GeoHealth Laboratory

 

My research centres around interactions between human mobility, accessibility and wellbeing. These relationships are shaped by urban form, transport systems, community, and sociodemographics. I examine these dynamics using geospatial analysis, often drawing on crowdsourced smartphone data, mobile phone data, and other human movement information to gain insight.

 

 

The core focus of my research is on spatial data science and the development of new spatiotemporal modelling techniques to address problems of a geographical nature using big data (e.g., location-based services, transactional records, social media, and GPS tracking). These datasets can be used to study patterns of individual behaviour, which when combined with other sources of data (i.e., data fusion), can lead to a fuller understanding of the dynamics of human activity at the population level, particularly in urban areas. Most interestingly, investigating the dynamics of human activities also allows deepening the comprehension of modern global concerns, such as climate changes, pandemics, traffic intensity, human mobility and accessibility to services, natural hazards and migration, and spatial inequalities.

My research has been focusing on improving the usability of pedestrian navigation systems, developing context-sensitive means for interaction with geographic information and implementing sound methods and techniques to assess this interaction. For that purpose, I have evaluated current qualitative research methodologies for field-based usability testing of mobile (geo) applications and have implemented my own unique approach.
I have also done research on immersive virtual environments (IVEs) to accommodate user interactions with location-based systems inside the lab.

Summary

Associate Professor Hobbs leads research on how cumulative environmental exposures shape health inequities across the lifecourse. His work in Te Kaupeka Oranga | the Faculty of Health at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand combines population-scale data, geospatial methods, and policy-relevant applications in water, air, and urban environments, generating actionable evidence for healthier, equitable, and sustainable communities. 

 

Overview

His current research centres on spatial lifecourse epidemiology, with a strong focus on the environmental and social determinants of health. He conducts applied, equity-oriented research aimed at improving population health and actively fosters the development of early career researchers within a collaborative academic environment. His work informs national priorities, including for example the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s Update of Evidence on Community Water Fluoridation, Te Tira Ārai Urutā | the New Zealand Royal Commission COVID-19 Lessons Learned and the Smoked Tobacco Amendment Act (2022).

 

Supervision and mentorship

He has supervised 17 early career researchers, including two postdoctoral fellows, eight PhD candidates, seven MSc students, and several research assistants, visiting scholars, and scholarship students. He places strong emphasis on high-quality mentorship and is proud that students under his senior supervision have received 11 national and international awards.

 

Awards and honours

To support his research Dr Hobbs has secured funding for more than 20 externally supported research projects worth ~$10million (NZD), including nine as Principal Investigator, and has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles. He has received more than ten awards recognising excellence in research, teaching, and service. He serves on the Editorial Board of Health & Place, previously held the role of Deputy Editor for Perspectives in Public Health (2020–2023), and has delivered more than 100 presentations at national and international conferences.

I am an epidemiologist with an academic background in infectious disease and nutrition. I was the inaugural KPS Research Fellow (2016-2021). A fellowship to increase research capacity in paediatric vaccine research in New Zealand. My research is concerned with improving health outcomes for New Zealanders and reducing health inequity. My work has a particular focus on using routinely collected data to answer wide ranging questions to improve maternal and child health outcomes. I have published on dietary patterns, vaccine effectiveness, immunisation coverage, and immunisation programme evaluation, and maternal use of pharmaceuticals during pregnancy and child outcomes. I have ten years experience supervising postgraduate students.

 

 

Professor Simon Kingham is a leading expert in transport geography, urban mobility, and evidence‑informed transport policy. His research focuses on active transport, sustainable mobility, transport emissions reduction, road safety, urban form, and the health and environmental impacts of transport systems.

 

He has extensive experience at the research–policy interface, including serving as Chief Science Advisor at Ministry of Transport for six years to May 2024, where he provided strategic scientific advice on national transport planning, infrastructure investment, transport equity, mode shift, and low‑carbon transport transitions. His work has directly informed government approaches to cycling infrastructure, school travel planning, public transport uptake, and transport accessibility.

 

At the University of Canterbury, Simon leads and contributes to multidisciplinary projects on transport behaviour, mobility justice, public health and transport, urban sustainability, and future cities, working closely with central government, local councils, and community partners. His research is highly applied, with a strong focus on improving real‑world mobility outcomes, reducing emissions, and supporting long‑term transport strategy and policy development.

 

He supervises postgraduate research across transport geography, mobility and accessibility, environmental planning, and urban futures, and is a frequent contributor to national advisory groups, public commentary, and sector capability building.

I received my PhD in 2015 from the Department of Geoinformatics at Palacky University in the Czech Republic. In my thesis, I conducted research on spatial and spatiotemporal analysis of Campylobacteriosis in the Czech Republic. My main research interest is currently focused on geovisualisation and spatial analyses of health data using spatial and spatiotemporal modelling, and spatial statistics.

I like the interdisciplinary character of Geography and GIS allowing me to work on various projects in completely different fields. So far, I've been using my skills in projects in areas of geohealth, smart cities, landslide monitoring, urban studies, crowdsourcing, mapping, forestry, social networks, archaeology etc. I also have experience in teaching - mostly spatial analysis and geostatistics.

My research is driven by the idea that integrating Spatial Data Science and (health) geography can transform public health interventions and improve population health and well-being outcomes. As part of the Te Taiwhenua o te Hauora | GeoHealth Laboratory, I am investigating complex relationships between environmental, social, and spatial factors that affect human health and well-being. I am employing advanced computational methods and statistical tools to analyse and interpret a range of traditional and geospatial datasets to uncover spatial patterns and relationships relevant to public health issues. This often includes whole-population studies utilising spatially augmented large datasets and linked individual-level (micro)data as well as communicating complex results in a clear, engaging, and impactful way using static, dynamic and interactive (spatial) data visualisations and graphics to inform decision-making and public understanding.

My research focuses on three interconnected key themes:

1) Understanding the environmental and social determinants of health and well-being outcomes on multiple scales;
2) Developing and utilising (spatial) models to better understand whole-population health-related characteristics and associations;
3) Studying health and wellbeing disparities to inform policies and interventions aimed at reducing health inequities.

I'm a Senior Lecturer Above the Bar in Disaster Risk & Resilience and the Science Lead for the AF8 (Alpine Fault Magnitude 8) programme. My work focuses on understanding and modelling disaster risk as something dynamic — recognising that hazard, exposure, and vulnerability all change over time, often in ways our current risk models don't fully capture.

 

My current research explores this dynamic risk across five interconnected areas:

1) how population movement affects exposure to hazards;

2) how landslide behaviour changes chronically in the years following an earthquake;

3) how sequences of compounding hazards shape long-term recovery;

4) how impacts vary across different disaster scenarios; and

5) how climate change is altering future earthquake and landslide risk.

 

Over the past decade, I've worked to develop scenario and ensemble-style modelling approaches that give governments, emergency managers, and the UN more realistic ways to plan for major disasters — work that has informed both national and international disaster risk reduction policy. I lead the Risk Science Group for the Aotearoa Earthquake Science Advisory Panel, sit on the Severe Weather Science Advisory Panel, and am a Programme Area Lead for QuakeCoRE's Disciplinary Theme 1.

 

My research has been published in journals including Nature Communications and PNAS, and has featured in international media from the Associated Press to CNN. I place a strong emphasis on communicating risk clearly to different audiences — from public talks as part of the AF8 roadshow, to briefings for local and central government, through to regular media commentary following major disaster events both in New Zealand and overseas. I'm always keen to collaborate with researchers, agencies, and communities working to build a more resilient Aotearoa.