ProfDavid Sibbritt

David is a Professor of Epidemiology who focuses on chronic diseases and in particular, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

“My research tries to understand how people with chronic illnesses, living in the community, manage their symptoms using self-management strategies,” he said.

David founded the pan-university UTS Stroke Research Collaborative (SRC) in 2024. Bringing together more than 40 researchers, the SRC is committed to pioneering new rehabilitation methods that empower stroke survivors to live independently and with dignity. Through collaborative research efforts, the SRC strives to deliver breakthroughs that improve quality of life and foster resilience for stroke survivors and their families.

David also led an evaluation of the National Diabetes Services Scheme – a government initiative which aims to enhance the capacity of people with diabetes to understand and self-manage their life with diabetes. His team undertook an independent, objective evaluation of NDSS programs, services, and subsidised products to support ongoing continuous improvement of the delivery of the NDSS. This extensive project informed the Commonwealth Department of Health of the future direction of the scheme.

David is an experienced quantitative researcher, with expertise in research methodology and statistical analyses.

“I became interested in statistics during my undergraduate mathematics degree because I could see that in the field of health, it could have benefit for the wider community,” he said.

David is also a recipient of the Public Health Association of Australia mentor of the year award, for his extensive mentoring of junior academics. He has also supervised more than 40 PhD students to successful completion.

“Supervision has been a real passion of mine, I love the fact that I can train the next generation of researchers,” he said.

He has produced more than 400 academic publications, with an H-Index of >60, and has received more than 17,000 citations. David has been named in the Stanford University top 2% of Scientists for the past 5 years. He has also been a chief investigator on numerous National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Research Council-funded projects.

Under his leadership, the School of Public Health has focused on teaching post-graduate and undergraduate course in a way that is innovative through its use of technology, visual aids and the delivery structure.

“We are a young and innovative university, we provide courses that are cutting-edge, and we have a wealth of experienced academics with a full range of expertise,” he said.