Background

Liz Comrie-Thomson is a trained social science researcher with expertise in qualitative and quantitative gender analysis for health in low- and middle-income countries. Her research and programming work includes a particular focus on engaging men and boys, and women and girls, together to address unequal gender relations that underpin poor health outcomes. She applies a gender-transformative family systems approach to support increased uptake of essential health services, as well as improved maternal-child nutrition, maternal and paternal mental health, and child development outcomes. In addition to her extensive work focused on gender relations and masculinity, her portfolio of work includes developing and rigorously testing interventions to support particularly vulnerable groups of women and girls navigate multiple gendered vulnerabilities in order to attain improved health.

Liz has provided consulting services directly to national governments, UN agencies and NGOs in Asia, the Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy development and implementation. She is an active member of gender equality networks within the international NGO community in Australia, and through these networks provides advice to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on ensuring Australian aid investments support improved gender outcomes. Liz is also an active member of the Burnet Institute’s Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, responsible for developing and overseeing strategies to improve gender equality among her co-workers. She has worked at the Burnet Institute since 2013.

Appointments

• Women’s and Children’s Health Specialist, Burnet Institute
• Adjunct Lecturer, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University

Qualifications

• 2012: MPH, University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2009: PhB, Australian National University, Australia

Projects (17)

Current (7)

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  Accelerating healthy agriculture and nutrition

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  Evaluating the WHO Labour Care Guide in clinical settings

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  Gender Counts

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  Living guidelines in maternal and perinatal health

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  Stakeholder experiences of father engagement interventions in low- and middle-income countries

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  The Mbereko + Men Model: Rural Zimbabwe

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  Transformative Agenda for Women, Adolescents and Youth in the Pacific: Family Life Education

Publications (20)

2022 (1)

• Engaging women and men in the gender-synchronised, community-based Mbereko+Men intervention to improve maternal mental health and perinatal care-seeking in Manicaland, Zimbabwe: A cluster-randomised controlled pragmatic trial.
  Comrie-Thomson L, Webb K, Patel D, Wata P, Kapamurandu Z, Mushavi A, Nicholas MA, Agius PA, Davis J, Luchters S
  J Glob Health. 2022 May; 12:04042

2021 (8)

• How do women, men, and health providers perceive interventions to influence men's engagement in maternal and newborn health? A qualitative evidence synthesis.
  Comrie-Thomson L, Gopal P, Eddy K, Baguiya A, Gerlach N, Sauvé C, Portela A
  Soc Sci Med. 2021 Oct; 291:114475
• Defining Preterm Birth and Stillbirth in the Western Pacific: A Systematic Review.
  Connolly M, Phung L, Farrington E, Scoullar MJL, Wilson AN, Comrie-Thomson L, Homer CSE, Vogel JP
  Asia Pac J Public Health. 2021 Jun; 33(5):489-501
• The prevalence of uterine fundal pressure during the second stage of labour for women giving birth in health facilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  Farrington E, Connolly M, Phung L, Wilson AN, Comrie-Thomson L, Bohren MA, Homer CSE, Vogel JP
  Reprod Health. 2021 May; 18(1):98
• Men's and women's knowledge of danger signs relevant to postnatal and neonatal care-seeking: A cross sectional study from Bungoma County, Kenya.
  Roney E, Morgan C, Gatungu D, Mwaura P, Mwambeo H, Natecho A, Comrie-Thomson L, Gitaka JN
  PLoS One. 2021 May; 16(5):e0251543
• Gender norms and the wellbeing of girls and boys - Author's reply.
  Azzopardi PS, Vaughan C, Patton GC, Humphries-Waa K, Binder G, Comrie-Thomson L, Kennedy E
  Lancet Glob Health. 2021 Apr; 9(4):e399
• Women's sleep position during pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.
  Rossiter SK, Aziz S, Wilson AN, Comrie-Thomson L, Stacey T, Homer CSE, Vogel JP
  Reprod Health. 2021 Mar; 18(1):53
• The cost-effectiveness of tranexamic acid for treatment of postpartum hemorrhage: A systematic review.
  Aziz S, Rossiter S, Homer CSE, Wilson AN, Comrie-Thomson L, Scott N, Vogel JP
  Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2021 Feb; 155(3):331-341
• Usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the World Health Organization Labour Care Guide: A mixed-methods, multicountry evaluation.
  Vogel JP, Comrie-Thomson L, Pingray V, Gadama L, Galadanci H, Goudar S, Laisser R, Lavender T, Lissauer D, Misra S, Pujar Y, Qureshi ZP, Amole T, Berrueta M, Dankishiya F, Gwako G, Homer CSE, Jobanputra J, Meja S, Nigri C, Mohaptra V, Osoti A, Roberti J, Solomon D, Suleiman M, Robbers G, Sutherland S, Vernekar S, Althabe F, Bonet M, Oladapo OT
  Birth. 2021 Jan; 48(1):66-75

2020 (2)

• Gender inequalities in health and wellbeing across the first two decades of life: an analysis of 40 low-income and middle-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
  Kennedy E, Binder G, Humphries-Waa K, Tidhar T, Cini K, Comrie-Thomson L, Vaughan C, Francis K, Scott N, Wulan N, Patton G, Azzopardi P
  Lancet Glob Health. 2020 Oct; 8(12):e1473-e1488
• Male involvement interventions and improved couples' emotional relationships in Tanzania and Zimbabwe: 'When we are walking together, I feel happy'.
  Comrie-Thomson L, Mavhu W, Makungu C, Nahar Q, Khan R, Davis J, Stillo E, Hamdani S, Luchters S, Vaughan C
  Cult Health Sex. 2020 Jan; 22(6):722-739

2019 (1)

• A mortality review of adult inpatients with tuberculosis in Mendi, Papua New Guinea..
  Vakadem K, Anota A, Sa'avu M, Ramoni C, Comrie-Thomson L, Gale M, Commons RJ
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S62-S67

2018 (2)

• Expectant fathers' participation in antenatal care services in Papua New Guinea: a qualitative inquiry.
  Davis J, Vaughan C, Nankinga J, Davidson L, Kigodi H, Alalo E, Comrie-Thomson L, Luchters S
  BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018 May; 18(1):138
• Involving men to improve maternal and newborn health: A systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions.
  Tokhi M, Comrie-Thomson L, Davis J, Portela A, Chersich M, Luchters S
  PLoS One. 2018 Jan; 13(1):e0191620

2017 (1)

• WHISPER or SHOUT study: protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial assessing mHealth sexual reproductive health and nutrition interventions among female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya.
  Ampt FH, Mudogo C, Gichangi P, Lim MSC, Manguro G, Chersich M, Jaoko W, Temmerman M, Laini M, Comrie-Thomson L, Stoové M, Agius PA, Hellard M, L'Engle K, Luchters S
  BMJ Open. 2017 Aug; 7(8):e017388

2015 (3)

• Challenging gender inequity through male involvement in maternal and newborn health: critical assessment of an emerging evidence base.
  Comrie-Thomson L, Tokhi M, Ampt F, Portela A, Chersich M, Khanna R, Luchters S
  Cult Health Sex. 2015 Jul; 17(Suppl 2):S177-S189
• Men Matter: Engaging Men in MNCH Outcomes.
  Comrie-Thomson L, Mavhu W, Makungu C, Nahar Q, Khan R, Davis J, Hamdani S, Stillo E, Luchters S
  Report prepared for Plan Canada. 2015 Jul
• A window of opportunity: Australian aid and child undernutrition. AUSAID Report
  Toole M, Marsh C, Comrie-Thomson L, Davis J, Brown M, Renzaho A
  Report for the Office of Development Effectiveness, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government. 2015 Apr

2014 (2)

• Fiji National Immunisation Coverage Survey - 2013
  Devi R, Volavola L, Jenkins K, Comrie-Thomson L, Chan G
  Fiji J Pub Health. 2014 Jul; 3(2):8-13
• Addressing Child Undernutrition : Evidence Review
  Comrie-Thomson L, Davis J, Renzaho A, Toole M
  Report for Office of Development Effectiveness, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government. 2014 Mar

News Articles (5)

2020 (2)

• Burnet support for WHO Labour Care Guide
• Early adolescence central to gender inequality in Asia-Pacific

2019 (1)

• PNG breaks new ground in tuberculosis research

2018 (1)

• Focus on male engagement for gender equality

2017 (1)

• New training for PNG TB response