Established in 2013, the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre seeks to foster multidisciplinary research relating to lifestyle, health and wellbeing. The Centre brings together academics from Avondale University as well as collaborating researchers from other Australian and International institutions. The mission of the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre is to enhance health and wellbeing through high-impact research and community engagement.
Our Research Themes
The mission of the Lifestyle Medicine & Health Research Centre is to enhance health and wellbeing through high-impact research and community engagement. Dedicated to scholarly endeavours that make a difference in real-world contexts, the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre focuses on four key areas of research:
Infection Prevention & Control
Healthcare-associated infections—infections resulting from a person receiving healthcare—are relatively common, but a large proportion can be prevented. World-first studies led by Professor Brett Mitchell and his team of researchers have demonstrated the impact of these infections within healthcare centres and emphasised the need for more conscientious practices.
Prof Mitchell co-hosts a podcast called Infection Control Matters with colleagues Martin Keirnan and Phillip Russo, in which they discuss the latest scientific publications in the area, often joined by the lead researchers on the paper who provide further insights into the research.
Lifestyle Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing High levels of mental ill health are being reported worldwide. Researchers from the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre are active in the development and dissemination of lifestyle-based interventions and initiatives, such as The Lift Project, to address this growing concern. In particular, researchers from the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre have a special interest in implementation research, studying how lifestyle programs can be used for optimal impact in various settings including educational, workplace, healthcare and community.
Prof Morton and PhD Candidate Simon Matthews also host The Lift Podcast where they explore various topics about health and wellbeing, from the power of positivity to embracing failure.
Nicotine and Smoking Cessation
Facilitated by passionate smoking cessation advocate Renee Bittoun and the LMHRC’s Master of Lifestyle Medicine Course Coordinator Dr Mel Renfrew, the Lifestyle Medicine & Health Research Centre began offering Nicotine Addiction Smoking & Vaping Cessation short-courses and Vaping Cessation master classes in 2023 to raise awareness and provide professional development training. With around 57 attendees in 2023, this number jumped to just over 100 in 2024.
Health and Humanities
Lead by Associate Professor Carolyn Rickett, this research area explores the intersection of health, spirituality, and the written word, with a special focus on bibliotherapy. Publications include:
Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre researchers partner and collaborate with several organisations and other academic institutions. Some of these include:
Australian Partners
Lake Macquarie City Council Lismore City Council Ballina City Council Tweed Valley City Council Byron Bay City Council Richmond Valley Council Lift Lifestyle Medicine Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine Barker College Monash University University of Newcastle Hunter Medical Research Institute Central Coast Local Health District (NSW) Cabrini Health MEZRIT Queensland University of Technology Alfred Health GAMA Healthcare Hunter, New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network Adventist Development and Relief Agency Royal Melbourne Hospital Sydney Adventist Hospital Australian College of Nursing Sigma Nursing Clinical Excellence Commission (NSW)
International Partners
American College of Lifestyle Medicine Global Lifestyle Medicine Alliance Andrews University La Sierra University Finger Lakes School District (USA) Duke NUS
Research Codes
The outputs & publications of the LMHRC can be reported under the following codes: PLEASE NOTE that the lists below only comprise codes which are relevant to and closely aligned with the themes of this Research Centre:
Fields of Research
320701 Medical Bacteriology 320702 Medical infection agents (incl. prions) 321005 Public Health Nutrition 420101 Arts therapy 420109 Rehabilitation 4202 Epidemiology 4203 Health services and systems 420316 Palliative care 420501 Acute Care 420605 Preventive Health Care 440902 Counselling, wellbeing and community services 4504 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing 4516 Pacific Peoples health and wellbeing 4701 Communication and media studies
Fields of Education
601 Medical Studies 603 Nursing 613 Public Health 699 Other Health 1007 Communications and Media Studies 1099 Other Creative Arts