Ivana Stankov

Miss Ivana Stankov

School of Medicine

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Ivana is a Research Fellow applying systems thinking and simulation-based modelling to better understand complex public health issues and the potential effectiveness of policies on health behaviour and disparities in chronic disease outcomes. Based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), she collaborates with researchers at the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health in the United States on a National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities-funded project leveraging complex systems approaches to identify policy levers to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in diet and obesity in Philadelphia, USA.
She also works with the Wardliparingga Aboriginal Health Equity Research Unit at SAHMRI, in collaboration with the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Healthy Housing to generate evidence and support policy planning and action focused on improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations through healthy housing.
More broadly, her research to date has applied complexity science and its associated approaches to explore the influence of urban environments, including alcohol retail and transportation access, on a range of health outcomes, including physical activity, alcohol and marijuana use, intimate partner violence, and depression.
I have research affiliate status at:

Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University, USA
Johns Hopkins Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, AUS

Year Citation
2025 Stankov, I., Likouresis, E., Noble, C., Blakely, T., Bentley, R., Brown, A., . . . Morey, K. (2025). Exploring the evidence on housing and health among Indigenous peoples in high-income countries: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 23(9), 1876-1886.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2025 Stankov, I., Tefera, Y., Bradley, M., Pickering, A., Willoughby, E., & Williams, C. (2025). A precautionary approach to social media: protecting young minds in an evolving digital world. Medical Journal of Australia, online(5), 3 pages.
DOI
2025 Matson, P. A., Flessa, S., Stankov, I., Fortenberry, J. D., Trent, M., Frerichs, L., & Lich, K. H. (2025). Model building with youth: applying a system science approach to examine the dynamic social context of adolescent and young adult marijuana use. Prevention Science, 26(1), 122-137.
DOI
2025 Ji, T., Stankov, I., Egan, N. S., Lich, K. H., Thornton, R. L. J., Wang, Q., . . . Matson, P. A. (2025). Investigating the impacts of alcohol outlet zoning policy on alcohol consumption and access to non-alcoholic services: A spatial agent-based simulation. Health and Place, 94(103489), 1-10.
DOI WoS1
2025 Stankov, I., Useche, A., Lekkas, P., Henson, R. M., Headen, I., Purtle, J., & Langellier, B. A. (2025). Causal loop diagrams of food systems, diet, and obesity: a scoping review of methods, contextual factors, and outcomes. Obesity Reviews, online(11), 1-24.
DOI
2024 Henson, R. M., Purtle, J., Headen, I., Stankov, I., & Langellier, B. A. (2024). Methods and measures to evaluate the impact of participatory model building on public policymakers: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 14(1), 1-6.
DOI
2024 Meisel, J. D., Esguerra, V., Pérez Ferrer, C., Stankov, I., Montes, F., Tumas, N., . . . Sarmiento, O. L. (2024). Understanding the obesity dynamics by socioeconomic status in Colombian and Mexican cities using a system dynamics model. Heliyon, 10(22, article no. e39921), 1-15.
DOI Scopus1
2024 Stankov, I., Meisel, J. D., Sarmiento, O. L., Delclòs Alió, X., Hidalgo, D., Guzman, L. A., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2024). Uncovering physical activity trade-offs in transportation policy: a spatial agent-based model of Bogotá, Colombia. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(54), 1-15.
DOI Scopus3 Europe PMC2
2024 Langellier, B. A., Argibay, S., Henson, R. M., Kravitz, C., Eastus, A., Stankov, I., & Headen, I. (2024). Participatory systems thinking to elucidate drivers of food access and diet disparities among minoritized urban populations. Journal of Urban Health, 101(6), 1235-1247.
DOI
2024 Tefera, Y., Williams, C., Stankov, I., & Kickbusch, I. (2024). Digital determinants of health: Futureproofing the health promotion community to navigate societal digital transformation. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 36(1, article no. e914), 1-3.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2023 Meisel, J. D., Esguerra, V., Giraldo, J. K., Montes, F., Stankov, I., Meisel, C. A., . . . Valdivia, J. A. (2023). Understanding the dynamics of the obesity transition associated with physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, and consumption of ultra-processed foods in Colombia. Preventive Medicine, 177(107720), 1-9.
DOI
2023 Stankov, I., Henson, R. M., Headen, I., Purtle, J., & Langellier, B. A. (2023). Use of qualitative systems mapping and causal loop diagrams to understand food environments, diet and obesity: a scoping review protocol. BMJ open, 13(3, article no. e066875), 1-7.
DOI
2023 Matson, P. A., Stankov, I., Krutkova, M., Flessa, S., Fichtenberg, C. M., & Ellen, J. M. (2023). Investigating the relative influence of romantic sex partners and close friends on adolescent alcohol and marijuana use. Prevention Science, 24(4), 676-687.
DOI
2023 Baquero, S., Montes, F., Stankov, I., Sarmiento, O. L., Medina, P., Slesinski, S. C., . . . Roux, A. V. D. (2023). Assessing cohesion and diversity in the collaboration network of the SALURBAL project. Scientific Reports, 13(1, article no. 7590), 1-13.
DOI Scopus3 Europe PMC1
2023 Baquero, S., Montes, F., Stankov, I., Sarmiento, O. L., Medina, P., Slesinski, S. C., . . . Roux, A. V. D. (2023). Author Correction: Assessing cohesion and diversity in the collaboration network of the SALURBAL project (Scientific Reports, (2023), 13, 1, (7590), 10.1038/s41598-023-33641-x). Scientific Reports, 13(1), 13676.
DOI
2022 Langellier, B. A., Stankov, I., Hammond, R. A., Bilal, U., Auchincloss, A. H., Barrientos Gutierrez, T., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2022). Potential impacts of policies to reduce purchasing of ultra-processed foods in Mexico at different stages of the social transition: an agent-based modelling approach. Public Health Nutrition, 25(6), 1711-1719.
DOI Scopus17 Europe PMC14
2021 Sarmiento, O. L., Useche, A. F., Rodriguez, D. A., Dronova, I., Guaje, O., Montes, F., . . . Roux, A. V. D. (2021). Built environment profiles for Latin American urban settings: the SALURBAL study. PLoS one, 16(10, article no. e0257528), 1-25.
DOI
2021 Salvo, D., Garcia, L., Reis, R. S., Stankov, I., Goel, R., Schipperijn, J., . . . Pratt, M. (2021). Physical activity promotion and the united nations sustainable development goals: Building synergies to maximize impact. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 18(10), 1163-1180.
DOI
2021 Matson, P. A., Stankov, I., Hassmiller Lich, K., Flessa, S., Lowy, J., & Thornton, R. L. J. (2021). A systems framework depicting how complex neighborhood dynamics and contextual factors could impact the effectiveness of an alcohol outlet zoning policy. American Journal of Community Psychology, 70(1-2), 18-32.
DOI
2021 Stankov, I., Useche, A. F., Meisel, J. D., Montes, F., Morais, L. M., Friche, A. A., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2021). From causal loop diagrams to future scenarios: using the cross-impact balance method to augment understanding of urban health in Latin America. Social Science and Medicine, 282(114157), 1-10.
DOI
2021 Stankov, I., Useche, A. F., Meisel, J. D., Montes, F., Morais, L. M. O., Friche, A. A. L., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2021). Using cause-effect graphs to elicit expert knowledge for cross-impact balance analysis. MethodsX, 8(101492), 1-9.
DOI
2020 Yang, Y., Langellier, B. A., Stankov, I., Purtle, J., Nelson, K. L., Reinhard, E., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2020). Public transit and depression among older adults: using agent-based models to examine plausible impacts of a free bus policy. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 74(11), 875-881.
DOI
2020 Meisel, J. D., Ramirez, A. M., Esguerra, V., Montes, F., Stankov, I., Sarmiento, O. L., & Valdivia, J. A. (2020). Using a system dynamics model to study the obesity transition by socioeconomic status in Colombia at the country, regional and department levels. BMJ Open, 10(6, article no. e036534), 1-11.
DOI
2020 Stankov, I., Garcia, L. M. T., Mascolli, M. A., Montes, F., Meisel, J. D., Gouveia, N., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2020). A systematic review of empirical and simulation studies evaluating the health impact of transportation interventions. Environmental Research, 186(109519), 1-26.
DOI
2019 Langellier, B. A., Kuhlberg, J. A., Ballard, E. A., Slesinski, S. C., Stankov, I., Gouveia, N., . . . Diez Roux, A. V. (2019). Using community-based system dynamics modeling to understand the complex systems that influence health in cities: the SALURBAL study. Health & Place, 60(102215), 1-12.
DOI
2019 Yang, Y., Langellier, B. A., Stankov, I., Purtle, J., Nelson, K. L., & Diez Roux, A. V. (2019). Examining the possible impact of daily transport on depression among older adults using an agent-based model. Aging & Mental Health, 23(6), 743-751.
DOI
2019 Stankov, I., Yang, Y., Langellier, B. A., Purtle, J., Nelson, K. L., & Diez Roux, A. V. (2019). Depression and alcohol misuse among older adults: exploring mechanisms and policy impacts using agent-based modelling. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 54(10), 1243-1253.
DOI
2019 Langellier, B. A., Yang, Y., Purtle, J., Nelson, K. L., Stankov, I., & Diez Roux, A. V. (2019). Complex systems approaches to understand drivers of mental health and inform mental health policy: a systematic review. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 46(2), 128-144.
DOI
2019 Quistberg, D. A., Diez Roux, A. V., Bilal, U., Moore, K., Ortigoza, A., Rodriguez, D. A., . . . Stankov, I. (2019). Building a data platform for cross-country urban health studies: the SALURBAL Study. Journal of Urban Health, 96(2), 311-337.
DOI
2019 Purtle, J., Nelson, K. L., Yang, Y., Langellier, B., Stankov, I., & Diez Roux, A. V. (2019). Urban-rural differences in older adult depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(4), 603-613.
DOI
2017 Stankov, I., Howard, N. J., Daniel, M., & Cargo, M. (2017). Policy, research and residents' perspectives on built environments implicated in heart disease: a concept mapping approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(2), 170-1-170-17.
DOI Scopus13 WoS12 Europe PMC10
2015 Cargo, M., Stankov, I., Thomas, J., Saini, M., Rogers, P., Mayo-Wilson, E., & Hannes, K. (2015). Development, inter-rater reliability and feasibility of a checklist to assess implementation (Ch-IMP) in systematic reviews: the case of provider-based prevention and treatment programs targeting children and youth. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 15(1), 73-1-73-18.
DOI Scopus18 WoS14 Europe PMC11
2014 Lekkas, P., & Stankov, I. (2014). Framing obesity-drawing on the margins. American Journal of Public Health, 104(7), 1.
DOI
2012 Stankov, I., Olds, T. S., & Cargo, M. D. (2012). Overweight and obese adolescents: what turns them off physical activity?. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 9(article no. 53), 1-15.
DOI
2011 Daniel, M., Lekkas, P., Cargo, M. D., Stankov, I., & Brown, A. (2011). Environmental risk conditions and pathways to cardiometabolic diseases in indigenous populations. Annual review of public health, 32(1), 327-347.
DOI Scopus33 Europe PMC31

Connect With Me

External Profiles

Other Links