
PhD Public Health, The University of Sydney
MSc. Physical Activity and Health, Loughborough University (UK)
BSc. (Hons) Physical Education, Sports Science and Recreation Management, Loughborough University (UK)
My expertise is in physical activity, sport, falls prevention, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and public health research. I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Population Health at UNSW Sydney and commenced a Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in July 2021.
My research examines physical health and social and emotional wellbeing and the impact of physical activity and sport across the lifespan, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. My vision is to generate, in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and stakeholders, high quality evidence from a series of observational and intervention studies of how physical activity can improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians across the life-course. I lead epidemiological and community evaluation research studies in collaboration with multiple academic institutions and community groups, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. I have undertaken government consultancy work and secondment placements within large Australian NGOs to translate research into practice.
Gwynne K, Freedman B, McCowen D, Gwynn J, Orchard J, Skinner J, Rambaldini B, Carlson B, Lowres N, Nalliah C, Ward K, Macniven R (AI) Early Atrial fibrillation Screening for Indigenous people (The EASI Study). MRFF Cardiovascular Health Mission – 2021 Cardiovascular Health Grant Proposal; $574,883.90 (2022-2024).
Eades SJ, Ivers RQ, Liu BC, Priest NC, Joshy G, Williams RD, Yashadhana AM, Graham S, Skilton MR, Azzopardi PS, Macniven R (AI) ‘The Next Generation Aboriginal Youth Cohort Study’: Co-designing a strengths-based study to identify evidence-based, culturally strong, implementable strategies to improve youth health outcomes. NHMRC 2021 Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies; $2,619,818.80 (2022-2027).
Ambrens M, Andrews S, Kenning G, Delbaere K, van Schooten K, Lim ML, Troller J, Macniven R, Ginnivan N. A Starting Point to Addressing Implicit Bias in the Healthcare of Older People. UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute 2022; $10,000.
Peden A, Macniven R, Angell B. Development and Delivery of an Evaluation of the First Lap Voucher Program. NSW Office of Sport 2022/23: $146,297.
Tang D, Macniven R, Jones C, Gopinath B. Developing, implementing and evaluating an online group intervention to improve the wellbeing of people with age-related macular degeneration. Macular Disease Foundation Australia, 2021; $45,466.
Macniven R. Generating evidence on the impact of physical activity on the cardiovascular health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across the life-course. Heart Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2021-2023; $151,200.
Macniven R. UNSW Cardiac, Vascular & Metabolic Medicine theme Early- and Mid-Career Researcher Conference Award 2022: $1000.
Macniven R. Heart Foundation 2020 Paul Korner Innovation Award. $20,000.