Seana Gall
Professor Seana Gall
Associate Professor – Menzies Institute for Medical Research | Epidemiologist
A/Prof Seana Gall is an epidemiologist studying the risk factors and outcomes for heart disease and strokes. A large part A/Prof Gall’s research is investigating how to prevent stroke, which happens when the blood supply to the brain is stopped.
‘Stroke is a large cause of death and ill health in Tasmania’ A/Prof Gall says. ‘It can happen to people of any age but it is preventable, with up to 8 out of 10 strokes thought to be preventable by managing the risk factors for stroke like high blood pressure or smoking’.
She is currently leading Australia’s first research program dedicated to stroke prevention – Synergies to Prevent Stroke (STOPstroke).
‘As an epidemiologist, I find Tasmania is a particularly good place to do this kind of work,’ A/Prof Gall says. ‘Being an island state means it is easier to keep track of people over the course of a long-term study. Also, unfortunately, some of the risk factors we are studying are particularly prevalent in Tasmania.’
Seana chairs the Tobacco Control Coalition – a Tasmanian government initiative that also involves NGOs – that is responsible for developing the state’s tobacco control plan, including setting goals and priorities, developing plans and overseeing the implementation of those plans.
She also chairs Stroke Foundation’s Stroke Prevention Advisory Committee to enhance stroke prevention across Australia and is also a member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Cardiovascular Disease Expert Group.