Our Projects

Digital Health Innovation

This project aims to test whether a 6-month text message program is effective for improving the physical and mental health of 390 young people (12-18 years old) across Australia in a clinical trial. The text message topics and content were co-designed with young people, then backed with evidence-based information, and made interactive by linking young people with services to improve their health across 6 key areas: nutrition, physical activity, mental health, body image, the media and climate and planetary health. We are currently analysing the results of this project… stay tuned!

Youth Engagement

We’re building a free online course for young people to develop research skills, created in partnership with youth and grounded in evidence and best practice in engagement. The Health Hive will be a vibrant digital community that empowers young people to take an active role in research about their health and well-being.

Digital Health Innovation, Food Environments, Youth Engagement

This project aims to identify adolescents’ key priorities and areas for action in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across Australia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Using a mixed-methods, community-based participatory approach, we will combine cross-sectional surveys and focus groups to gather both quantitative and qualitative insights. We will capture adolescents' lived experiences and perspectives on the key priorities and target areas for NCD prevention strategies.

Youth Engagement

More young people are contributing to research, but there’s little guidance on how to include them as co-authors. Together, our team of researchers and youth collaborators is writing a perspective piece on how to do this ethically and meaningfully. We share real challenges, lessons learned, and practical solutions. The article is currently under review… stay tuned!

Digital Health Innovation, Food Environments, and Youth Engagement

HAPYUS (pronounced 'happy us') is a yearly youth advisory group that partners with our team to shape our research based on lived experience and evidence. Members support all three of our research areas by sharing their insights and co-designing solutions that reflect what matters most to their generation.

Food Environments

Urban design has a significant impact on the health of communities, particularly through the types of food environments it fosters. This project explored the food environments surrounding several key transport hubs in New South Wales undergoing redevelopment. Using mapping tools and a food outlet classification system, we identified trends in the availability and types of food options near these sites. The findings highlight the need to more effectively integrate health considerations into planning and development processes to support healthier, more equitable communities. The findings were presented at the Australasian Housing Researchers Conference (AHRC) 2025, and the manuscript is under review. 

Food environments

Online food delivery services are rapidly changing how people access food, often making energy-dense, less healthy options more available and visible. This project explores how digital platforms are shaping food environments across Australia. We developed the DIGIFOOD dashboard, a new tool designed to track and visualise the types and locations of food outlets available both online and locally. This tool has the potential to support future planning and policy decisions aimed at improving food environments and promoting healthier choices across communities.

Youth Engagement

YES! was a mixed-methods project involving 520 Australian adolescents (aged 13–18) that explored their perspectives on participating in non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention activities. Mental health emerged as their top health concern, and there was a strong interest in taking part in initiatives that promote youth health and well-being. However, young people also identified key barriers, including limited opportunities and the need for more authentic, flexible ways to get involved. Two members of our HAPYUS group led the write-up of a set of youth-informed recommendations as part of this work. The outcomes from YES! are currently under peer review in BMC Public Health.

Digital Health Innovation

This project aims to test whether a 6-month text message program is effective for preventing obesity among 150 young people (13-18 years old) who were above a healthy weight in a clinical trial. The text message content was then co-designed with young people, seeking their input to refine and improve content across 4 key areas: nutrition, physical activity, mental wellbeing, sleep, and general behaviours. We are currently analysing the results of this project… stay tuned!