Background

Dr Katie Heath MA MSc DPhil is a Senior Research Officer under the Viral Hepatitis Elimination Group.

Her work centres on equitable healthcare access with a focus on HIV, viral hepatitis and syphilis. She targets health systems and policy reform to improve healthcare access.

Dr Heath completed a PhD in 2019, which focussed on mosquito-borne disease control in the context of climate change. At the Burnet Institute, her work on hepatitis C aims to improve treatment uptake using rapid tests and her work on COVID-19 considered the impact of public health orders.

Dr Heath is a consultant with the World Health Organization under the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, where she develops tools and policy for national strategic planning in maternal and child health. She is also an independent consultant advocating for equitable drug pricing and treatment access.

Positions

• 2022-ongoing: Senior Research Officer, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
• 2020-2022: Research Officer, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
• 2018-ongoing: Consultant, World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health & Research, Geneva, Switzerland
• 2018-2018: Environmental Scientist, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
• 2016: Scientific Enterprise Consultant, The Nasio Trust, Musanda, Western, Kenya
• 2014-2015: Research Officer, International Prevention Research Institute (IPRI), Lyon, France
• 2012: Research Assistant, University of Strathclyde, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Glasgow, UK

Qualifications

• 2019: PhD Zoology, University of Oxford
• 2014: MSc Epidemiology, Imperial College London
• 2013: BA Philosophy, University of Cambridge

Projects (3)

Current (3)

• 

  The elimination of hepatitis C as a global public health threat

• 

  The Optimise Study: Optimising Isolation, Quarantine and Distancing for COVID-19

• 

  The QuickStart Study

Publications (33)

2023 (2)

• Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia.
  Nguyen T, Thomas AJ, Kerr P, Stewart AC, Wilkinson AL, Nguyen L, Altermatt A, Young K, Heath K, Bowring A, Fletcher-Lartey S, Lusher D, Hill S, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  BMC Med Res Methodol. 2023 Feb; 23(1):54
• Estimating the proportion of Victorians infected with COVID-19 during the Omicron BA.1 epidemic wave of January 2022 in Australia.
  Altermatt A, Heath K, Saich F, Wilkinson AL, Scott N, Sacks-Davis R, Young K, Stoové M, Gibney KB, Hellard M
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2023 Jan; 47(1):100007

2022 (11)

• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 vaccine intention, and adherence to isolation and quarantine recommendations. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Jin D, Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Wilkinson A, Merner B, Ryan R, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Burnet Institute Optimise Study. 2022 Sep; Report 17(Sep):1-15
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 related worry, acceptability of prevention measures and confidence in Government. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Jin D, Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Ryan R, Lusher D, Wang P, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2022 Aug; Report 16(Aug):1-15
• The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining frequency, impacts of long COVID and associated concerns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Chavez KM, Wilkinson A, Heath K, Altermatt A, Young K, Nguyen T, Gibbs L, Osborne D, Jin D, Saich F
  Optimise Study. 2022 Aug; Special Report(Aug):1-13
• The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining the influence of potential cessation of the Victorian pandemic declaration. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Wilkinson A, Heath K, Altermatt A, Young K, Nguyen T, Jin D, Saich F
  Optimise Study. 2022 Jun; Special Report(Jun):1-10
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing, test positivity and contacts over time. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Jin D, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Wilkinson A, Hill S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2022 May; Report 15(May):1-13
• Mathematical modelling of the mosquito Aedes polynesiensis in a heterogeneous environment.
  Heath K, Bonsall MB, Marie J, Bossin HC
  Math Biosci. 2022 Apr; 348:108811
• The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining concerns about children returning to school in 2022. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Hill S, Merner B, Heath K, Altermatt A, Jin D, Young K, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilkinson A, Saich F
  Optimise Study. 2022 Apr; Special Report(April):1-11
• The Optimise Study: Summer 2021-2022 Snapshot. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Young K, Altermatt A, Heath K, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilkinson A, Merner B, Hill S, Saich F, Jin D
  Optimise Study. 2022 Apr; Special Report(Apr):1-20
• WHO method for estimating congenital syphilis to inform surveillance and service provision, Paraguay.
  Heath K, Alonso M, Aguilar G, Samudio T, Korenromp E, Rowley J, Suleiman A, Shwe YY, Htin KCW, Ishikawa N, Owiredu MN, Taylor M
  Bull World Health Organ. 2022 Mar; 100(3):231-236
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 worry and perceptions about infection and potential severity. (PUBLiC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Tse WC, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Hill S, Jin D, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2022 Mar; Report 14(Mar):1-10
• Intent to Be Vaccinated against COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia.
  Heath K, Altermatt A, Saich F, Pedrana A, Fletcher-Lartey S, Bowring AL, Stoové M, Danchin M, Kaufman J, Gibney KB, Hellard M
  Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Jan; 10(2)

2021 (13)

• The Optimise Study:- Impacts of the COVID-19 response on culturally and linguistically diverse communities.(PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Menon V, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Shearer F, Gibbs L, Coelho A, Fletcher-Lartey S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Dec; Report 13(Dec):1-12
• COVID-19 testing in schools and attitudes and concerns about the current state of the pandemic. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilinson A, Merner B, Hill S, Fletcher-Lartey S, Gibbs L, Gibbs L, Shearer F, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Nov; Report 12(Nov):1-13
• COVID-19 testing and vaccination. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Oct; Report 11(Mar):1-11
• The Optimise Study: Information access and communication about COVID-19. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Wilson A, Caddy C, Lim M, Vogel J, Power R, Coghlan B, Cheong M, Bradfield Z, Homer C, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Sep; Report 10:1-13
• Estimation of benzathine penicillin G demand for congenital syphilis elimination with adoption of dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests in eleven high burden countries.
  Shah S, Garg S, Heath K, Ofili O, Bansal Y, Seghers F, Storey A, Taylor M
  PLoS One. 2021 Aug; 16(8):e0256400
• The Optimise Study: Vaccination knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Griffiths D, Collie A, Lim M, Eddy S, Meagher N, McDougall C, Marinkovic Chavez K, Carpenter L, Fletcher-Lartey S, Price D, Gibbs L, Shearer F, Power R, Cheong M, Caddy C, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Aug; Report 9:1-15
• The Optimise Study: Impact of government restrictions on risk mitigation strategies. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Power R, Cheong M, Caddy C, Griffiths D, Collie A, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Jul; Report 8:1-12
• Reaching UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets worldwide: predicted benefits and treatment costs with generic manufacture.
  Heath K, Levi J, Hill A
  AIDS. 2021 Jun; 35(Suppl 2):S197-S203
• The Optimise Study: The impact of COVID19 on income and finances. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Griffiths D, Collie A, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Jun; Report 7:1-9
• The Optimise Study: Gendered differences in coping and responding to COVID-19. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 May; Report 6:1-10
• The Optimise Study: Social networks and mixing patterns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Lusher D, Radhitio Sadewo G, Wang P, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  The Optimise Study. 2021 Apr; Report 5:1-12
• The Optimise Study: Vaccine preparedness. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Hill S, Pedrana A, Munari S, Horyniak D, Walker S, Wallace J, Block K, Gibbs L, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Mar; Report 4:1-8
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing and strategies to improve testing uptake. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Davis A, Pedrana A
  Optimise Study. 2021 Feb; Report 3(Feb):1-10

2020 (2)

• Nutritional availability and larval density dependence in Aedes aegypti
  Katherine Heath, Robert S. Paton, Anthony J. Wilson, Michael B. Bonsall
  Ecol Entomol. 2020 Oct; 45(5):929-944
• Minimum costs to manufacture new treatments for COVID-19.
  Hill A, Wang J, Levi J, Heath K, Fortunak J
  J Virus Erad. 2020 Apr; 6(2):61-69

2019 (1)

• Most new HIV infections, vertical transmissions and AIDS-related deaths occur in lower-prevalence countries.
  Joe Kempton, Andrew Hill, Jacob A Levi, Katherine Heath, Anton Pozniak
  J Virus Erad. 2019 Apr; 5(2):92-101

2018 (2)

• Cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment timing considering the future entry of lower-cost generics for hepatitis C.
  Katherine Heath
  Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2018 Sep; 10:539-550
• The impact of HIV prevalence, conflict, corruption, and GDP/capita on treatment cascades: data from 137 countries.
  Jacob Levi, Anton Pozniak, Katherine Heath, Andrew Hill
  J Virus Erad. 2018 Apr; 4(2):80-90

2015 (2)

• Higher risks of mother-to-child HIV transmission in countries with lower HIV prevalence: UNAIDS 2013 results for 32 countries with generalised epidemics.
  Andrew Hill, Thomas Dauncey, Jake Levi, Katherine Heath, Carmen Perez Casas
  J Virus Erad. 2015 Oct; 1(4):257-263
• Long-Term Treatment Outcomes of Patients Infected With Hepatitis C Virus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Survival Benefit of Achieving a Sustained Virological Response.
  Bryony Simmons, Jawaad Saleem, Katherine Heath, Graham S Cooke, Andrew Hill
  Clin Infect Dis. 2015 Sep; 61(5):730-740

News Articles (1)

2020 (1)

• Drug pricing a barrier to HIV elimination