Associate Professor Holly Seale

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School :

School of Population Health

Phone :

+61 2 9385 3129

Email :

h.seale@unsw.edu.au

University role :

Associate Professor

Research Interests:

Associate Professor Holly Seale is an infectious disease social scientist at the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales in Australia. She has over 15 years of experience in undertaking social science research focused on improving confidence and engagement of different at-risk groups with immunisation and other prevention strategies.

The social science and behavioural research that she leads focuses on promoting acceptance and uptake of immunisation while applying a “whole-of-life” lens. It incorporates innovative research focused on groups that traditionally have received less attention and continue to have suboptimal uptake: children and adults with chronic medical conditions, culturally and linguistically diverse communities (focus on both migrants and refugees) and occupational groups including hospital healthcare providers. This research has included case study analysis, policy and programs reviews, community and stakeholder interviews, resource analysis, provider surveys, sero-studies, epidemiology- based studies and more. She works closely with local and state health departments to lobby for improved opportunities for vaccination, as well as to improve communication/promotion packages.

She also uses social science to drive quality and safety improvements in the healthcare sector, domestically and internationally including in China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Over a 12-year period, she has mapped the climate around staff vaccination programs and mandates, as well as the system factors impacting program delivery from the perspective of the individual staff member, the agents involved with delivering programs and those in positions of authority. She has undertaken research to support the use of masks and respirators including around the use of cloth masks during pandemic and non-pandemic periods. Lastly, she also works to address issues impacting on patient and family engagement with infection prevention and control strategies across Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Korea. Within this program, she explores the patient, provider and system factors that influence engagement and acceptance of infection prevention strategies and formulates and develop approaches/interventions to improve acceptance and compliance. Most recently, she has expanded this work to include a focus on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship.

Qualifications :

2005-2008	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medicine The University of Sydney Title of thesis: The Epidemiology of Severe Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection in Australia
2005-2009	Master of Public Health The University of Sydney
2011-2014	Graduate Certificate in University Learning & Teaching The University of New South Wales
2001-2003	Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science), University of Technology, Sydney

Grants :

Research Income

Title:	Enhancing safety and care quality for culturally and linguistically diverse cancer consumers: A consumer engagement approach
Chief investigators:	Harrison, R; Walton, M; Manias, E; Wilson, C; Seale, H; Chin, MT; Girgis, A; Smith, AB; Thit Tieu, N
Source and Scheme:	NHMRC Ideas grant
Commencement date:	2020

Title:	A randomised controlled trial of mask use in control of respiratory outcomes during bushfire season
Chief investigators:	MacIntyre CR, Seale H, Chughtai A, Shah S.
Source and Scheme:	NHMRC MRFF
Commencement date:	2020

Title:	Co-designing patient engagement strategies to enhance safety in cancer services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients.
Chief investigators:	Harrison, R; Walton, M; Manias, E, Seale, H; Chin, MT; Wilson, C;
Source and Scheme:	Cancer Australia: Supporting People with Cancer
Commencement date:	2019

Title:	Engaging Patients in infection control: updating the communication strategy
Chief investigators:	Seale H, Clezy K, Torda A.
Source and Scheme:	Prince of Wales Foundation (Funding received in 2018 and 2019 rounds)
Commencement date:	2018

Title:	A practical approach to travel immunisation in general practice with a focus on visiting friends and relatives for refugee and migrant populations
Chief investigators:	Mahimbo A, Heywood A, Seale H.
Source and Scheme:	Industry funding: GSK Education grant
Commencement date:	2016

Title:	Travel Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Australian University Students.
Chief investigators:	Heywood A, Seale H, MacIntyre CR, Rawlinson W, Zwar N, Kefalas B.
Source and Scheme:	Industry funding: Bio-CSL funding
Commencement date:	2015

Title:	Empowering patients in the hospital: a new approach to improving patient safety
Chief investigators:	Seale H, Crowe P, MacIntyre CR, Travaglia J, Phillipson L, Gold J.
Source and Scheme:	South Eastern Sydney Local Health Department Infection Control Enhancement Program 2013 (competitive scheme)
Commencement date:	2013

Title:	Rotavirus Vaccine Acceptability Study
Chief investigators:	Heywood AE, Seale H, Sitaresmi M, At Thobari J, MacIntyre CR, Sunarto Y
Source and Scheme:	Industry funding: GSK
Commencement date:	2013

Title:	Travellers visiting friends and relatives: new approaches to understanding and reducing infectious disease risks
Chief investigators:	MacIntyre CR, Zwar NA, Worth H, Seale H, Heywood AE, Sheikh M, Smith MM
Source and Scheme:	Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project
Commencement date:	2012

Title:	Applied research in the prevention and control of infections in the hospital setting
Chief investigators:	Seale H
Source and Scheme:	National Health & Medical Research Council / Training Fellowships
Commencement date:	2011

Title:	Economic, social and cross-cultural issues in non-pharmaceutical protection of front line responders to pandemic influenza and emerging infections.
Chief investigators:	MacIntyre, CR; McLaws, M; Maher, L; Seale, H; Wood, JG; Newall, A
Source and Scheme:	Australian Research Council: Linkage Project
Commencement date:	2009

Title:	Efficacy of face masks against H1N1 swine influenza
Chief investigators:	MacIntyre, CR; Dwyer, DE; Seale, H
Source and Scheme:	National Health & Medical Research Council: TCR - H1N1 Influenza
Commencement date:	2009

Awards :

Awards

2020	Educator of the Year 2020, Faculty of Medicine Award for Educational Excellence (Academic), Faculty of Medicine
2019	Higher degree supervisor award, School of Population Health
2017	CAPHIA Team Research Award
2016	Alan Hodgkinson Award for Teaching, School of Population Health
2011	All-rounder award, School of Population Health
2010	The Public Health Education and Research Trust (PHERT) Immunisation Scholarship Young Investigator of the Year, School of Population Health Dean’s Rising Star Award, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales

Keywords :

social sciences

infectious diseases

public health

immunisation

infection control

community engagement

pandemics

Research

Research activities :

Current research projects

1. Supporting impactful communication and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic with culturally and linguistically diverse communities

This new project aims to understand the factors that have impacted COVID-19 communication and engagement efforts during this pandemic from the perspective of key CALD community stakeholders and community members. We also aim to understand the processes that could be adopted to support future communication strategies with a focus on supporting the promotion of a future COVID-19 vaccine.

2. Examining new ways to improve immunisation uptake amongst culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) individuals: Identifying new actors to promote acceptance and uptake.

The aim of this project is to examine the role that non-traditional actors have on receptiveness of international students from the BizLab sample pool to immunisation messaging.

3. Improving adult immunisation in Australia: exploring the views and practices of adults and key stakeholders towards influenza and pneumococcal immunisation

The objectives of this study are to determine the rate of pneumococcal and influenza vaccine uptake for adults aged between 18 years and above along with their attitudes, concerns, health service utilisation and receptiveness towards hospital-based immunisation. In addition, we will examine the views of key stakeholders towards improving opportunistic immunisation in the hospital setting.

Research Activity Links :

Travellers visiting friends and relatives: new approaches to understanding and reducing infectious disease risks

Examining the effectiveness of mask use as source infection control for people with influenza-like-illness in Beijing, China

Immunisation in Under Studied and Special Risk Populations: “Closing the Gap in Knowledge through a Multidisciplinary Approach”

Socio-economic Objective (SEO) tags :

Infectious Diseases

Behaviour and Health

Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health)

Field of Research (FOR) Tag :

Infectious Diseases

Public Health and Health Services

Health and Community Services

Teaching & Supervision

I am available to supervise :

Yes

Areas of supervision :

Higher Degree Research Candidates (HDR) such as: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Masters by Research, and Master of Philosophy

Coursework Candidates: ILP, Honors, 6/12/18 UoC projects

Currently supervising :

Higher Degree Research Candidates (HDR): PhD, DrPH

Coursework Candidates: 6/12/18 UoC projects

Supervision keywords :

infectious diseases

social sciences

immunisation programs

infection control

respiratory infections

health service planning

antimicrobial resistance

Teaching :

Program Director : Bachelor of International Public Health (3880)

https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/bachelor-international-public-health

Course Convenor:

Infectious Disease Challenges: Epidemiology and Control (PHCM9782) https://sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/course/phcm9782

Internship Program: Domestic placements (PHCM9143) https://studentvip.com.au/unsw/subjects/phcm9143

Media

Facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/holly.seale.1

LinkedIn :

https://au.linkedin.com/in/holly-seale-0558698b

Twitter Account :

https://twitter.com/hollyseale?lang=en

Engagement

Deputy Chair, UNSW Ethics Committee (2014- present)

Mentor, Early Career Research @UNSW program

Early Career Research reference group, Division of Research

Postdoctoral committee member (SPCHM representative)

Promotions panel member (Lecturer level)

Marker of end of Year BSc(Med)Hons presentations

Member of Research Degree Committee for School of Public Health and Community Medicine (2008-present)

Member of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine research committee (2010-present)

Panel member for the annual review of Postgraduate Research students (2009-present)

Co-organiser of SPHCM research showcase (2009-present) Postdoctoral committee member (SPCHM representative)

School of Population Health

Associate Professor Holly Seale

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School of Population Health

Associate Professor Holly Seale

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