Dr Kayla Smurthwaite

Contacts

Research Fellow
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health

Kayla Smurthwaite is an applied epidemiologist and lecturer in environmental health at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. 

Kayla has experience in epidemiological study design and data analysis, environmental epidemiology investigation, systematic review and qualitative research. Her PhD research focused on exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australian communities affected by environmental contamination, through which she contributed to the PFAS Health Study, Air Services Australia Study of PFAS exposure, and an ongoing NHMRC study of longitudinal PFAS exposure assessment.

Kayla is the Convenor of the Human Health, Environment and Climate Change course for the Masters of Public Health, with experience in teaching environmental health. 

Research interests

Environmental Health

  • Exposure measurement
  • Risk assessment
  • Risk communication
  • Health and social concerns
  • Current challenges of public interest

Special interest: Slow-moving environmental disasters

  • Community exposure to loose-fill asbestos insulation
  • Community exposure to Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
  • Occupational exposure to PFAS in aviation firefighters
  • General population exposure to PFAS

Applied Epidemiology Methodology

  • Risk assessment
  • Systematic review and meta-analysis
  • Qualitative research

Groups

Updated:  14 August 2024/Responsible Officer:  College of Science/Page Contact:  https://iceds.anu.edu.au/contact