Joanne Flavel

Dr Joanne Flavel

NHMRC Grant-Funded Researcher B

School of Social Sciences

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Joanne Flavel is a Senior Research Fellow at Stretton Health Equity in the Stretton Institute. She has qualifications and experience in economics and public health, and expertise in quantitative analysis. She worked at the Southgate Institute for Health, Society & Equity prior to joining Stretton Health Equity, and prior to that worked at the National Institute of Labour Studies.

She leads the social epidemiology work at Stretton health Equity but her quantitative skills and social science background are interdisciplinary. Her current research focuses on health equity, social determinants of health, and labour market experiences of temporary migrants and refugees. She is a member of the international Punching Above Weight (PAW) Network, formed to advance thinking and research about why some countries do much better in terms of health outcomes than would be predicted by their economic status. She is also a Global Burden of Disease Collaborator.

Alongside her academic position, Joanne is actively involved in the Public Health Association of Australia and the Australian Health Promotion Association. She is Co-convenor of the PHAA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Special Interest Group, Vice President and Membership Secretary for the PHAA South Australian Branch and a member of the PHAA Board. She has received several awards recognising her contributions to research and service including the PHAA Emerging Leader Award, Health Promotion SIG Early Career Award for Research and SA President's Award in 2022 and an Australasian Epidemiological Association Professional Development Award in 2023.

Her current research projects include:

  • Restoring the fair go: which policies and practices are likely to reverse growing health inequities in Australia post-COVID-19
  • Documenting and comparing patterns and trends in size and composition (i.e., gender, age, source country) of international mobility programs in Australia, with the aim of identifying analogues across Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US
  • Improving our understanding of gender and health inequities in Australia

Students interested in undertaking research degrees supervised at Stretton Health Equity can contact Joanne about research focused on

  • Health equity
  • Social determinants of health
  • Temporary migrant labour market outcomes
  • Populations who experience health inequities (examples include people with disability, refugees and asylum seekers)
  • Quantitative or mixed methods

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2025 - ongoing Senior Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2022 - 2024 Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2022 Research Fellow Flinders University
    2018 - 2020 Senior Research Officer Flinders University
    2016 - 2017 Research Fellow Flinders University

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2025 Award Health Promotion Special Interest Group Early Career Award for Practice Public Health Association of Australia Australia -
    2023 Award Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics Early Career Research Excellence Award University of Adelaide Australia -
    2023 Award School of Social Sciences Early Career Research Excellence Award University of Adelaide Australia -
    2023 Achievement Finalist University Award for Early Career Excellence in Research University of Adelaide Australia -
    2023 Award Early Career Professional Development Award Australasian Epidemiological Association Australia -
    2022 Award Distinguished Member Award Australian Association of Gerontology Australia -
    2022 Award SA Branch President's Award Public Health Association of Australia Australia -
    2022 Award Health Promotion SIG Early Career Award for Research Public Health Association of Australia Australia -
    2022 Award Emerging Leader Award Public Health Association of Australia Australia -

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2020 University of Adelaide Australia Graduate Certificate in Public Health
    2016 Flinders University Australia PhD
    2005 University of Adelaide Australia Honours Degree in Economics

  • Research Interests
    Health Policy Health Promotion Migration Public Health

Van den Berg M, Freeman F, Flavel J, Jureidini J, Raven M, Aboustate N, Fisher M, Baum F. Quantitative analysis of the relationship between employment status and working conditions, and suicide. ABLE Interdisciplinary Demonstrator Grant 2024. $6,095.

Glenister K, Flavel J., Hamilton A. Understanding rurality and socioeconomic disadvantage inequities in cardiovascular health and costs. Heart Foundation 45 & Up Cardiovascular Research Grant 2024. $130,000.

Vosko L, King A, Garnier A, Noack, A, Gabriel C, Stringer C, Wright, C, Gesualdi-Fecteau, D, Bélanger D, Tungohan E, Xu F, Collins F, Hanley, J, Howe J, Flavel J et al. Liberating Migrant Labour? International Mobility Programs in Settler-Colonial Contexts. Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Development Grant 2023. $2,499,975 (Canadian dollars).

Flavel J. Improving our understanding of gender and health inequities in Australia. Faculty of Arts, Business, Law, and Economics Internal Research Funding Establishment Grant 2022, $4,954.56.

Flavel J, Baum, F, Freeman, T, Cameron, D, Isaac, V. Examining regional health inequalities in Australia and social determinants of health. Flinders Foundation Seed Grant 2020, $23,995.

Flavel, J., Baum, F., Freeman, T, McKee, M. Examining increasing health inequities in Australia: the contribution of employment, income and wealth. Flinders Foundation Seed Grant 2019, $24,513.

Ziersch, A., Due, C., Block, K., Walsh, M., Flavel, J.  Supporting resettlement and health and wellbeing for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds: Developing and piloting a measure of integration. Flinders Foundation Seed Grant 2019, $24,956

Torrens University

Guest Lecturer, Health Promotion in Practice 2023

Flinders University

Guest Lecturer, Social Determinants of Health and Wellbeing 2021 and 2022

External Examiner

I have acted as external examiner for Masters theses at Flinders University and Macquarie University

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2022 Principal Supervisor SA health inequalities and social determinants of health – Capital City vs Rest of state Flinders University Advanced Studies MD Other Full Time Nae Hassan Ali Pour

  • Board Memberships
    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2024 - ongoing Board Member Public Health Association of Australia Board Public Health Association of Australia Australia

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Member South Australia Branch Executive Committee Australian Health Promotion Association Australia
    2021 - ongoing Member Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Special Interest Group Committee Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member South Australian Branch Executive Committee Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2018 - ongoing Member Policy Newsletter Committee Australian Health Economics Society Australia

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2021 - ongoing Member Australian Health Promotion Association Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member Australasian Epidemiological Association Australia
    2019 - ongoing Member Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2017 - ongoing Member Australian Association of Gerontology Australia

  • Editorial Boards
    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Member Health Promotion International Oxford University Press United Kingdom

  • Offices Held
    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2024 - ongoing Vice President South Australia Executive Committee Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2022 - ongoing Co-Convenor Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Special Interest Group Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2022 - 2023 Events Coordinator South Australia Branch Executive Committee Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2021 - ongoing Membership Secretary South Australian Branch Executive Committee Public Health Association Australia Australia
    2019 - 2021 Convenor of the Student and Early Career Group Professional Development and Events Working Group Australian Association of Gerontology Australia

  • Review, Assessment, Editorial and Advice
    Date Title Type Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Academic journal review Journal Review Health Promotion international -
    2021 - ongoing Academic journal review Journal Review Medical Journal of Australia Australia
  • Position: NHMRC Grant-Funded Researcher B
  • Email: joanne.flavel@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Napier
  • Org Unit: School of Social Sciences
Connect With Me
External Profiles