Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 4 832 3084
- caroline.halley@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Senior Research Fellow
- Department
- Department of Medicine (Wellington)
- Qualifications
- BSc, MSc (Hons), PhD
- Research summary
- Examining how indoor and housing environments shape respiratory health
- Teaching
I contribute to postgraduate supervision and mentoring in areas related to housing and health, mould and indoor air quality, microbial exposures, environmental epidemiology, and childhood respiratory health.
I am interested in supervising postgraduate research in environmental exposures, microbial exposures and health.
- Memberships
- Member, Research Only Staff Working Group, University of Otago
- Member, Department of Medicine Research Strategy group, UOW
- Member, Department of Medicine Senior Academic Leadership Team, UOW
- Member, Indoor Air Quality Research Centre of New Zealand
Research
My research examines how indoor and housing environments shape respiratory health, with a particular focus on childhood wheeze and asthma and on opportunities for prevention. I am particularly known for research on indoor dampness and mould, microbial exposures, and indoor air quality, and for integrating environmental exposure science with clinically meaningful respiratory outcomes. My work has evolved from documenting the harms associated with poor indoor environments to identifying mechanisms and interventions that may reduce respiratory risk, including improved heating and ventilation, reduction of mould exposure, and biologically informed interventions such as probiotics and antiviral agents. I have also contributed to research on airborne infection and ventilation, including SARS-CoV-2 monitoring and carbon dioxide-based indoor air quality assessment. Recent work includes indoor air quality and ventilation in homes and public spaces, mycotoxins and microbial metabolites in indoor environments, and green space, biodiversity and childhood asthma. Intervention studies have included work on infant bedding and wheeze development, probiotics for prevention of upper respiratory tract infections in infancy, iota-carrageenan for prevention of respiratory viruses and asthma exacerbations.
Awards/distinctions
- Member of the He Kāinga Oranga (housing and health research) team awarded the Prime Minister’s Science Prize (2014)
- Member of the He Kāinga Oranga (housing and health research) team awarded the Rutherford Medal (2021)
Current projects
- Urban farm-like dust: microbial origin and protective effects (Health Research Council of New Zealand)
- Uncovering the hidden health risks of mould exposure (Lotteries Health Research)
- Protective urban microbes and childhood asthma (Barbara Basham Medical Charitable Trust)
- Ongoing collaborative research on housing, mould, indoor air quality, biodiversity, and respiratory health
Additional details
My research is disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, reports, conference presentations, public health blogs, and media engagement. I regularly provide expert commentary on mould, dampness, indoor air quality, ventilation, and housing-related respiratory health, including as an expert witness on the health effects of indoor dampness and mould.
My work involves collaboration with community, policy, and research partners in New Zealand and internationally, including Māori researchers and organisations, government agencies, schools, health providers, and housing-sector stakeholders.
Publications
Coulson, G., Bennett, J., Halley, C., Rindelaub, J., Olivares, G., & Longley, I. (2026). Fire smoke and public health: From delayed warnings to real-time action. The Briefing, (5 March). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fire-smoke-and-public-health-delayed-warnings-real-time-action Journal - Research Other
Bennett, J., Halley, C., Boulic, M., Kvalsvig, A., Baker, M., Plagmann, M., Telfar-Barnard, L., & Morawska, L. (2025). Invisible and ignored: Why indoor air quality deserves our attention. The Briefing, (11 September). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/invisible-and-ignored-why-indoor-air-quality-deserves-our-attention Journal - Research Other
Halley, C., Kang, J., Barnes, P., Keall, M., Siebers, R., Davies, C., Howden-Chapman, P., & Crane, J. (2025). Bedding materials and early infant wheezing: A randomised controlled trial. Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, 36, e70073. doi: 10.1111/pai.70073 Journal - Research Article
Howden-Chapman, P., Crane, J., Keall, M., Pierse, N., Baker, M. G., Cunningham, C., … Aspinall, C., Bennett, J., Bierre, S., … Chisholm, E., Davies, C., Fougere, G., Fraser, B., Fyfe, C., Grant, L., … Halley, C., Logan-Riley, A., … Olin, C., Ombler, J., O'Sullivan, K., Pehi, T., Penny, G., … Randal, E., … Robson, B., Ruru, J., Shaw, C., … Teariki, M. A., Telfar Barnard, L., Tiatia, R., Toy-Cronin, B., … Viggers, H., … Zhang, W. (2024). He Kāinga Oranga: Reflections on 25 years of measuring the improved health, wellbeing and sustainability of healthier housing. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 54(3), 290-315. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2023.2170427 Journal - Research Other
Bennett, J., Macnab, K., & Halley, C. (2023). World Ventil8 Day: How do our buildings measure up? The Briefing, (8 November). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/world-ventil8-day-how-do-our-buildings-measure Journal - Research Other