Senior Lecturer | Western Sydney University | Australia
Dr. Haider Mannan is a Tenured Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Translational Health Research Institute and School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, where he has served since 2015, progressing from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer through his exceptional contributions to research, teaching, and academic leadership. He holds a PhD in Biostatistics/Epidemiology from the University of Western Australia, alongside master’s degrees in Biostatistics/Epidemiology and Sociology from the University of Western Ontario, and earlier degrees in Statistics from the University of Dhaka. His research focuses on chronic disease risk prediction, eating disorders and obesity, preventive health modelling, and advanced biostatistical methods using large-scale administrative and longitudinal datasets. With over 89 peer-reviewed publications—including 45 in Q1 journals, 34 as first author, and several widely cited works informing health policy—he has advanced understanding of obesity trends, cardiovascular disease risk modelling, mental health interventions, and maternal-child health outcomes. His career spans leading roles at institutions such as James Cook University, Monash University, the University of Sydney, and international research bodies across Canada and Bangladesh, where he contributed to epidemiological modelling, clinical trials, and public health strategy. Dr. Mannan’s contributions have shaped preventive health policy through impactful studies abstracted by global organisations including the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the American Mindfulness Research Association, with his research on childhood obesity attracting nationwide media coverage in Australia. He has secured over one million AUD in competitive grants as co-investigator and led funded projects on preventive health and treatment outcomes. A recipient of the DVC’s Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research Award (2020), he also serves as Associate Editor of BMC Public Health and Guest Editor for journals such as Nutrients and Frontiers in Psychology, in addition to being an active reviewer for numerous high-impact journals. He is a committed academic mentor, having supervised multiple doctoral, master’s, and medical students to award-winning completions. Dr. Mannan envisions a future where precision epidemiology, predictive modelling, and integrative public health strategies enable earlier interventions for chronic disease and mental health risks. His work continues to influence health systems, driving innovations that improve health equity, inform resource planning, and enhance clinical and population-level decision-making worldwide.
Featured Publications
1. Purpura, M., Lowery, R. P., Wilson, J. M., Mannan, H., Münch, G.,(2018). Analysis of different innovative formulations of curcumin for improved relative oral bioavailability in human subjects. European Journal of Nutrition, 57(3), 929–938.
2. da Luz, F. Q., Sainsbury, A., Mannan, H., Touyz, S., Mitchison, D., & Hay, P. (2017). Prevalence of obesity and comorbid eating disorder behaviors in South Australia from 1995 to 2015. International Journal of Obesity, 41(7), 1148–1153.
3. Walls, H. L., Magliano, D. J., Stevenson, C., Backholer, K., Mannan, H. R., Shaw, J., ... (2010). Projected progression of the prevalence of obesity in Australia. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 4(S1), Proceedings of 2009 Australia
4. Walls, H. L., Stevenson, C. E., Mannan, H. R., Abdullah, A., Reid, C. M., McNeil, J. J., ... (2011). Comparing trends in BMI and waist circumference. Obesity, 19(1), 216–219.
5. Slewa-Younan, S., Yaser, A., Guajardo, M. G. U., Mannan, H., Smith, C. A.,(2017). The mental health and help-seeking behaviour of resettled Afghan refugees in Australia. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 11(1), 49.