Dr Lisa McHugh
NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow
School of Public Health
+61 7 336 55393
Researcher biography
Dr Lisa McHugh is a perinatal and infectious diseases epidemiologist at the UQ School of Public Health. She is an Emerging Leader (EL1) NHMRC post-doctoral research Fellow and lead investigator on a 5-year Investigator Grant called 'VaxiMums'. The 'VaxiMums' program is evaluating maternal vaccination programs, pregnancy loss, and respiratory infections. Before her PhD she completed a Master of Philosophy in Applied Epidemiology (MAE prgram) at the ANU.
Lisa was an early career research Fellow in the NHMRC funded APPRISE Centre for Research Excellence, that investigated the impact of influenza and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccinations recommended in pregnant First Nations women, and identifyed key factors affecting their uptake in pregnancy. Lisa was also chief-investigator on a multi-jurisdictional NHMRC funded project called 'Links2HealthierBubs' which created the largest linked cohort of individual mother-infant pairs to investigate the uptake, safety and effectiveness of influenza and pertussis vaccines, and the geographical, ethnic and socio-economic influences of vaccine uptake. Lisa was a co-investigator on a NHMRC funded COVID-19 Real-time Information System for Preparedness and Epidemic Response (CRISPER) project, which developed an interactive dashboard that mapped COVID-19 cases, widely utilised by multiple state and terrirory public health users.
Lisa's research experience and interests include clinical midwifery, First Nations health, infectious diseases, pregnancy and birth outcomes, and maternal vaccination. She has been a member of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) since 2014 and is currently an editor for the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Journal Articles
McHugh, Lisa, D’Antoine, Heather A., Sarna, Mohinder, Binks, Michael J., Moore, Hannah C., Andrews, Ross M., Pereira, Gavin F., Blyth, Christopher C., Van Buynder, Paul, Lust, Karin and Regan, Annette K (2024). The effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination for protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants against infection, 2012–2017: a retrospective cohort study. Medical Journal of Australia, 220 (4), 196-201. doi: 10.5694/mja2.52220
Ward, Selina, Restrepo, Angela Cadavid and McHugh, Lisa (2023). Area-level geographic and socioeconomic factors and the local incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Queensland between 2020 and 2022. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 47 (6) 100094, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100094
Regan, Annette K., Moore, Hannah C., Binks, Michael J., McHugh, Lisa, Blyth, Christopher C., Pereira, Gavin, Lust, Karin, Sarna, Mohinder, Andrews, Ross, Foo, Damien, Effler, Paul V., Lambert, Stephen and Van Buynder, Paul (2023). Maternal pertussis vaccination, infant immunization, and risk of pertussis. Pediatrics, 152 (5) e2023062664, 1-11. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-062664
McRae, Jocelynne E., McHugh, Lisa, King, Catherine, Beard, Frank H., Blyth, Christopher C., Danchin, Margie H., Giles, Michelle L., Mohammed, Hassen, Wood, Nicholas and Macartney, Kristine (2023). Influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage in pregnancy in Australia, 2016–2021. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (11), 528-541. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51989
McHugh, Lisa, Regan, Annette K., Sarna, Mohinder, Moore, Hannah C., Van Buynder, Paul, Pereira, Gavin, Blyth, Christopher C., Lust, Karin, Andrews, Ross M., Crooks, Kristy, Massey, Peter and Binks, Michael J. (2023). Inequity of antenatal influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage in Australia: the Links2HealthierBubs record linkage cohort study, 2012–2017. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23 (1) 314, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05574-w
McHugh, Lisa, Dyda, Amalie, Guglielmino, Christine, Buckley, Cameron, Lau, Colleen L., Jennison, Amy V., Regan, David G., Wood, James, Whiley, David and Trembizki, Ella (2023). The changing epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae genogroups and antimicrobial resistance in Queensland, Australia, 2010–15: a case series analysis of unique Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates. Sexual Health, 20 (4), 296-302. doi: 10.1071/sh22118
Mchugh, Lisa, Van Buynder, Paul, Sarna, Mohinder, Andrews, Ross M., Moore, Hannah C., Binks, Michael J., Pereira, Gavin, Blyth, Christopher C., Lust, Karin, Foo, Damien and Regan, Annette K. (2022). Timing and temporal trends of influenza and pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy in three Australian jurisdictions: The
Links2HealthierBubs
population‐based linked cohort study, 2012–2017. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 63 (1), 27-33. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13548
Wattiaux, Andre L., May, Fiona, Allen, Terresa, Bladen, Tracy, Pery, Brielle, McHugh, Lisa, Slinko, Vicki, Sykes, Alice, De Silva, Lashan, Bajra, Jay, Andrews, Ross and Khandaker, Gulam (2022). Defining the peak: point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 using randomised sampling. Communicable Diseases Intelligence, 46. doi: 10.33321/cdi.2022.46.24
Homaira, Nusrat, Binks, Michael, Walker, Gregory, Larter, Natasha, Clark, Katrina, Campbell, Megan, McHugh, Lisa, Briggs, Nancy, Nyiro, Joyce, Stelzer-Braid, Sacha, Hu, Nan, Macartney, Kristine, Snelling, Tom, Omer, Saad B, Rawlinson, William, Andrews, Ross and Jaffe, Adam (2022). Transplacental transfer of RSV antibody in Australian First Nations infants. Journal of Medical Virology, 94 (2), 782-786. doi: 10.1002/jmv.27383
Field, Emma, Dyda, Amalie, Hewett, Michael, Weng, Haotian, Shi, Jingjing, Curtis, Stephanie, Law, Charlee, McHugh, Lisa, Sheel, Meru, Moore, Jess, Furuya-Kanamori, Luis, Pillai, Priyanka, Konings, Paul, Purcell, Michael, Stocks, Nigel, Williams, Graham and Lau, Colleen L. (2021). Development of the COVID-19 Real-Time Information System for Preparedness and Epidemic Response (CRISPER), Australia. Frontiers in Public Health, 9 753493, 753493. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.753493
McHugh, Lisa, O'Grady, Kerry‐Ann F., Nolan, Terry, Richmond, Peter C., Wood, Nicholas, Marshall, Helen S., Lambert, Stephen B., Chatfield, Mark D., Perrett, Kirsten P., Binks, Paula, Binks, Michael J. and Andrews, Ross M. (2021). National predictors of influenza vaccine uptake in pregnancy: the FluMum prospective cohort study, Australia, 2012–2015. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45 (5) 1753-6405.13130, 455-461. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13130
Binks, Michael J., Beissbarth, Jemima, Oguoma, Victor M., Pizzutto, Susan J., Leach, Amanda J., Smith-Vaughan, Heidi C., McHugh, Lisa, Andrews, Ross M., Webby, Rosalind, Morris, Peter S. and Chang, Anne B. (2020). Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in Australia's Northern Territory across three eras of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use (2006–15): a population-based cohort study. The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 4 (6), 425-434. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30090-0
McHugh, Lisa, Crooks, Kristy, Creighton, Amy, Binks, Michael and Andrews, Ross M (2020). Safety, equity and monitoring: a review of the gaps in maternal vaccination strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 16 (2), 371-376. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2019.1649552
McHugh, Lisa, Binks, Michael J., Gao, Yu, Andrews, Ross M., Ware, Robert S., Snelling, Tom and Kildea, Sue (2019). Influenza vaccination in pregnancy among a group of remote dwelling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers in the Northern Territory: the 1+1 Healthy Start to Life study. Communicable Diseases Intelligence, 43. doi: 10.33321/cdi.2019.43.33
Sarna, Mohinder, Andrews, Ross, Moore, Hannah, Binks, Michael J., McHugh, Lisa, Pereira, Gavin F., Blyth, Christopher C., Van Buynder, Paul, Lust, Karin, Effler, Paul, Lambert, Stephen B., Omer, Saad B., Mak, Donna B., Snelling, Thomas, D’Antoine, Heather A., McIntyre, Peter, de Klerk, Nicholas, Foo, Damien and Regan, Annette K. (2019). ‘Links2HealthierBubs’ cohort study: protocol for a record linkage study on the safety, uptake and effectiveness of influenza and pertussis vaccines among pregnant Australian women. BMJ Open, 9 (6) e030277, e030277. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030277
McHugh, Lisa, Binks, Michael, Ware, Robert S., Snelling, Tom, Nelson, Sandra, Nelson, Jane, Dunbar, Melissa, Mulholland, E. Kim and Andrews, Ross M. (2019). Birth outcomes in Aboriginal mother–infant pairs from the Northern Territory, Australia, who received 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccination during pregnancy, 2006–2011: the PneuMum randomised controlled trial. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 60 (1) ajo.13002, 82-87. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13002
McHugh, Lisa, Marshall, Helen S., Perrett, Kirsten P., Nolan, Terry, Wood, Nicholas, Lambert, Stephen B., Richmond, Peter, Ware, Robert S., Binks, Paula, Binks, Michael J. and Andrews, Ross M. (2019). The safety of influenza and pertussis vaccination in pregnancy in a cohort of Australian mother-infant pairs, 2012-2015: The FluMum Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68 (3), 402-408. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy517
McHugh, L., Andrews, R. M., Leckning, B., Snelling, T. and Binks, M. J. (2019). Baseline incidence of adverse birth outcomes and infant influenza and pertussis hospitalisations prior to the introduction of influenza and pertussis vaccination in pregnancy: a data linkage study of 78 382 mother–infant pairs, Northern Territory, Australia, 1994–2015. Epidemiology and Infection, 147 e233, e233. doi: 10.1017/S0950268819001171
McHugh, L., Viney, K. A., Andrews, R. M. and Lambert, S. B. (2017). Pertussis epidemiology prior to the introduction of a maternal vaccination program, Queensland Australia. Epidemiology and Infection, 146 (2), 1-11. doi: 10.1017/S0950268817002722
McHugh, Lisa, Andrews, Ross M. and Ware, Robert S. (2017). Birth outcomes for Australian mother-infant pairs who received an influenza vaccine during pregnancy 2012–2014: The FluMum study. Vaccine, 35 (35), 4492-4493. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.06.008
McHugh, Lisa, Andrews, Ross M., Lambert, Stephen B., Viney, Kerri A., Wood, Nicholas, Perrett, Kirsten P., Marshall, Helen S., Richmond, Peter and O'Grady, Kerry-Ann F. (2017). Birth outcomes for Australian mother-infant pairs who received an influenza vaccine during pregnancy, 2012-2014: the FluMum study. Vaccine, 35 (10), 1403-1409. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.01.075
Rufus Ashiedu, Precious, Andrews, Ross M., Lambert, Stephen B., McHugh, Lisa, LeGros-Wilson, Sallyanne, Zenchyson, Judith, Arnold, Daniel, Shevell, Clementine and O'Grady, Kerry-Ann F. (2015). Medically-attended respiratory illnesses amongst pregnant women in Brisbane, Australia. Communicable diseases intelligence quarterly report, 39 (3), E319-E322.
O'Grady, Kerry-Ann F., Dunbar, Melissa, Medlin, Linda G., Hall, Kerry K., Toombs, Maree, Meiklejohn, Judith, McHugh, Lisa, Massey, Peter D., Creighton, Amy and Andrews, Ross M. (2015). Uptake of influenza vaccination in pregnancy amongst Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: a mixed-methods pilot study. BMC Research Notes, 8 (169) 169, 1-8. doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1147-3
O'Grady, K.-A.F., McHugh, L., Nolan, T., Richmond, P., Wood, N., Marshall, H.S., Lambert, S.B., Chatfield, M. and Andrews, R.M. (2014). FluMum: A prospective cohort study of mother-infant pairs assessing the effectiveness of maternal influenza vaccination in revention of influenza in early infancy. BMJ Open, 4 (6) e005676, 1-7. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005676
Davis, Gregory K., Mackenzie, Callie, Brown, Mark A., Homer, Caroline S., Holt, Jane, McHugh, Lisa and Mangos, George (2007). Predicting transformation from gestational hypertension to preeclampsia in clinical practice: a possible role for 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Hypertension in Pregnancy, 26 (1), 77-87. doi: 10.1080/10641950601147952
Brown, M. A., McHugh, L., Mangos, G. and Davis, G. (2004). Automated self-initiated blood pressure or 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in pregnancy?. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 111 (1), 38-41. doi: 10.1046/j.1471-0528.2003.00008.x
Brown, Mark A., Bowyer, Lucy, McHugh, Lisa, Davis, Gregory K., Mangos, George J. and Jones, Michael (2001). Twenty-Four-Hour automated blood pressure monitoring as a predictor of preeclampsia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 185 (3), 618-622. doi: 10.1067/mob.2001.117664
Brown, Mark A., Davis, Gregory K. and McHugh, Lisa (2001). The prevalence and clinical significance of nocturnal hypertension in pregnancy. Journal of Hypertension, 19 (8), 1437-1444. doi: 10.1097/00004872-200108000-00012
Conference Paper
Goddard, L., McHugh, L. and Wozniak, T. (2020). Innovation for a digital world: an evaluation of an open-access antimicrobial resistance surveillance system in tropical Australia. International Congress on Infectious Diseases 2020, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-23 February 2020. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.122