About
Biography
Health promotion and education scholar specialized in mixed methods research - qualitative and quantitative. Passionate about educational development, teaching and learning, health education, health communication and capacity building. Advocate for translation of scientific evidence into practice and of good practice into evidence.
Associate Professor Florin Oprescu was awarded a PhD in Public Health (Community and Behavioural Health) from the University of Iowa in 2009. This is in addition to other formal degrees including Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Health and Medical Doctor.
Other awards, fellowships, internships, and traineeships include:
- University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor and President’s Diversity and Inclusion Award
- Senior Fellow, United Kingdom Higher Education Academy
- Visiting Fellow, Allied Health, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Clinics
- University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Early Career Research
- Seashore Ballard Dissertation Fellowship
- Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society in Business
- World Health Organisation Internship - Global Health Library
- Fogarty Trainee - International Collaborative Trauma and Injury Research and Training Program
- Milford E. Barnes Award for Academic Excellence in Community and Behavioral Health
- Hancher-Finkbine Award - Distinguished Student Leader Certificate
- Alpha Phi chapter of Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health
- Fogarty Trainee – International Training & Research Program in Environmental & Occupational Health
They have been serving as Clinical Council Member for PHN Sunshine Coast (currently Country to Coast) since 2015.
Research
Florin’s specialist areas of knowledge and research interests include health services, health education, health communication and health promotion. In particular, they study health solutions for vulnerable populations and low resource settings. They are nationally and internationally known for their academic work on health promotion and health services provision for vulnerable populations and low resource settings. They aim to research equitable health solutions that can ensure all have access to appropriate and sensitive health services when and where they need them. Florin also takes great pride in preparing and supporting the next generation of researchers through Higher Degree by Research (HDR) project supervision.
HDR Projects Supervision (19 higher degrees by research awarded as of February 2024)
- Masters - An analysis of falls in Residential Aged Care Facilities across the Sunshine Coast and the Queensland Ambulance Service response.
- Masters - Footprints –An exploratory study of the services accessed by patients who identify as Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander with Diabetic Foot Disease in the Sunshine Coast region
- PhD - Investigating Small Businesses Embracing Mental Wellbeing as a key to flourishing
- PhD - Evaluating new therapies for sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder
- PhD - Silent Voices of the Midwives: Exploring Midwives’ Experiences, Attitudes and Behaviours related to Neonatal Resuscitation in Tanzania
- PhD - Social capital and mental health promotion in a university setting
- PhD - Exploring patients’ experience of non-conveyance after receiving an emergency ambulance service response
- Masters - Strategies to improve safe medication administration
- PhD - Provision of Advance Care Planning as a clinical service
- Masters - Exploring factors that influence older drivers in planning for driving retirement
- PhD - Investigation of Stakeholder Perspectives on Leisure Activity Time Use in Mental Health Inpatient Units
- PhD - Using systems theory to explore components that can support the development and implementation of an evidence-based framework for allied health managers
- PhD - Perceived benefits of higher education for an ageing baby boomer population
- PhD - Lived experiences of individuals with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- PhD - Psychological interventions during injury rehabilitation
- PhD - A Biopsychosocial Approach to Aquatic based Exercise Interventions for Chronic and Disabling Conditions
- PhD - An exploration of the Professional Identity of Community Health Workers in rural and remote settings of Papua New Guinea
- PhD - Aged Care Services – Model of Care Redesign
- PhD - Weaving the quilt: a qualitative study of mature age people’s perceptions and experiences of employment-related age discrimination
- PhD - The impact of an emotional fitness and resilience building intervention – Mytern - on the psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, resilience and distress levels of first year university students
- PhD - The Lived Experience of People with Physical Disabilities in Timor Leste
- PhD - Mental Health and Poverty in Binaus Village, West Timor, East Nusa Tenggara-Indonesia: An Indigenous Psychology Perspective
- PhD - Environmental factors influencing para student-athletes
- Masters - Smoking prevalence, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of nursing students at the University of the Sunshine Coast
Teaching areas
- Introduction to Behavioural Health
- Public Health Foundations
- Health Promotion Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
- Literature reviews
- Health Research Projects
- Physical activity and health
- Indigenous Wellbeing Practice
- Higher Degree by Research