Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 7582
- melissa.purnell@otago.ac.nz
- Position
- Teaching Fellow in Epidemiology and Public Health
- Department
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine (Dunedin)
- Qualifications
- BSc MSc(Neurobiology) PGCertHealSc (Occ Health) PhD
- Research summary
- Occupational epidemiology, neurobiology, injury prevention, mental health
- Teaching
- POPH192
- Early Learning in Medicine 2
- Early Learning in Medicine 3
Research
Melissa completed her Phd in the department in 2006 while on a Health Research Council Training Fellowship. Her thesis was focused on sleep, alertness, performance and fatigue management in extended duration and irregular night shift workers.
She has worked for many years in a variety of capacities including university based researcher, private consultant to government and commercial companies, and as a science communicator, primarily in the areas of occupational health, injury prevention and mental health.
Melissa is enjoying utilising this background to inform her current full-time teaching role within the Department.
Publications
Bell, C., Moot, W., Porter, R., Frampton, C., McIntosh, V., Purnell, M., Smith, R., & Douglas, K. (2022). Examining the long-term cognitive effects of exposure to the Canterbury earthquakes in a resilient cohort. BJPsych Open, 8(4), e114. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2022.512 Journal - Research Article
Baddock, S. A., Purnell, M. T., Blair, P. S., Pease, A., Elder, D., & Galland, B. C. (2019). The influence of bed-sharing on infant physiology, breastfeeding and behaviour: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 43, 106-117. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2018.10.007 Journal - Research Other
Baddock, S., Purnell, M., Elder, D., Blair, P., Pease, A., & Galland, B. (2018). A systematic review of infant physiology and behaviour during overnight infant/adult bedsharing. Journal of Sleep Research, 27(Suppl. 2), (pp. 42-43). doi: 10.1111/jsr.12764 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Simpson, J., Purnell, M., & Samaranayaka, A. (2011). Correct use of child restraints: Methodology development. Commissioned by Ministry of Transport. Dunedin, New Zealand: Injury Prevention Research Unit, University of Otago. 46p. Commissioned Report for External Body
McNoe, B., Purnell, M., & Chalmers, D. (2010). Extending the reach of SportSmart: A survey of ACC claimants engaged in organised and non-organised sporting and recreational activity. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 12(Supplement. 2), (pp. e55). doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2009.10.114 Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract