John Paul Cauchi

I am an expert in public health focused on the linkages between food security, climate change and health.

I obtained a medical degree (MD) from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta, which provided me with a strong background in human health and physiological systems. My MSc from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine provided me with expertise in public health, specifically environmental health. This included knowledge and experience in project design, large dataset management and time series analysis.

I am currently a final year PhD candidate in public health at the Queensland University of Technology, and expect to submit my thesis in January 2021. My research investigates the interactions between climate change, food security and health in the Central Pacific nation of Kiribati. It specifically examines how the interplay of these factors affects the incidence of noncommunicable diseases in the Kiribati population. It also looks at the opportunities for improving food security and health outcomes in Kiribati, as well as the challenges to such efforts, focusing on the community level. My fieldwork for the PhD involved conducting qualitative and quantitative research in remote settings, including interviews, focus group discussions, survey design and training research staff in data gathering.

Other experiences of note include the following:

i) My role as lead researcher on a multi-year EU-funded project focusing on environmental, health and lifestyle risk factors of breast cancer in Malta and Sicily.
This involved conducting quantitative research, literature reviews, questionnaire design, report writing and data analysis. As an environmental health researcher for the university, I designed the questionnaire for the project.
ii) I have lectured at the University of Malta for the Master's degree in Public Health, specifically in the fields of environmental health and human physiology.
iii) I have also worked as a freelance consultant on issues related to environmental public health.
iv) I have also conducted voluntary work in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya, doing both medical and educational work.

Summary of Education:

2017 - present: PhD Candidate, Public Health, Queensland University of Technology
2011 - 2012 : MSc Public Health, Environmental Health Stream, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
2004 - 2009: Doctor of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta.