NEWS
09.12.2022 PowerLab co-directors Prof Xiaoqi Feng and Prof Thomas Astell-Burt publish a commentary in the prestigious “The Lancet Planetary Health”.
The paper “Lonelygenic environments: a call for research on multilevel determinants of loneliness” discusses the loneliness found across our communities and the factors which may influence it. From social media, stigma, physical and mental health, transport and loss of tree canopy and recreational green space.
Prof Astell-Burt and Prof Feng call for research to establish a foundation of evidence that measures lonelygenic environments, which could vary from place to place, and to integrate that evidence into optimising loneliness reduction strategies that work for everyone.
27.11.2022 Thomas’ greenspace and loneliness conceptual model is making a mark through @EndLonelinessUK's report on Built Environment
24.11.2022 Shumi Mushangwe, PowerLab PhD candidate, presents at the HAS Inaugural Annual HDR Student Conference. Shumi presented her published paper titled "Ethnic inequalities in green space availability: Evidence from Australia."
24.11.2022 Eme John, PowerLab PhD candidate, presents at the HAS Inaugural Annual HDR Student Conference. Eme presented his recently published paper titled “Green space and inequities in healthy ageing: are grasses greener on the socioeconomically advantages side?”
16.11.2022 Time to celebrate! One million trees planted as part of the Greening our City Premier's Priority featuring PowerLab research.
We recognise that PowerLab.site findings on #greenspace and #health will have long-lasting Research Impact.
07.10.2022 New publication for A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng, Prof Thomas Astell-Burt and PowerLab colleagues.
09.11.2022 PowerLab Co-Director Professor Thomas Astell-Burt has been named as the best in Australia from 14 fields of research in The Australian newspaper’s annual list highlighting Australian research excellence.
Thomas was recognised in the Australian Research 2023 Magazine as the top researcher in two fields, environmental and occupational medicine, and toxicology.
Congratulations Thomas!
07.11.2022 To mark mental health awareness month, Prof Thomas Astell-Burt in conjunction with the University of Wollongong (UOW) hosted a symposium on a pressing issue affecting more than one in four Australians – loneliness.
Reducing Loneliness Together brought together academics, representatives of patients, carers and their families, and experts across the health, urban planning and greening sectors, all committed to working towards identifying potentially effective and equitable solutions to loneliness.
07.11.2022 Professor Astell-Burt reflects that across 2022 it’s been an honour for him to collaborate on a #loneliness report with so many influential Australians in The Groundswell Foundation Reference Group & @kpmgaustralia, consummately led by @mblake_iHelm.
03.11.2022 Dr Faysal Kabir Shuvo celebrated his PhD graduation with family and friends at UOW Campus. Congratulations to Faysal on this special occasion!
07.10.2022 Reducing Loneliness Together. Effective Scalable Solutions For Everyone. Workshop open to UOW Staff & PhD Students.
Reducing Loneliness Together will feature a range of speakers with diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise who, through a process of sharing discoveries and discussing ideas, will work towards identifying potentially effective and equitable solutions to loneliness.
Speakers so far include Professor Patricia M. Davidson Vice-Chancellor UOW, Professor David Currow Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Health and Sustainable Futures) UOW, Professor Thomas Astell-Burt Professor, UOW and Founding Co-Director of PowerLab, Dr Summer Finlay, Senior Lecturer UOW, Martin Blake Chair, Groundswell Foundation, Nieves Murray CEO, Suicide Prevention Australia, Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon Executive Director, Cities Revitalisation and Place, Transport for NSW, Phil Pettitt Community Greening Manager, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Catherine Lourey Commissioner, NSW Mental Health Commission & Dr Anthony Brown Executive Director Health Consumers NSW.
16.09.2022 ARC Grant success for PowerLab Co-Director Professor Thomas Astell-Burt! Thomas’ Future Fellowship project, “Generating evidence for nature-based strategies to reduce loneliness”, aims to develop effective and scalable community-focussed solutions to the loneliness epidemic. Thomas has received funding of $1,046,924 over four years.
07.09.2022 New publication for PowerLab PhD graduate Dr Selin Akaraci and PowerLab Co-Directors A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng & Prof Astell-Burt T: Associations between green space, air pollution and birthweight in Sydney Metropolitan Area, Australia. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 76, 127726.
23.08.2022 A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng is interviewed on ABC Perth Radio. The interview will be available shortly on the Videos & Audio page
18.08.2022 A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng is interviewed on Radio Adelaide. The interview will be available shortly on the Videos & Audio page
17.08.2022 New publication in The Conversation for PowerLab Co-Directors. Co-Authored by A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng & Prof Thomas Astell-Burt, discussing how quality green spaces offer a solution to loneliness.
02.08.2022 New PowerLab publication: Astell-Burt T, Hartig T, Putra IG, Walsan R, Dendup T, Feng X. Green space and loneliness: a systematic review with theoretical and methodological guidance for future research. Science of The Total Environment.
27.07.2022 PowerLab Co-Director A/P Xiaoqi Feng invitated to be a speaker in October at Bloomberg CityLab 2022 global cities summit.
18.07.2022 A/P Xiaoqi Feng features in an interview with Inner West Connections about “Callan Park - the green asylum”.
Listen to or read the article. Xiao features from 00:23:50min.
16.07.2022 Publication in The Lancet by PowerLab Co _directors Feng and Astell-Burt: “Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020.”
18.07.2022 PhD candidate new publication for Eme John "Green space and inequities in healthy ageing: are grasses greener on the socioeconomically advantaged side?" will be published in the journal Ecopsychology.
12.07.2022 New publication for PowerLab Co-Directors “Perceived Qualities, Visitation and Felt Benefits of Preferred Nature Spaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: A Nationally-Representative Cross-Sectional Study of 2940 Adults”
07.07.2022 New publication for PowerLab Co-Directors: “Nature prescriptions for community and planetary health: unrealised potential to improve compliance and outcomes in physiotherapy”
01.07.2022 Dr I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra – PowerLab Graduate – is awarded Best Oral Presentation and Young Investigator Award at the recent ISEE-AWPC & ISES-AC Joint Conference 2022 Awards. Congratulations Edi!
01.07.2022 Thomas presents at Connect & Share #102 hosted by Outdoors NSW & ACT.
30.06.2022 New publication for Prof Astell-Burt and colleagues “Mental health clinicians’ perceptions of nature-based interventions within community mental health services: evidence from Australia”
28.06.2022 A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng presents at George Talks. Xiao’s key message was contact with #nature is so important for our #MentalHealth and #Wellbeing, so let's find ways to make that an option for all💚🌳😃🌴
23.06.2022 New publication for PowerLab Co-Directors “Nature prescriptions for community and planetary health: unrealised potential to improve compliance and outcomes in physiotherapy”
21.06.2022 ISEE AWPC 2022 Conference presentations from PowerLab members:
-“Changing environment and health” By A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng
- “Have we reached peak greenness Green space and health research in the “big data” era” By Prof Thomas Astell-Burt
-“Does quality neighbourhood green space promote kindness among children? If yes, how? Evidence from Australia” By Dr I Gusti Ngurah Edi Putra
21.06.2022 “Changing environment and health” recording featuring A/Prof Feng, now available to watch on our VIDEO page
21.06.2022 “Have we reached peak-greenness? Green space and health research in the “big data” era” recording featuring Prof Astell-Burt now available to watch on our VIDEO page
08.06.22 PowerLab Co-Directors invited by @SydneyLHD to give a webinar on Geomapping in #publichealth.
Slides available in our Resources
30.05.2022 A/Prof Feng hosts ISEE AWPC webinar with Prof Haidong Kan of FuDan University. Prof Kan spoke about his career and new research on airpollution & health. Watch on ISEE Global Education Channel
30.05.2022 PowerLab graduate Dr Edi Putra shares his latest publication with Prof Astell-Burt and A/Prof Feng, who featured in @IntJObesity! Enabling health-promoting environments might be a key to combat an unhealthy weight increase in childhood 🌳
12.05.2022 Landscape Australia publish article written by Co-Directors Feng and Astell-Burt.
5.05.2022 A/Professor Xiaoqi Feng spoke on ABC Radio Canberra with Georgia Stynes, on how nature promotes our health.
The interview will be available on our Videos & Audio page shortly.
05.05.2022 Invited talk for Prof Thomas Astell-Burt at the XV World Forestry Congress 2022. Professor Astell-Burt gave an engaging invited talk at the XV World Forestry Congress 2022. Thomas spoke for ~6 minutes on loneliness, more green time, tree canopy and the associated health benefits of increasing visitations to green space. The presentation can be viewed here: https://t.co/45mV1sS68p
18.04.2022 Findings from Prof Astell-Burt and A/Prof Feng impacts the @UNBiodiversity 3:30:300 rule developed by Prof Cecil Konijnendijk, by showing 30% tree canopy helps to keep people healthy.
06.04.2022 Congratulations to Dr Edi Putra of PowerLab, whose PhD on understanding the association between neighbourhood green space quality and prosocial behaviour across childhood and adolescence was officially completed last week. Edi is now a postdoc at the University of Liverpool in the UK.
05.04.2022 PowerLab Co-Director A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng Honoured to co-chair #EMCR sessions with
01.04.2022 PowerLab Co-Director Prof Thomas Astell-Burt comments how it was a pleasure to be listening, learning and sharing ideas and actions on social and environmental determinants of health equity with @UOW_VC and other @UOW colleagues and alumni @CUGHnews conference.
01.04.2022 Prof Thomas Astell-Burt presents in webinar for CUGH – Consortium of Universities of Global Health – CUGH supports academic institutions and partners to improve the wellbeing of people and the planet through education, research, service, and advocacy.
30.03.2022 Keynote presentation for Prof Astell-Burt at franc.sydney 2022 titled "Prescribe nature for community and planetary health". franc.sydney 2022 is powered by Stormwater NSW. Franc.sydney aims to facilitate sustainable development that is future focused, resilient, and adaptive through a networked community.
Conference details can be found at http://franc.sydney
18.03.2022 In acknowledgement of #worldsleepday2022 ‘More trees🌳better sleep s💤 healthier planet🌏’ @ConversationEDU: article Prof written by Prof Astell-Burt & A/Prof Feng for #WorldSleepDay
14.02.2022 New publication for Prof Astell-Burt, A/Prof Feng & colleagues: Types and Aspects of Front-of-Package Labeling Preferred by Parents: Insights for Policy Making in China. Nutrients
01.02.2022 New Publication for PowerLab Co-Directors: More green, less lonely? A longitudinal cohort study, International Journal of Epidemiology
17.01.2022 New Publication for PowerLab PhD candidate Edi & Co-Directors: Is prosocial behaviour a missing link between green space quality and child health-related outcomes?. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
09.02.2022 A/Prof Feng reflects on how PowerLab & others research shows that being in #nature is good for health. During COVID, we found people spend more time in greenspace. Doctors in Canada can now prescribe national park passes. Australia has beautiful nature too, why don’t we have a nature prescribing system?
06.01.2022 Professor Thomas Astell-Burt & Associate Professor Xiaoqi Feng feature as collaborators in the GBD 2019 Dementia Forecasting Collaborators team, as featured in the new publication “Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019”
05.01.2022 New publication for PowerLab Co-Director A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng. “Association between community average body mass index and perception of overweight”
04.01.2022 Professor Thomas Astell-Burt and A/Professor Xiaoqi Feng are delighted to be invited to be key speakers at @ISEE_global @iseeawpc joint conference this year to discuss research on #BigData #environment and #PublicHealth, especially #greenspace & #EnvironmentalJustice and #health projects
Conference details can be found at https://www.isee-awpc2022.sg/
07.01.2022 “Residential green space and age at menarche in German and Australian adolescent girls: A longitudinal study” A new publication for PowerLab Directors with colleagues from Germany, Norway, Melbourne & Poland.
16.12.2021 PowerOn'21 brought together PowerLab members from 14 countries to celebrate achievements and happy moments from 2021
02.12.2021 Congratulations to PowerLab PhD candidate Edi Putra on his recent wedding ceremony
04.11.2021 PowerLab’s Prof Thomas Astell-Burt will feature as invited speaker in December’s World Urban Parks Congress.
28.10.2021 PowerLab celebrates World Cities Day on 31 October 2021. Our PowerCard on Urban green space and health aligns with this year’s theme of: Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience. Read More here: Link to article
28.10.2021 NSW DPIE Valuing Green Infrastructure & Public Spaces high-level discussion on challenges of valuing green infrastructure and open spaces, with Prof Thomas Astell-Burt. View twitter details here and here. View event summary here
26.10.2021 Prof Astell-Burt features as Keynote at the UN/FAO’s 3rd Asia Pacific Urban Forestry Meeting ‘Healthy Cities’ panel, also featuring PowerLab’s A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng. View Twitter details here. View event summary here.
27.10.2021 Congratulations to PowerLab graduate Dr Tashi Dendup on his new role as Senior Health Program Manager with Save the Children Country Office, Bhutan. Best wishes Dr Dendup!
21.10.2021 New PowerLab publication: ‘Is urban green space associated with lower mental healthcare expenditure?’ This paper is in collaboration with UNSW and The George Institute.
19.10.2021 PowerLab comes together to discuss Climate action at PowerOn!
30.09.2021 Insights into Healthy Ageing research by PhD Candidate Eme John, as we acknowledge International Older Persons Day on 1st October
22.09.2021 PowerOn meeting with the UN SDG Goal #11 as our theme, highlighting our research on Sustainable Cities and Communities
21.09.2021 Happy Mid-Autumn festival from PowerLab!
21.09.2021 New Green Space publication for PowerLab Directors “Green Space and Health in Mainland China: A Systematic Review”
20.09.2021 New publication from PowerLab: Feng X, Toms R, Astell-Burt T. 2021. Association between green space, outdoor leisure time and physical activity. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 127349.
17.09.2021 Congratulations to Prof Thomas Astell-Burt, who was part of a UOW Major Equipment Grant awarded $74,405, led by Senior Prof Tony Okely
16.09.2021 PowerLab
Co-Directors A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng and Prof Thomas Astell-Burt make invited presentations with the Greater Sydney Landcare Network. Watch the video
12.09.2021. It’s Dementia Action Week from 20-26 September 2021. Here is how PowerLab’s research is helping to take action! See our PowerGraphic on Dementia
03.09.2021 With the upcoming “R U OK Day” on 9 September 2021, we are reminded how green spaces can help us feel less lonely.
Read the article here
27.08.2021 PowerLab Directors support #WearItPurpleDay2021
@UrbanFeng @ProfAstellBurt
17.08.2021 Presentation for Illawarra Shoalhaven Walk Alliance with Professor Astell-Burt
30.05.2021 PhD candidate Selin Akaraci submits PhD thesis
16.12.2020 PowerLab PhD candidate Tashi Dendup successfully completes his PhD Thesis “Built environment and prevention of type 2 diabetes.”
25.11.2020 Successful research proposal review by PhD Candidate Jiangmei Liu
25.11.2020 PowerLab members share joyful news at HAS school meeting. We shared things that have bought us joy in a tough year. We spoke of food, pets, family and most importantly, our support for each other
22.07.2020 PhD candidate Edi participated in the 3MT – UOW’s Three Minute Thesis Competition. His presentation was titled "Can nature help children to be kind?"
14.05.2020 PhD candidate Tashi Dendup presents virtually at Preventive Health Conference (PHAA). Presentation titled: Built environment and diabetes incidence: Exploring potential mediating pathways in a longitudinal study
22.04.2020 HAS School Research Seminar on Zoom
03.03.2020 PhD Candidate Faysal Shuvo successfully completed his Phd candidature, entitled "Green space provision, quality and use in diverse international settings"
18.11.2019 POWERTALK: Prof Terry Hartig, Uppsala University, Sweden, presents on 18 November 2019
10.2019 Prof Thomas Astell-Burt and A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng visit Peking Union Medical College
09.10.2019 POWERTALK: Dr May El Barachi, on 9 October 2019
28.08.2019 PowerFest’19
19.08.2019 PhD candidate Eme John joins PowerLab
01.08.2019 Promotion for A/P Xiaoqi Feng
19.07.2019 Thomas Astell-Burt becomes an IHMRI panel representative on IHMRI's new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
15.07.2019 PhD Candidate Edi Putra joins PowerLab
31.05.2019 Professor Thomas Astell-Burt presents at ISGLOBAL Barcelona, Spain
29.04.2019 PowerLab welcomes research Assistant Phil Kosiak
24.04.2019 PowerLab Co-Directors and PhD candidates present at the School of Health and Society Research Seminar
29.05.2019 Thomas, Xiaoqi and Glenn (Faculty Exec Dean) visit UCL UK
19.05.2019 POWERTALK Dr Ronan Foley
16.05.2019 POWERTALK: Professor Ian Wright, May 2019
14.02.2021 POWERTALK: Professor Anne McMunn, UCL UK, February 2019
11.02.2019 POWERTALK: Professor Angie Wade, UCL UK, February 2019
25.02.2019 Xiaoqi Feng celebrating female researchers at IHMRI event with Dame Bridget Ogilvie
09.01.2019 PhD BLOG feature
07.12.2018 POWERTALK'18 Strengthening UOW academic – community partnerships
5.12.2018 PowerLab Office moves to the Innovation Campus
22.11.2018 Kidsafe Keynote presented by A/Prof Xiaoqi Feng in Sydney
15.11.2018 Dr Sarah Foster & Dr Paula Hooper present PowerTalk: The HIGH LIFE
12.11.2018 New Staff member Walt Davis joins Powerlab
30.10.2018 Dr Iain Butterworth gives PowerTalk
23.08.2018 Xiaoqi Feng presents AHPA Symposium Keynote at Old Parliament House, Canberra
01.08.2018 Clearing the air on causes of Diabetes
23.07.2018 The PowerLab has welcomed PhD candidate Shumirai Mushangwe.
08.06.2018 PowerLab PhD candidate Tashi Dendup had great success and received a “Highly Commended” award in the Faculty of Social Sciences heat of the ‘3 Minute Thesis’ competition!
2&3 .05.2018 Professor Gavin Turrell visited UOW & presented the PowerTalk seminar & PowerUp workshop
01.05.2018 The PowerLab has welcomed PhD candidate Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz
26 & 27.04 2018 PowerTalk with Dr Sjerp de Vries
25.04.2018 Thomas is appointed an Adjunct Professor in Population Health and Environment at the School of Public Health in Peking Union Medical College, the top medical school in China. Thomas’ appointment recognises his research and capacity building in epidemiology and environmental health in China.
18.04.2019 PowerLab graduations
13.12.2017 We made food and had fun at the annual end of year party to celebrate a very fine first year of PowerLab
10.11.2017 Dr Xiaoqi Feng was awarded a second research fellowship of 2017. This time it was the Australian Research Council for the 2018 Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (DECRA), worth $319,996, also for research on child health and environment
23.11.2017 - 18.01.2018 Visiting Associate Fellows from China CDC
08.11.2017 PowerTalk Honorary Professor Bin Jalaludin
03.11.2017 National Urban Greening Research Forum hosted by PowerLab Directors
11.10.2017 Co-Director Xiaoqi Feng was awarded a four-year, $431,000 NHMRC Career Development Fellowship
29.09. 2017 Dr Iana Markevych’s visit to PowerLab for research collaborations.
21.09.2017 PowerTalk Dr Danelle Lobdell
15.09.2017 HORT Innovation collaboration with PowerLab
17-15.08.2017 PowerTalk Visiting International Scholar Awardee Professor Terry Hartig visits PowerLab
07.08.2017 Co-Director Thomas Astell-Burt was awarded $719,840 for an NHMRC Boosting Dementia Research Leader Fellowship
05.08.2017 PowerLab teamed up with NIASRA to provide PowerTools workshops on multilevel modelling in the social sciences. The focus was on capacity building among PhD students and Early Career Researchers
05.07.2017 Co-Director Xiaoqi Feng received the UOW Vice Chancellor’s award for Emerging Researcher of the year
1-2.05. 2017 Associate Professors David Reif and Jane Hoppin visit PowerLab for PowerTalk and research collaboration
02.05.2017 Associate Professor Thomas Astell-Burt and Dr Xiaoqi Feng were part of the winning team – Western Sydney Diabetes – who were awarded both the Award for Productive Partnerships and the Pemulwuy Prize at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s “Out There Summit”.
14.03.2017 PowerTalk with Long-term collaborator Professor Billie Giles-Corti
05.06.2017 Research collaborator Professor Susan Thompson of UNSW City Futures Research Centre visited PowerLab to give a PowerTalk
05.07.2016 Dr Xiaoqi Feng named one of UOW's Women of Impact
05.07.2016 Associate Professor Thomas Astell-Burt and Dr Xiaoqi Feng were awarded the UOW Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research Partnership, with Professor Glen Maberly and the Western Sydney Diabetes Leadership Alliance