Research project topics
View a list of our postgraduate research project topics in the School of Population Health.
Students can elect to undertake a research project (PHCM9148 (6 UOC), PHCM9144 (12 UOC), PHCM9150 (18 UOC)) as part of their coursework degree. The project comprises an in-depth study of a public health, health management or international health issue or topic. The project may be in the form of a small-scale research study, a case study, a program evaluation or a report on field placement. Students wishing to enrol in a project must obtain permission.
Available research projects
If you're interested in undertaking one of the research projects listed please contact the academic member of staff directly.
Indonesia Health Research Program (6, 12 0r 18 UoC)
About this project
This project will form part of a program of work on assessing the performance and improving health outcomes for the Indonesian population.
The project leverages nationally representative sample of data on primary care, hospital presentations (>1 million patients followed up over 5 years) and national health surveys.
The findings will offer valuable insight into health system performance and associations across a variety of diseases.
Past projects students have undertaken include:
- Association between respiratory infection and various cardiovascular conditions
- Sex differences in cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes
- Association between community respiratory infection rates and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalisation
- Linking primary care and secondary care presentations data
Proposed research activities:
- Under the supervision of the supervisors, the student will assemble the data, reformat and prepare the data for analysis (e.g. time series, regression), manage the data, analyse the data, interpret the findings and draft a report of sufficient quality for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.
- The topic to be undertaken can be negotiated to balance student interest and the program’s research roadmap.
This project is well suited for students interested in epidemiology and building skills in quantitative analysis across a wide range of diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic. The student will practically undertake analysis of medium-large scale datasets and interpret findings in both a clinical and public health context. It is best suited for those who have in the minimum completed PHCM9517 Regression Methods in Biostatistics or PHCM9518 Epidemiological Methods with distinction. Those who have completed more advanced statistic or data science courses would gain more from the project.
Contact:
Primary supervisor: Dr. Anthony Sunjaya (a.sunjaya@unsw.edu.au, Program Lead, Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Group and Co-Lead, Digital Health and AI Hub)
Co-supervisors: Variable depending on research project
Sex in Australia (12 UoC)
Project Overview
The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR) (ashr.edu.au) is Australia's largest nationally representative survey of sexual health and relationships among people aged 16-69 years. The study is led by the Kirby Institute, UNSW and is conducted approximately once every decade.
Data collection has been completed across three waves:
- ASHR1: 2001-2002
- ASHR2: 2012-2013
- ASHR3: 2023-2024
Together, these datasets provide a unique opportunity to examine more than 20 years of change in Australians' sexual attitudes, behaviours, relationships, reproductive outcomes, and other contemporary social and public health issues.
The data are available and ready for analysis. Students will develop a research question, undertake quantitative data analysis, and prepare a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed public health journal.
Example Research Questions
- Are young Australians aged 16-24 less interested in sex than previous generations were at the same age?
- Discussing sexuality in healthcare: What are the patterns, topics, and patient experiences in Australia?
- What are the factors associated with sexual and reproductive health service utilisation among people with disability?
- Other topics of interest may include relationship satisfaction, sexual wellbeing, pornography use, or intimate partner violence.
Who Should Apply?
This project would suit students who:
- Have completed coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, psychology, or related disciplines;
- Are interested in developing quantitative data analysis skills;
- Have strong academic writing skills and an interest in publishing their research.
Contact
For further information or to express your interest, please contact:
Dr Allison Carter
Head, Sexual Health and Reproductive Equity Research Group
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney acarter@kirby.unsw.edu.au