Stephanie Duncombe

Dr Stephanie Duncombe is a Lecturer in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia, a Master’s degree (coursework) from École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Movement and Sports Science from the University of Queensland in 2023, with her thesis titled 'Making a HIIT: High-intensity interval training interventions in educational settings.' Her research centres on understanding inequalities in physical activity through epidemiological methods and designing tailored interventions using health promotion frameworks. She has particular interests in gender inequalities and paediatrics, drawing from a multidisciplinary background in epidemiology, exercise physiology, and health promotion. Duncombe previously conducted research as a PhD candidate in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences and served as a research assistant at the RECOVER Injury Research Centre.

Duncombe led the 'Making a HIIT' intervention study on high-intensity interval training in schools, securing funding from the Sports Medicine Australia Research Foundation in 2022. Her key publications include 'School-based high-intensity interval training programs in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis' (PLOS ONE, 2022), 'Was it a HIIT? A process evaluation of a school-based high-intensity interval training intervention' (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2024), 'Making a HIIT: co-design of high-intensity interval training workouts with students & teachers within the curriculum' (BMC Public Health, 2023), 'Sex Differences in the Play Equipment Found in Australian Children’s Homes' (Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2025), and earlier works such as 'Physical activity and sedentary behavior in children with congenital heart disease' (Journal of the American Heart Association, 2017) and 'Oscillometric and auscultatory blood pressure measurement methods in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis' (Journal of Hypertension, 2017). She supervises PhD projects on physical activity trajectories, socioeconomic influences on activity and cardiovascular outcomes, and optimal physical activity doses for preventing non-communicable diseases. Her contributions span behavioural epidemiology, public health, sports science, and exercise, with numerous peer-reviewed articles and conference presentations.

Professional Email: s.duncombe@uq.edu.au