Researcher biography

Sophie Dwyer has had a diverse career in public, environment, and occupational health, commencing with role as research officer with the Queensland Workers Health Centre.  She spent most of her career working in Queensland Health including responsibility for a range of public health environment and regulatory programs including food safety, drugs and poisons regulation, radiation safety, water quality, climate change and health impacts of environmental risks.  She was also awarded a Public Service Medal for her work in environmental and public health, and an Honorary Fellowship of Environmental Health Australia.

Though recently retired, she maintains an active connection with environmental health through her role as co-convenor of the PHAA Ecology and Environment SIG, chair of the Radiation Health Expert,  Board member on the Climate and Health alliance,  Reference Panel for Enhealth and Adjunct roles at Queensland and Griffith Universities.

I have a particular interest in working with students on the policy implications of their work. QAEHS work provides the necessary science to inform how government, industry and community may mitigate the risks that the environment may pose for their health. Developing policy responses is a complex balance of the evidence, community values and preferences and political context.