Alistair Woodward

PhD (epidemiology)
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Auckland
Alistair Woodward

Alistair is an epidemiologist and public health doctor. He was Head of the School of Population Health at Auckland from 2004-2012 and previously led the departments of public health at the University of Otago Wellington, and the University of Adelaide. His research and teaching is concerned primarily with environmental matters and the social determinants of health. He has worked for the World Health Organization throughout the Pacific and has been closely involved with the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for 20 years. He is currently a lead author for the Australia and New Zealand chapter in AR6. His recent research has focussed on environmental health issues in China; climate change impacts in the Pacific; the effects of street changes on health and safety; pathways to sustainable, healthy and fair transport systems; and the future of the bicycle.

Key publications

  1. Shaw, C. Fitt, H. Wild, K.
    Woodward, A.
    Curl, A. MacMillan, A.
    Where do the parties stand? A low carbon, healthy transport system
    Public Health Communication Centre, The Briefing
    29 August 2023.
  2. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Crane, J.
    Keall, M.
    Pierse, N.
    Baker. M. Cunningham, C Amore, K
    Aspinall, C
    Bennett, J.
    Bierre, S.
    Boulic, M
    Chisholm, E.
    Davies, C.
    Fougere, G.
    Fraser, B.
    Fyfe, C.
    Grant, L.
    Grimes, A.
    Halley, C
    Logan, A.
    Nathan, K
    Olin, C.
    Ombler, J.
    O’Sullivan, K.
    Pehi, T.
    Penny, G.
    Phipps, R
    Plagmann, M.
    Randal, E.
    Riggs, L.
    Robson, B.
    Ruru, J Shaw, Caroline
    Teariki, M.
    Telfar-Barnard, L.
    Tiatia, R.
    Toy-Cronin, B Tupara, H
    Viggers, H.
    Wall, T.
    Wilkie, M
    Woodward, A.
    Zhang, W
    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,
    Online.
  3. Randal, E.
    Shaw, C. McLeod, M.
    Keall, M.
    Woodward, A.
    Mizdrak, A.
    The Impact of Transport on Population Health and Health Equity for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Prospective Burden of Disease Study.
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
    19(4), 2032.
    Download document
    Research Summary - transport health impacts final.pdf
  4. Hales, S.
    Atkinson, J. Metcalfe, J. Kuschel,G.
    Woodward, A.
    Long term exposure to air pollution, mortality and morbidity in New Zealand: Cohort study.
    Science of The Total Environment,
    801(38):149660.
  5. Macmillan, A. Smith, M.
    Witten, K.
    Woodward, A.
    Hosking, J. Wild, K. Field, A.
    Suburb-level changes for active transport to meet the SDGs: Causal theory and a New Zealand case study.
    The Science of the total environment
    714.
  6. Shaw, C. Blakely, T. Atkinson, J.
    Woodward, A.
    Is mode of transport to work associated with mortality in the working-age population? Repeated census-cohort studies in New Zealand 1996, 2001 and 2006.
    International Journal of Epidemiology
    49(2), 477-485.
  7. Mizdrak, A. Cobiac, L. J. Cleghorn, C. L.
    Woodward, A.
    Blakely, T.
    Fuelling walking and cycling: human powered locomotion is associated with non-negligible greenhouse gas emissions.
    Scientific reports
    10(1).
  8. Bassett, D. Hosking, J. Ameratunga, S.
    Woodward, A.
    Variations in the health benefit valuations of active transport modes by age and ethnicity: A case study from New Zealand.
    Journal of Transport and Health
    19.
  9. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Woodward, A.
    Witten, K.
    Submission to the Tax Working Group on The Future of Tax.
    New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities
    Download document
    Chapman-et-al-29-April-18-Submission-to-to-Tax-Wkg.pdf
  10. Shaw, C.
    Randal, E.
    Keall, M.
    Woodward, A.
    Health consequences of transport patterns in New Zealand’s largest cities.
    New Zealand Medical Journal
    131(1472), 64-72.
  11. Keall, M.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Grams, M.
    Witten, K.
    Randal, E.
    Woodward, A.
    A cost benefit analysis of an active travel intervention with health and carbon emission reduction benefits.
    International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health
    15(5), 962.
  12. Randal, E.
    Shaw, C.
    Woodward, A.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Macmillan, A. Hosking, J.
    Keall, M.
    Fairness in Transport Policy: A New Approach to Applying Distributive Justice Theories.
    Sustainability
    12, 10102.
  13. Randal, E.
    Keall, M.
    Shaw, C. Russell, M.
    Woodward, A.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Why New Zealand transport policy needs to encourage walking and cycling.
    In L Early & P Howden-Chapman (Eds.), Cities in New Zealand: Preferences, patterns and possibilities.
    (pp.107-114). Wellington, New Zealand: Steele Roberts Aotearoa.
  14. Keall, M.
    Howden-Chapman, P.
    Witten, K.
    Abrahamse, W.
    Woodward, A.
    Muggeridge, D. Beetham, J. Grams, M.
    Increasing active travel: results of a quasi-experimental pre-post study of an intervention to encourage walking and cycling.
    Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
    doi:10.1136/jech-2015-205466
  15. Howden-Chapman, P.
    Keall, M.
    Witten, K.
    Abrahamse, A.
    Woodward, A.
    Muggeridge, D. Beetham, J Grams, M.
    Increasing active travel: aims, methods and baseline measures of a quasi-experimental study.
    BMC Public Health
    2014, 14, 935

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