Illustrated public health banner: population data charts, a family, trees and a city skyline

TC Public Health

Evidence for Better
Preventive Healthcare

Tristan Carter, PhD

TEACHING ASSOCIATE  |  PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCHER

Quantitative public health researcher with expertise in preconception health and Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).

Profile

Affiliation
Southern Cross University – Faculty of Health
Qualification
PhD, Public Health
Fields
Preconception health · Health behaviours · Health service utilisation · TCIM
Based in
New South Wales, Australia

ABOUT ME

I am an early career researcher with a PhD in Public Health and a strong quantitative track record across preconception health, health behaviours, and health service utilisation. My work also extends to Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), generating evidence that informs policy and improves preventive health outcomes.

Alongside my research, I am committed to making evidence accessible, mentoring emerging researchers and supporting students through research design, analysis, and academic writing.

“Using population data to improve preventive health across the life course.”
- Tristan Carter

RESEARCH FOCUS

  • Preconception & Paternal Health
  • Traditional, Complementary & Integrative Medicine (TCIM)
  • Health Behaviours & Health Literacy
  • Population Health & Health Service Utilisation
  • Secondary Analysis of Australian Health Datasets
  • Quantitative Methods & Epidemiology

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • Systematic Reviews
  • Academic Writing & Publication Support
  • Large Data Analysis (Australian Population Datasets)
  • Research Design & Methods
  • Health Policy & Prevention
  • Evidence Synthesis
  • Epidemiology & Biostatistics

I SUPPORT

  • Undergraduate & Postgraduate Public Health Students
  • PhD Candidates (Research Design, Analysis, Thesis Support)
  • Professionals in Health & Allied Fields
  • Tutoring in Research Methods, Statistics & Epidemiology
  • Academic Writing & Manuscript Development

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

View my full publication list on ORCID or the SCU Research Portal.

Global research funding for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine.

Bulletin of the World Health Organization (2025) – 103(11):649–661D.

Read the paper ↗

Paternal preconception modifiable risk factors for adverse pregnancy and offspring outcomes: a review of contemporary evidence from observational studies.

BMC Public Health (2023) – 23:509.

Read the paper ↗

The Preconception Health and Health Behaviors of Australian First-Time Fathers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Health Education & Behavior (2026).

Read the paper ↗

BLOG

Short, plain-language pieces translating research into something useful.

Most recent

Preconception

What 572 Australian men tell us about health before fatherhood

New Ten to Men research on the health of Australian males before they become first-time fathers, explained in plain language with the key figures.

Read the post ↗
Methods

Reading a study without a statistics degree

A practical guide to confidence intervals, effect sizes, and what “significant” really means.

Read the post ↗
TCIM

Complementary medicine: what we actually know

Separating the evidence from the marketing in traditional and integrative health.

Read the post ↗

CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN RESEARCH

A field-level overview of the research threads currently shaping preventive and population health — not my own work, but the conversations the evidence is moving towards.

Preconception

Paternal contributions to offspring health

A rapidly growing evidence base is shifting preconception care beyond a maternal focus, examining how paternal weight, smoking, alcohol and occupational exposures shape fertility, pregnancy outcomes and child development.

Read the overview ↗
TCIM

Integrating TCIM into mainstream care

Work on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine is moving from prevalence estimates towards questions of safety, regulation, practitioner communication and equitable integration within formal health systems.

Read the overview ↗
Men's Health

Men's engagement with preventive services

Persistent gaps in how men access primary care, preventive checks and mental health support are driving research into masculinity norms, health literacy and service design that reaches men earlier.

Read the overview ↗

CURRENT RESEARCH GRANTSIndicative

Major Australian and international funding streams currently open to public health and preventive research.

NHMRC

NHMRC Investigator & Ideas Grants

Australia’s primary health and medical research scheme, supporting individual research programs and novel, high-impact project ideas across prevention and population health.

Funding opportunities ↗
MRFF

Medical Research Future Fund — Preventive & Public Health Research

Targeted MRFF missions funding chronic disease prevention, health services improvement and translation of evidence into practice and policy.

MRFF overview ↗
ARC

ARC Discovery & DECRA

Australian Research Council schemes supporting fundamental and early-career research, including the social, behavioural and methodological dimensions of health.

ARC funding ↗
International

NIH / NCCIH & WHO research programs

International funding for complementary and integrative health research, traditional medicine evidence-building, and global preventive health priorities.

NCCIH grants ↗

PRECONCEPTION HEALTH SURVEY

An instrument built alongside the research.

Coming soon

A questionnaire measuring the determinants of men's health before conception — behaviours, relationships, nutrition, substances, chronic conditions, occupational exposure, and the beliefs that shape whether men seek preconception care at all.

Collaboration & enquiries

Open to research collaboration

The questions worth answering in public health are rarely answered alone. I welcome approaches from universities, research centres, program teams and individual students, whether a project is already funded or still taking shape.

Research partnerships

Collaborator and co-investigator roles across preconception and men’s health, population health, and traditional, complementary and integrative medicine. I am glad to contribute at any stage, from shaping the research question through to manuscript submission.

Students & supervision support

Tutoring, methods coaching and academic writing support for HDR candidates and postgraduate students in public health, epidemiology and research design. Experienced in helping first-time authors get a manuscript over the line.

Analysis & advisory work

Quantitative analysis of large Australian datasets, study design, and statistical support for institutes, programs and industry partners who need rigorous evidence behind a decision or an evaluation.

If your work overlaps with mine, I would genuinely like to hear about it. A short email is always enough to start.

PREVENTION

Promoting health before disease begins.

EVIDENCE

Using robust data to inform better decisions.

POPULATION HEALTH

Understanding health at the population level.

EDUCATION

Empowering students and professionals to grow.

IMPACT

Turning research into real-world change.