Rate My Professor Judy Simpson

Professor Judy Simpson is an Emeritus Professor in the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. She holds a BSc (Hons) and a PhD. Professor Simpson held a Personal Chair in biostatistics in the Sydney School of Public Health until January 2019. Recognized as Professor of Biostatistics, she possesses 30 years of postdoctoral experience in medical research, with particular focus on clinical trials and epidemiological studies using linked data. Her longstanding contributions to the field are evidenced by the Judy Simpson Biostatistics Scholarship established by the University of Sydney, offering $7,500 to postgraduate students enrolled in the Biostatistics Program. This honor underscores her influence in training the next generation of biostatisticians.

Professor Simpson's career at the University of Sydney spans several decades, beginning as Senior Lecturer in Statistics in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine around 1995, advancing to Associate Professor by 2004, and culminating in her professorial roles. She has provided statistical expertise to diverse public health initiatives, including evidence-based models for specialist breast nurses. Her research outputs include key publications such as 'A large proportion of poor birth outcomes among Aboriginal Western Australians is attributable to suboptimal maternal health and health behaviours' (2019), 'Interaction effects of multimorbidity and frailty on adverse outcomes in older Australians' (2021), 'What is more important, the appropriateness or the rate of psychotropic prescription in aged care homes?' (2021), 'Comorbidities Only Account for a Small Proportion of Excess Mortality in Moderately Pre-Frail and Frail Older People' (2018), and contributions to the effectiveness of the Interdisciplinary Home-bAsed Reablement Program (I-HARP) trial (2025). These works appear in journals like Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, International Journal of Epidemiology, International Psychogeriatrics, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, and Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Additionally, she co-authored in the Journal of Statistics Education (2009) and delivered talks on analysis of linked data in perinatal population health research. Her interdisciplinary collaborations highlight her impact on perinatal health, chronic disease epidemiology, aged care, and population health statistics.