COVID-19 experts available for comment

Health and Science

• Biosecurity expert Professor Raina MacIntyre, Kirby Institute at UNSW Medicine
• Professor Anthony Kelleher, Director of the Kirby Institute at UNSW Medicine, leads the Institute's development of COVID-19 immunotherapies. The Kirby Institute is conducting various COVID-19 research projects, including cohort studies, clinical trials, treatment studies, modelling, surveillance and intervention studies.
• Epidemiologist Professor John Kaldor, Public Health Interventions Research Group Head, Kirby Institute at UNSW Medicine
• Professor Greg Dore, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program Head, Kirby Institute at UNSW Medicine, can discuss COVID-19 testing and types of tests.
• Infection control expert Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, UNSW Medicine (unavailable Tuesday morning)
• Virologist Professor Bill Rawlinson, UNSW Medicine
• Virologist Dr Sacha Stelzer-Braid, UNSW Medicine (unavailable Friday afternoon)
• Virologist Professor Peter White, UNSW Science (unavailable Thursday afternoon)
• Social Scientist Dr Holly Seale, UNSW Medicine, can discuss social/behavioural responses (such as social distancing, face masks, vaccinations, infection control) and strategies to promote acceptance/engagement.
• Epidemiologist Dr Abrar Chughtai, UNSW Medicine, can discuss prevention and control of COVID-19 through the use of masks and respirators (unavailable Tuesday)
• Pharmacist and Health Management expert Dr Ramesh Walpola, UNSW Medicine, can discuss community pharmacy services in relation to COVID-19.
• Professor Richard Buckland, UNSW Engineering, can discuss cybersecurity, the Australian Government's contact tracing app and staying digitally connected.
• Professor Sanjay Jha, UNSW Engineering, can discuss security and privacy issues with the Australian Government’s contact tracing app.
• Associate Professor of Food Microbiology Julian Cox, UNSW Engineering, can discuss safe food hygiene practices.

Business

• JW Nevile Fellow Tim Harcourt from the School of Economics is available to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on globalisation and trade tensions.
• Economics Professor Richard Holden can comment on the impact on the global economy.
• Professor of Practice Jennie Granger from the School of Taxation and Business Law is available to comment on tax reforms to help Australia pay its national debt post-coronavirus.
• Dr Yenni Tim from the School of Information Systems and Technology Management is available to comment on how to protect yourself from cyber threats. 
• Founding Director of UNSW Tax Clinic Dr Ann Kayis-Kumar is available to comment on tax issues faced by people and small businesses in financial distress. 
• Associate Professor Nitika Garg from the School of Marketing is available to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour (e.g panic buying). 
• Banking and Finance Associate Professor James Doran can comment on the impact on finance, the share market and investors.

Centre for Social Impact

For media enquiries contact Nicola Hannigan on 0407 075 307 or n.hannigan@unsw.edu.au.

• Dr Cobi Calyx can comment on disaster response and recovery, science communication and health promotion.
• Associate Professor Gemma Carey can comment on disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
• Chris Hartley can comment on housing, homelessness and social housing policy.
• Professor Kristy Muir can comment on disadvantage, poverty, social cohesion, homelessness and housing, government policy, wage subsidies, Universal Basic Income (UBI) and leadership.
• Dr Megan Weier can comment on measuring social progress, wellbeing and access to pharmaceuticals.

Law

For media enquiries contact Rachel Gray on 0411 987 771 or rachel.gray1@unsw.edu.au.

• Law Professor Graham Greenleaf can discuss the relevance of data privacy laws in relation to the COVIDSafe app as well as privacy concerns around video-conferencing platform, Zoom.
• PhD student Daniel Cater can also talk about the COVID-19 app and privacy considerations. 
• Criminology Professor Eileen Baldry can discuss the government’s early conditional release of NSW prisoners to stop the virus spreading in prisons.
• Family law expert Dr Noam Peleg can discuss the impact of COVID-19 on parenting arrangements.
• Professor Jane McAdam, Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, can discuss the impact on refugees, asylum seekers and other displaced people.
• Human rights expert Scientia Professor Louise Chappell can talk about human rights under COVID-19. Contact Gabrielle Dunlevy on 0423 972 801.

Arts and Social Sciences

For media enquiries contact Rachel Gray on 0411 987 771 or rachel.gray1@unsw.edu.au.

• Professor Deborah Lupton from UNSW's Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Research Centre can discuss people's use of digital health and their views on health data privacy.
• Political science and international relations Professor Fengshi Wu from UNSW Arts & Social Sciences can discuss societal responses in relation to China in the COVID-19 era. 
• Global Health and Development Professor Anthony Zwi can comment on global health and policy responses.
• Social policy and governance expert Associate Professor Bingqin Li can discuss social distancing and lockdowns.
• Experimental Arts Professor Jill Bennett is available to comment on creative, trauma-informed responses to distress and older peoples’ experiences.
• Political media expert Honorary Associate Professor David McKnight can talk about the lessons of the epidemic for small government.
• Social researcher Dr Siobhan O’Sullivan can discuss animal cruelty in Asian wet markets and the move to ban trade in wild animal meat. 

Built Environment

For media enquiries contact Rachel Gray on 0411 987 771 or rachel.gray1@unsw.edu.au.

• Associate Professor Paul Osmond can discuss the importance of green spaces during COVID-19.
• Rental housing and housing affordability expert Dr Chris Martin from UNSW City Futures Research Centre can discuss tenancy law and renters rights.
• Architecture Professor David Sanderson is available to discuss urban resilience.