Rodney Jackson - BSc, MBChB, DipObst, MMS, PhD
Rod graduated from the University with a BSc in Biology in 1976, an MBChB in 1978, a Diploma in Obstetrics in 1981, a Master of Medical Science in 1984, and a PhD in Community Health in 1985.
Rod is currently Professor of Epidemiology, and Head of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the School of Population Health, in the University's Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. He is also the director of EPIQ, an in-house group undertaking teaching, research and consultancies in evidence-based practice, health informatics and quality improvement for healthcare services.
Rod's professional work involves the application of epidemiological research methods and evidence to improve the health of populations, both in public health and population healthcare. His main research interests are cardiovascular disease and road traffic injury.
Rod teaches epidemiology and its applications in public health and population healthcare practice at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His main research for the last 25 years has been the epidemiology of chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases. Over the last 10-15 years his main focus has been to make epidemiological evidence on cardiovascular risk and treatment benefits more accessible to those working in population healthcare practice, particularly clinicians and health care planners and funders. He is currently involved in developing and implementing a web-based decision support system to help primary care practitioners across the country systematically manage CVD and diabetes risk at the 'moment of care' for their practice populations.
Rod has become increasingly involved in a series of epidemiological studies on road traffic injury in the past 15 years. His research on road traffic injury is very much in the public health arena with a focus both on causation and effective public health interventions. Experience gained from this research in New Zealand is now being 'exported' to the Pacific with studies underway in Fiji and planned for Samoa and Palau.
