Agostino
Expertise: Medical issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, isolated communities
Dr at the ANU College of Health and Medicine
M: 0438 659 544
E: jason.agostino@naccho.org.au
@/whatsupdatadoc

Nicholas Evans
Expertise: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society, linguistics
Professor at the School of Culture, History & Language
M: 0419 351 592
E: nicholas.evans@anu.edu.au

Howard Morphy
Expertise: Remote Indigenous communities, demographic and logistical issues
Professor at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
M: 0422 006 290
E: howard.morphy@anu.edu.au
@/medodeman

Frances Morphy
Expertise: Remote Indigenous communities, demographic and logistical issues.
Honorary Associate Professor at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
M: 0408 255 712
E: frances.morphy@anu.edu.au

Jane Simpson
Expertise: Communication strategies with Indigenous communities and communities in the Pacific
Professor at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
M: 0427 622428
E: jane.simpson@anu.edu.au
@/CoEDLang

Ms Alyson Wright
Expertise: Indigenous health, Indigenous governance, Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health workers
PhD Candidate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, NCEPH, RSPH
Research Associate with Crawford School of Public Policy
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at ANU.
Research Assistant - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program
M: 0458967021
E: alyson.wright@anu.edu.au

POLITICAL COMMENTARY

John Hewson
Expertise: Politics, economics and trade
Dr at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0412 261 463
E: John.Hewson@anu.edu.au

BUSINESS AND MARKETING IMPLICATONS 

Stephen Dann
Expertise: Business implications, marketing, social change campaign messaging
Dr at the ANU College of Business and Economics
M: 0407 591 470
E: stephen.dann@anu.edu.au
@/stephendann

Toni Eagar
Expertise: Affects on consumption, market offerings and systems
Dr at the ANU College of Business and Economics
M: 0419 217 408
E: Toni.Eagar@anu.edu.au
@/ToniEagar

Andrew Hughes
Expertise: Communications, advertising, brand response
Dr at the Research School of Management
M: 0413 130 129
E: andrew.hughes@anu.edu.au
@/marketingandrew

Kate Reynolds
Expertise: Workforce impacts
Professor at the ANU College of Health and Medicine
M: 0418 601 495
E: katherine.reynolds@anu.edu.au
@/ReynKJ

NATIONAL SECURITY, GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

John Blaxland
Expertise: National security, geostrategic ramifications
Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0429 824 169
E: john.blaxland@anu.edu.au
@/JohnBlaxland1
SKYPE: John.blaxland

Jacinta Carroll
Expertise: National security, geopolitics, border security, citizenship, permanent resident issues, propaganda and messaging
Crawford School of Public Policy
M: 0417 274 878
E: jacinta.carroll@anu.edu.au

Paul Dibb
National security, geopolitical implications
Emeritus Professor at the School of International, Political and Strategic Studies
M: 0414 496 212
E: Paul.Dibb@anu.edu.au

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE (REGION SPECIFIC)

Meru Sheel
Expertise: International public health emergencies, epidemiology, virology, Asia and Pacific resgion
Dr and Senior Research Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine
T: 02 6125 7979
E:meru.sheel@anu.edu.au
@/merusheel

Adam Broinowski
Expertise: East Asia, international responses, Asian political and economic commentary
Dr at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0405 566 504
E: adam.broinowski@anu.edu.au
SKYPE: adam broinowski

Stephen Howes
Expertise: PNG, Pacific and developing countries
Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0400 167 936
E: stephen.howes@anu.edu.au
@stephenrhowes

Lauren Richardson
Expertise: Japan and South Korea
Dr at the Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy
M: 0452 068 612
E: lauren.richardson@anu.edu.au
@/Lauren_ANU

Llewelyn Hughes 
Expertise: Japan and Climate Change
Associate Dean for Research, College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0474 828 185
E: llewelyn.hughes@anu.edu.au

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Frank Jotzo
Expertise: Greenhouse gas emissions and options for low-carbon fiscal spending
Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy
M: 0400 357 252
E: frank.jotzo@anu.edu.au
@/frankjotzo

Professor Mark Howden
Expertise: COVID-19 in relation to climate change or food security
Director, ANU Climate Change Institute
T: 0429 026 050
E: mark.howden@anu.edu.au

Llewelyn Hughes 
Expertise: Japan and Climate Change
Associate Dean for Research, College of Asia and the Pacific
M: 0474 828 185
E: llewelyn.hughes@anu.edu.au

Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis
Expertise: Air quality and pollution
Professor of Global Environmental Health, ANU Research School of Population Health
M: -61 490 711 964
E: Sotiris.Vardoulakis@anu.edu.au