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Researcher

Emeritus Professor Mark Fort Harris

My Expertise

Primary Health Care, obesity; chronic disease prevention and management; health promotion; refugee health; aboriginal health; asthma; unemployment & health; mental health; diabetes; smoking, nutrition, physical activity; community health workers.

Fields of Research (FoR)

Primary Health Care, Preventive Medicine, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Health and Community Services, Mental Health

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Biography

I am an academic general practitioner.  My clinical work is the asylum seekers. 

Research Interests:
My research interests include:- 1. Prevention and management chronic diseases especially diabetes cardiovascular disease, in primary care. 2. Health inequalities research including interventions to improve the health status of disadvantaged groups including the unemployed, refugees (asylum seekers) and Aboriginal people.

Broad Research Areas:view more

I am an academic general practitioner.  My clinical work is the asylum seekers. 

Research Interests:
My research interests include:- 1. Prevention and management chronic diseases especially diabetes cardiovascular disease, in primary care. 2. Health inequalities research including interventions to improve the health status of disadvantaged groups including the unemployed, refugees (asylum seekers) and Aboriginal people.

Broad Research Areas:
Primary Health Care, Cardiology and Vascular Disease, Diabetes, Preventive Medicine, Health Services Research

Qualifications:
MB BS MD Syd, DRACOG, FRACGP

Society Memberships & Professional Activities:
1. Member of Australian Government Expert Advisory Committee on Population Health 2006-8, 2. Member of National Vascular Disease Partnership advisory group on Absolute Cardiovascular Risk 2006-7, 3. Member of the National Heart Foundation Clinical Issues Committee 2003-2012 , 4. Member of National Diabetes Data Working Group 1998 to present, 5. Member of Chronic disease Chronic, Aged and Community Health Health Priority Task Force for NSW Health Department 2005 to 2011t, 6. Member of Quality Committee and Chair of Red Book Task Force for RACGP 2002 to present. , 7. Member of Diabetes Australia NHMRC Type 2 Diabetes Guidelines Steering Group, 8. Member of Council of Australian Government Expert Advisory Group on Diabetes Prevention 2007-, 9. Member of Steering Committee COAG standards for Lifestyle Modification Programs for Diabetes 2008-2009, 10. Senior Examiner for Australian Medical Council, 11. Member of Expert Advisory Group on Primary Health Strategy for Australian Department of Health and Ageing 2008-9, 12. Member of Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Reference Group for Telehealth trial 2012 13. Member of NHMRC Prevention and Community Health Committee 2012-  14.Member of AVANT Doctors in Training –Research Scholarships Program Committee 2012 15. Member of National Prescribing Service Diagnostic Advisory Committee 2012

Specific Research Keywords:
Primary Health Care, Preventative Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Health inequalities, Cardiology and Vascular Disease


My Grants

His Research Support in last 5 years includes the following:

  1. NHMRC Partnership Project. APP 1106372 2015-20. Russell G, Harris M, Lewis V, Teede H, Pottie K, Hogg W, Meadows G, Enticott J, Advocat J, Cheng I-H, The OPTIMISE project: Collaborative improvement of PHC delivery to the Australian refugee community. $ 949,467.
  2. Goldstein D, Harris MF, Pimanda J, Liauw W, Crowe P, Philips J, Braithwaite J. Translational Cancer Research Network. Cancer Institute of NSW Translational Cancer Research Centre Grant 2016-2021.  ($6.5m).
  3. NHMRC Project (APP1125681) 2017-20. Harris MF, Stocks N, Nutbeam D, Zwar N, Karnon J, Denny-Wilson E, Lloyd J, Liaw ST, Lau A, Noakes M. Preventing chronic disease in patients with low health literacy using e-health and teamwork in primary health care. ($1.26m).
  4. NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation/Sax Evidence Review 2017. Harris MF, Faruqi N, Thomas L, Findlay T, Parker S, Harris-Roxas B, Taggart J, Spooner C. Systematic Review of Interventions for people with type 2 Diabetes in the Community. ($78,000)
  5. World Health Organization. 2018. Harris MF, Haig F, De Leeuw E, Liaw ST. A literature review of gender-sensitive and equity focused service delivery models. ($70,000)
  6. NSW Cancer Institute: Innovations in Cancer Control Grant. 2018. 84. Liauw W, Taggart J, Chin M, Harris MF. Sharing Follow Up Care for Patients with Cancer. ($120,000).
  7. Osborne R, Harris MF, Kinsman L, Thomas N, Batterham R, Elmer S, Tranter R, Kosseris N, Harris-Roxas B, Spooner C, Curtis J, Smith J, Hayman N.  Production, Delivery, and Evaluation of a Mental Health Literacy Approach and Materials. 2019  Mental Health Commission of NSW $1.2m.
  8. Harris MF, Aslani P, Levesque J-F, Barr M, Sharm A, Harris-Roxas B, Wright M, Osborne R. Community Health workers Extending Care in the Community.  NHMRC Partnership project. NHMRC APP1196912 $1.004m Partners SLHD, CESPHN, Health Consumers NSW, ACI. 2021-2024
  9. Lintzeris N, Harris MF, McGlynn A, Gatsi M et al Mindgardens Clinical Pathways Project.  Mindgardens/SESLHD $499,600
  10. McDonald A,  Harris MF, Simpson A, Baillie A, Spooner C, Anderson K Cunich M, Parcsi L, Harris-Roxas B, Huchings O, Moore M.   Enhancing integration with primary care of patients with severe mental illness using a web-based shared care plan and telehealth solution  NSW Health Translational Research Grant Scheme Round 5 2021-2023 $998,750
  11. Trollor J, Harris MF et al.  Developing a Model of Preventative Healthcare for People with Intellectual Disability. NHMRC Partnership Project $2m. 2021-2025
  12. Harris MF, Chin M, Lieuw W, Taggart J.  Shared e-care for patients with breast and colorectal cancer.  AVANT Foundation $100,000 2021-23

My Qualifications

MBBS

FRACGP

MD


My Awards

  1. Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) 2018

 

  1. North American Primary Care Research Group: President’s award 2017

 

  1. Fellow of Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science 2015

 

  1. The 2014 Muru Marri Indigenous Health Impact Prize

 

  1. 2013 Peter Baume Public Health Impact Award.  School of Pubic Health and Community Medicine, UNSW.

 

  1. 2009 Honorary Life Fellow of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

 

  1. Humanitarian Awards 2010 -  Health Award.  Refugee Council of Australia and NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors.

 

  1. Australian Association for Academic Primary Care “Charles Bridges-Webb Medal”  2010

My Research Activities

He is Executive Director of the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity 

His contributions have been largely in the prevention and management of chronic conditions and in the health of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients including indigenous Australians and refugees. His most contributed topics in the past five years are primary health care, prevention, shared care and self-management of long-term conditions diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer), digital health, refugee health and access to primary health care by vulnerable population groups and community health workers as health navigators.

This research has involved collaborations with researchers in Australia and overseas (especially in the UK, Canada and NZ) and informed government and professional policy, evidence-based guidelines and practice at local, state and national levels.  His research into prevention and management of chronic disease in primary health care has led to the development of better practice in the sector. He has conducted previous trials in general practice and community health services on preventive care, including a project on Implementing Guidelines for Preventive Care in General Practice, a Centre of Research Excellence on Management and Prevention of Obesity in Primary Health Care and a large trial of m-health in preventive care for patients with low health literacy in general practice.  He currently leads implementation trials of Community Health Workers outreaching care into the community, and   web-based interactive shared care plans for cancer survivors and patients with severe mental health illness. He has conducted health equity research with socially disadvantaged groups (Aboriginal and refugee populations). These have informed policy and services in PHC and non-government organisations.

 


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

ILP, Honours, Masters, PhD in the following areas:

  1. Prevention and management of long term conditions in primary health care (including diabetes, cardiovascular disease) especially in disadvantaged and high risk population groups (including patients with severe mental illness)
  2. Health of refugee and asylum seekers especially in primary health care
  3. Role of community health workers and peer health workers in health services including preventive care, integrated care between hospital care and primary health care.
  4. Health literacy 

Currently supervising

Charlotte Hespe, Quality improvement in primary health care

Prince Peprah, Barriers and facilitators to primary care for recently arrived refugees.

Tejas Kanhere, Experience using a health app in primary health care for preventive care

Uday Yadav, Health literacy and self management of chronic respiratory disease in Nepal

Sabuj Kanti Mystry, Community Health Workers as navigators in general practice

Katherine Thorburne, Codesign and evaluation of intervention to improve care for people with severe mental illness in general practice

Vera Buss Development of risk profiling matrix for chronic diseases and preventive smartphone application

Rashid Ansari, Self-management of type 2 diabetes: focusing on the middle-aged population of rural area of Peshawar Pakistan

 

 


My Teaching

MPH Stream: Primary Health Care

MPH course: 9129 Prevention and Management of Chronic Disease in PHC.

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Location

3rd Floor AGSM Building, UNSW
(First building on left through gate 11)

Contact

+612 9385 8384
+612 9385 1513