The University of Western Australia

Assoc/Prof Angus Cook

Director, Environmental Determinants of Chronic Disease, Ecology and Health/Research Coordinator
School of Population Health

Contact details

Address

School of Population Health
The University of Western Australia (M431)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 7805

Fax

6488 1188

Email

angus.cook@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

MB ChB Auck., PhD Otago

Biography

Dr Angus COOK is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Epidemiology with affiliations both with the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, and the Ecology and Health research group at the School of Population Health, University of Western Australia. Dr Cook completed his doctorate in Environmental Epidemiology (2007).

Key research

Environmental Health

Bisoecurity and health

Global trends and Population Health

Publications

Refereed Journal articles (past 5 years)


5.Cook A, Jardine A and Weinstein P. Using human disease outbreaks as a guide to multilevel ecosystem interventions. Environmental Health Perspectives 2004; 112: 1143-6
6.Cook, A., Finkelman, R., and Weinstein, P. Geological factors in the emergence of infectious disease. Pathology International 2004; 54 (Supp. 1): S131-5
7.Chisholm K, Cook A, Bower C, Heyworth J, Weinstein P. Maternal exposure to water disinfection by-products and adverse birth, neonatal and early childhood outcomes. Epidemiology 2004, 15(4), S104
8.Tomkins CS, Cook AG, Speldewinde PC, Lee YP, Thompson P, Weinstein P. Comparing asthma rates across regional environments: is spatial modelling possible and plausible? Eur Respir J 2005; 26. p376.
9.Cook A, Weinstein P, Centeno J. Health Effects of Natural Dust: Role of Trace Elements and Compounds. Biological Trace Element Research 2005;103(1): 001-016102.
10.Youd JM, Wu A, Tomkins CS, Lee YP, Cook AG, Thompson PJ, Weinstein P. (2006) Are asthma hospitalisations caused by living near major highways?: a GIS approach. Epidemiology 17(6) S291
11.Youd JM, Tomkins CS, Islam NJ, Cook AG, Thompson PJ, Weinstein P. (2006) Development of a traffic exposure metric to determine long term respiratory health effects. Epidemiology 17(6) Suppl: S291
12.Tomkins, CS; Youd, JM; Cook, AG; Njue, F, Selvarajah, S; Stokes, K; Thompson, P J; Weinstein, P. The Impact of Bushfire Smoke and Public Health Messages on Medical Visits. Epidemiology 2006. 17(6) Suppl:S288-S289
13.De Vos, AJBM., Cook A, Devine B, Thompson PJ, Weinstein, P. Effect of protective filters on fire fighter respiratory health during simulated bushfire smoke exposure. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2006; 49 (9):740-750
14.Rodriguez C, Weinstein P, Cook A, Devine B, Van Buynder, P. A proposed approach for the risk assessment of chemicals in indirect potable reuse schemes. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 2007; 70 (19) : 1654 – 1663
15.Slaney GM, Finn JC, Cook A, Weinstein P. Wrist guards and wrist and elbow injury in snowboarders. Med J Aust. 2008 6;189(7):412
16.Cherian S; Burgner DP; Carson CF; Sanfilippo F; Cook AG; Forbes DF. Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in a high prevalence pediatric population: a comparison of two fecal antigen testing methods and serology. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition. 2008. 47(2): 130-135
17.Rodriguez C, Cook A, Van Buynder P, Devine B, Weinstein P. Screening health risk assessment of micropollutants for indirect potable reuse schemes: a three-tiered approach. Water Science and Technology. 2007;56(11):35-42
18.Weinstein P, Cook A. Epidemiological Transitions and the Changing Face of Medical Geology. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment. 2007; pp. 67–69
19.The INTERPHONE study group (51 authors including A Cook). The INTERPHONE study: design, epidemiological methods, and description of the study population. European Journal of Epidemiology 2007; 22 (9): 647-664
20.Cook A, Watson J, van Buynder P, Robertson A, Weinstein P. Natural Disasters and Their Long-Term Impacts on the Health Of Communities. Journal of Environmental Monitoring. 2008, 10, 167-75
21.De Vos, J.B.M., Cook, A, Devine, B, Thompson, P.J., Weinstein, P. Effect of protective filters on fire fighter respiratory health: field validation during prescribed burns. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2008, 52: 76 – 87
22.Jardine, A, Lindsay MDA, Johansen CA, Cook A, Weinstein P. The impact of dryland salinity on the population dynamics of vector mosquitoes(Diptera: Culicidae) of Ross River virus in inland areas of south-west Western Australia. Journal of Medical Entomology, 2008. 45: 1011–1022
23.Ljung K, Torin A, Smirke M, Maley F, Cook A, Weinstein P. Extracting dust from soil: A simple solution to a tricky task. Science of The Total Environment 2008; 407: 589-593
24.Cherian S, Forbes D, Sanfilippo F, Cook A, Burgner D. The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in African refugee children resettled in Australia. Med J Aust. 2008. 20;189(8):438-41
25.Cherian S, Forbes DA, Cook AG, Sanfilippo FM, Kemna, EH, Swinkels, DW, Burgner DP. An Insight into the Relationships between Hepcidin, Anemia, Infections and Inflammatory Cytokines in Pediatric Refugees: A Cross-Sectional Study. PLoS ONE. 2008; 3(12): e4030
26.Joyce S.J, Cook A, Newnham J, Brenters M, Ferguson C, Weinstein P. Water Disinfection By-Products and Prelabor Rupture of Membranes. American Journal of Epidemiology 2008; 168(5):514-521
27.De Vos AJ, Reisen F, Cook A, Devine B, Weinstein P. Respiratory Irritants in Australian Bushfire Smoke: Air Toxics Sampling in a Smoke Chamber and During Prescribed Burns. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2008 doi: 10.1007/s00244-008-9209-3
28.Chisholm, K, Cook, A, Bower, C, Weinstein P. Risk of Birth Defects in Australian Communities with High Levels of Brominated Disinfection By-products. Environ Health Perspect. 2008; 116(9): 1267–1273
29.O'Sullivan L, Jardine A, Cook A , Weinstein P. Deforestation, Mosquitoes, and Ancient Rome: Lessons for Today. BioScience 2008, 58: 756–760
30.Jardine A, Speldewinde P, Lindsay M, Cook A, Johansen CA, Weinstein, P. There an Association between Dryland Salinity and Ross River Virus Disease in Southwestern Australia? EcoHealth 2008;5:58-68
31.Jardine A, Cook A, Weinstein P. The utility of mosquito-borne disease as an environmental monitoring tool in tropical ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 2008, 10, 1409 – 1414
32.Rodriguez C, Cook A, Devine B, Van Buynder P, Lugg R, Linge K, Weinstein P. Dioxins, Furans and PCBs in Recycled Water for Indirect Potable Reuse. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2008, 5(5) 356-367
33.Rodriguez C, Devine B, Cook A, Van Buynder P, Weinstein P. Gross alpha and gross beta particle activity in recycled water for augmentation of drinking water supplies. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology - AQUA. Accepted for publication December 2008
34.Cherian S, Forbes D, Sanfilippo F, Cook A, Burgner D. Helicobacter pylori, helminth infections and growth: a cross-sectional study in a high prevalence population. Acta Paediatrica. Accepted for publication December 2008
35.Gorman J, Cook A, Ferguson C, van Buynder P, Fenwick S, Weinstein P.Pet birds and risks of respiratory disease in Australia: a review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health: Accepted for publication January 2009

Book chapters (past 5 years)


1.Weinstein, P. and Cook, A. Volcanic emissions and health. In: Essentials of Medical Geology. Selinus(ed): Amsterdam, Academic Press, 2005, pp. 203-26.
2.Cook, A, Weinstein, P. Volcanic emissions and health risks of metal contaminants in New Zealand. In: Metal contaminants: sources, effects and integration in New Zealand, Moore, T. et al (eds). University of Canterbury Press, 2005

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Recreational and drinking water quality in Perth (major partners include the Environmental Health Directorate, Department of Health; Department of the Environment; Department of Water; CSIRO,)
Air pollution modelling (major partners include the Environmental Health Directorate at the Departments of Health in WA and in NSW
Spatial analysis of disease with the Department of Health
Communicable disease risks from vector-borne disease and Legionella with the Communicable Disease Directorate (in collaboration with Dr Paul van Buynder).

Funding received

CRC Bushfire $230,000: Respiratory filters and Lung Health (2004-5)
CRC Asthma $3,258,253: Environmental exposures and respiratory health (2005-11)
Premiere’s Water Foundation $790 000: Assessing public health safety of recycled water (2007-09)

Previous positions

Dr Cook is a medical graduate (MBChB, Auck 1992) and registered medical practitioner (ACT, 1994). He completed two years of medical officer duties at Woden Valley Hospital (now the Canberra Hospital)

RFCD

321201

Research profile

Research profile and publications