VicHealth researcher: John Fitzgerald
"…these important public health programs and policies benefit from an innovative and novel approach"
Associate Professor John Fitzgerald, a principal research fellow at the Centre for Health & Society, University of Melbourne, is examining the evidence base for needle and syringe programs, and alcohol and drug policy.
Contact Associate Professor Fitzgerald
Email: jlfitz@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 03 8344 9146
John’s interest is in developing alternative sources of evidence to address some of the intractable political and policy tensions in needle and syringe programs and drug policy. Creating new types of evidence about syringe programs is essential for the continued development of innovations in this important public health arena. He has focused on using digital video stories that document the cultural meaning of syringes. His on-line exhibition, Needle and Syringe Cultures provides an international perspective on the cultural meaning of syringes. His work has been exhibited internationally and used for training in workforce development in the sector.
Similarly, John’s approach to alcohol policy research has been to ask novel questions about alcohol consumption among AFL footballers, and to explore new regulatory regimes for reducing alcohol-related harm at a local government level.
In late 2007 John was appointed Associate Dean (Knowledge Transfer), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, at the University of Melbourne. In this role he has been able to develop an inclusive framework for knowledge transfer and contribute to VicHealth’s own thinking about its role in creating a unique space for dialogue between research producers and research users.
For John, his Senior Fellowship has enabled the production of significant innovations in research and knowledge transfer. The fellowship offers a unique opportunity to link research production with modes of knowing and experiencing the world that are targeted to the general population. John’s Fellowship exemplifies a contemporary approach to evidence-based practice, where the nature of the evidence produced has congruence with its cultural context.