Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 4 385 5592
- rob.griffiths@otago.ac.nz
- Position
- Associate Professor
- Department
- Department of Medicine (Wellington)
- Qualifications
- MBChB (Brist) DAvMed (RCP) DIH (Lond) MROM MCCM (NZ) FACOM
- Research summary
- Aviation and Occupational medicine
Research
Associate Professor Robin Griffiths is Director of Occupational & Aviation Medicine, University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand. He heads a “virtual Department” of 18 academic staff based North America, Middle East, Europe and Australasia, who provide international distance teaching and research supervision to students in aviation medicine, occupational medicine and aeromedical retrieval & transport.
He also represents OAM’s interests in the USA, being an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington, the Foundations Program Director at the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine and a member of the Council on Education and Academic Affairs. He is medical consultant to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and Chief Coroner, Airways NZ, and a Principal Clinical Adviser to the Accident Compensation Corporation, as well as other professional consultancies in NZ and overseas.
Research expertise and interest
Rob Griffiths trained in Bristol UK, where he graduated with Honors and the Gold Medal in 1978. After serving in the RAF, he became Chief Medical Officer at the New Zealand Ministry of Transport, where he established the occupational and aviation medicine program in 1987. He is dual Board certified in New Zealand in Occupational Medicine and Public Health Medicine, and holds a Master degree in Public Policy. His passion is distance education and heads a department which provides international distance learning worldwide in aerospace medicine, general occupational medicine, and aeromedical retrieval and transport. Rob is also the Foundations Program Director for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and developing an online program initiative. He is working in the School of Public Health as an affiliate professor as part of a collaboration between Otago University and the University of Washington to establish distance education and on-line Continuing Medical Education in the US. He also runs and online Continuing Medical Education program for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Research interests:
- Shift work
- Return to work
- Distance education
- Culture and participation in distance learning
- Aerospace medicine
- Airline cabin safety
- Cabin crew health
- Transport accident investigation
Publications
Griffiths, R. F., & Powell, D. M. C. (2012). The occupational health and safety of flight attendants. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 83(5), 514-521. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.3186.2012
Wirawan, I. M. A., Larsen, P. D., Aldington, S., Griffiths, R. F., & Ellis, C. J. (2012). Cardiovascular risk score and cardiovascular events among airline pilots: A case-control study. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 83(5), 465-471. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.3222.2012
Zaidi, M. A., Griffiths, R., Beshyah, S. A., Myers, J., & Zaidi, M. A. (2012). Blood and body fluid exposure related knowledge, attitude and practices of hospital based health care providers in United Arab Emirates. Safety & Health at Work, 3(3), 209-215. doi: 10.5491/SHAW.2012.3.3.209
Sykes, A. J., Larsen, P. D., Griffiths, R. F., & Aldington, S. (2012). A study of airline pilot morbidity. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 83(10), 1001-1005. doi: 10.3357/asem.3380.2012
Mahony, P. H., Myers, J. A., Larsen, P. D., Powell, D. M., & Griffiths, R. F. (2011). Symptom-based categorization of in-flight passenger medical incidents. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 82(12), 1131-1137. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.3099.2011
Griffiths, R. F., & Powell, D. M. C. (2012). The occupational health and safety of flight attendants. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 83(5), 514-521. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.3186.2012
Journal - Research Article
Wirawan, I. M. A., Larsen, P. D., Aldington, S., Griffiths, R. F., & Ellis, C. J. (2012). Cardiovascular risk score and cardiovascular events among airline pilots: A case-control study. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 83(5), 465-471. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.3222.2012
Journal - Research Article
Zaidi, M. A., Griffiths, R., Beshyah, S. A., Myers, J., & Zaidi, M. A. (2012). Blood and body fluid exposure related knowledge, attitude and practices of hospital based health care providers in United Arab Emirates. Safety & Health at Work, 3(3), 209-215. doi: 10.5491/SHAW.2012.3.3.209
Journal - Research Article
Sykes, A. J., Larsen, P. D., Griffiths, R. F., & Aldington, S. (2012). A study of airline pilot morbidity. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 83(10), 1001-1005. doi: 10.3357/asem.3380.2012
Journal - Research Article
Mahony, P. H., Myers, J. A., Larsen, P. D., Powell, D. M., & Griffiths, R. F. (2011). Symptom-based categorization of in-flight passenger medical incidents. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 82(12), 1131-1137. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.3099.2011
Journal - Research Article
Griffiths, R. F., & Ellis, P. M. (2007). Visual conversion disorder in a harbor pilot leading to sudden loss of control of a large vessel [Case report]. Aviation, Space, & Environmental Medicine, 78(1), 59-62.
Journal - Research Other
Zaidi, M. A., Griffiths, R., Newson-Smith, M., & Levack, W. (2012). Impact of stigma, culture and law on healthcare providers after occupational exposure to HIV and hepatitis C. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 14(4), 379-391. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2011.646304
Journal - Research Article
Zaidi, M. A., Beshyah, S. A., & Griffiths, R. (2010). Needle stick injuries: An overview of the size of the problem, prevention & management. Ibnosina Journal of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, 2(2), 53-61.
Journal - Research Article
Zaidi, M. A., Griffiths, R. F., Larsen, P. D., Newson-Smith, M., & Zaidi, M. A. (2012). The reporting of blood and body fluid exposure and follow-up practices in a tertiary care hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Ibnosina Journal of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, 4(3), 84-89.
Journal - Research Article
Mahony, P. H., Griffiths, R. F., Larsen, P., & Powell, D. (2008). Retention of knowledge and skills in first aid and resuscitation by airline cabin crew. Resuscitation, 76, 413-418. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2007.08.017
Journal - Research Article
Leggat, P. A., Griffiths, R., & Leggat, F. W. (2005). Emergency assistance provided abroad to insured travellers from Australia. Travel Medicine & Infectious Disease, 3, 9-17.
Journal - Research Article
Dawson, A. G., & Griffiths, R. F. (2000). Medical Aspects of Air Travel. In R. Steffen & H. L. Dupont (Eds.), Textbook of Travel Medicine and Health. (2nd ed.) (pp. 390-396). New York: BC Decker.
Chapter in Book - Research
Griffiths, R. F. (1999). New Zealand Low Back Pain Guide. Wellington: National Health Committee and ACC.
Authored Book - Other
Griffiths, R. F. (1998). Human factors instruction: av med teaching aviation medicine. In G. J. F. Hunt (Ed.), Designing Instruction for Human Factors Training in Aviation. Aldershot, UK: Avebury Aviation.
Chapter in Book - Research