Background

Liz worked in health and development advocacy before shifting her focus to research. Prior to joining the Burnet Institute in 2013, she worked as a contractor and completed several research projects for organisations including AusAID and Médecins Sans Frontières. Liz has also developed and managed an education and outreach program for vulnerable young people within Australia.

Liz works across multiple technical projects with a focus on gender, nutrition, and maternal health, in various settings in Asia, the Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa. Much of her work contributes to the global evidence base for policy and service delivery recommendations relating to men’s involvement in the health of women and children. She has also conducted research relating to health financing systems, with a focus on effective coverage of the informal sector. Liz contributes regularly to Masters-level teaching sessions and training courses offered by Burnet Institute, in areas including nutrition, gender and male involvement, and field research methods.

Qualifications

• 2012: MPH, University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2009: PhB (Hons I, Development Studies), Australian National University, Australia

Projects (12)

Current (2)

• Gender Counts
  A quantitative assessment of gender inequality and its impacts on children and adolescents in Asia and the Pacific.
• The Mbereko + Men Model: Rural Zimbabwe
  A community-based program to improve MNCH services, care and support in the home.

Past (10)

• China-Australia Health and HIV/AIDS Facility (2007-2012)
  A partnership between the governments of Australia and the People’s Republic of China.
• Compass: Women's and Children's Health Knowledge Hub
  To increase the effectiveness of aid for women’s and children’s health in Asia and the Pacific
• Increasing demand and uptake of quality, facility-based services, Zimbabwe
  Reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe.
• Male participation in improving maternal and newborn health: A community based intervention in Myanmar
  Demonstrating the feasibility of increasing male involvement in Maternal, Newborn and Children's Health and to enable men to protect and promote the health of their families.
• Office of Development Effectiveness’ evaluation of child nutrition
  This program will assess how Australian aid policy and programming responds to child undernutrition and develop recommendations to improve its response.
• Preventing hepatitis B starts at birth – best practices and needs
  This project researched international evidence in birth-dose vaccination against hepatitis B, resulting in a WHO good practice guide, a global consultation and linked advocacy events.
• Promoting WASH-nutrition integration in Cambodia
  A stakeholder consultation to identify barriers to the efforts to improve WASH and nutrition.
• Systematic review of strategies for male involvement in maternal and newborn health
  Global evidence review to assess the effect of strategies to engage men in maternal and newborn health.
• Understanding the effects of programs to increase men’s engagement in maternal, newborn and child health
  A multi-country study of how women and men in diverse settings experience efforts to increase male engagement in maternal, newborn and child health.
• WHISPER and SHOUT - mHealth interventions among Kenyan sex workers
  Mobile phone-based health promotions sent to sex workers in Mombasa.

Publications (10)

2019 (2)

• 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
• 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. 2019 Aug; Epub ahead of print

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 (3)

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