Rate My Professor Luke Wolfenden

Professor Luke Wolfenden is a Professor and NHMRC Investigator Fellow in the School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Science (Honours), and Bachelor of Science from the University of Newcastle. An international leader in implementation and behavioural science, his research program focuses on chronic disease prevention by addressing modifiable community risks including obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. This passion originated from his PhD research on a smoking cessation program for patients at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. Wolfenden tackles the research-practice gap, noting that only 14% of health innovations are integrated into policy or practice within 17 years. He conducts trials and evidence syntheses to identify effective interventions and tests dissemination and implementation strategies to enhance adoption of evidence-based practices by organisations such as hospitals, primary care services, schools, childcare centres, and sports clubs. His methodological expertise includes leading over 35 randomised controlled trials and developing guidance on assessing trial quality and applicability in public health and implementation science.

Wolfenden has secured more than $20 million in competitive funding from the NHMRC and ARC. Key awards include the NHMRC Investigator Fellowship, NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (2013-2016), National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship (2017-2020), Hunter Medical Research Institute PULSE Early Career Researcher Award (2012), and Directors Award for Mid-Career Researcher (2020). He leads the University of Newcastle's Centre for Prevention, Implementation and Population Health, directs the National Centre of Implementation Science, co-directs the Cochrane People, Health Systems and Public Health Thematic Group, and leads the Cochrane Nutrition and Physical Activity Thematic Group. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Sax Institute and member of the Prevention Centre's Scientific Advisory Committee. With 21,233 citations across 759 publications, his influential works encompass systematic reviews and trials on scaling school nutrition programs, healthy eating in early childhood education and care, obesity prevention policies, and e-cigarette use prevention among youth. Through partnerships with health agencies like the Ministry of Health, his applied research strengthens evidence use in policy and practice, enhancing population health outcomes.